Even the best-looking medical websites can miss out on new patient enquiries if common SEO mistakes go unnoticed. In the healthcare industry, where trust and visibility are critical, fixing these errors can mean the difference between ranking on page one or getting buried in search results.
At Bottrell Media, we help doctors, dentists, and healthcare providers identify and fix SEO issues to improve visibility and patient engagement.
Local patients often search terms like “dentist near me” or “physio Newcastle.” Many medical sites:
Fail to claim or optimise their Google Business Profile
Use inconsistent business details (NAP) across directories
Lack dedicated location or service pages
How to fix:
Create and optimise local pages for each location, ensure NAP consistency, and actively manage your Google Business Profile to appear in local map results.
Thin, duplicate, or overly technical content can hurt both rankings and patient understanding. Many clinics:
Use generic service descriptions copied from other sites
Skip blogging or patient education resources
Don’t answer common patient questions
How to fix:
Write original, clear, and patient-focused content targeting real search queries. Add blogs on topics patients care about to increase authority and relevance.
Most patients search for healthcare services on smartphones. Yet, some medical websites:
Have slow load times on mobile
Use layouts that don’t adjust to smaller screens
Overload pages with large images
How to fix:
Ensure your site design is fully responsive, compress images, and test loading speed on mobile devices to improve user experience and SEO.
Technical problems can make it hard for Google to index your site. Common issues include:
Broken links or outdated pages
Missing SSL certificates (no HTTPS)
Lack of XML sitemaps or structured data
How to fix:
Run regular technical audits, fix broken links, secure your site with HTTPS, and submit updated sitemaps to Google Search Console.
Many medical sites either overuse medical jargon or ignore keywords patients actually search for, leading to:
Pages that don’t match user intent
Low relevance for common local searches
Missed opportunities to rank
How to fix:
Research patient-friendly keywords like “child dentist Newcastle” or “sports physio near me” and include them naturally in titles, headings, and content.
Reviews help your practice appear in local searches and build trust, but many clinics:
Have few or outdated reviews
Don’t respond to feedback
Hide negative reviews rather than address them
How to fix:
Create a review request process, keep reviews fresh, and respond professionally to both positive and negative comments.
Without internal links, important service pages can remain hidden from both Google and patients.
How to fix:
Add links from blog posts and general pages to key service and location pages to guide visitors and strengthen site structure.
At Bottrell Media, we offer:
Full SEO audits to uncover hidden issues
Local SEO and Google Business Profile optimisation
Content writing tailored for patients and search engines
Technical fixes for speed, security, and indexing
Ongoing monitoring to keep your website competitive
We help healthcare providers turn online visibility into real patient enquiries.
Avoiding these common SEO mistakes isn’t just about ranking higher — it’s about helping patients find, trust, and choose your practice.
Ready to make your medical website work harder?
👉 Contact Bottrell Media to audit and optimise your site for better patient reach.
