Your site might look great.
But if it’s not showing up when patients search for your services?
You're leaving money, and impact on the table.
Most private medical practices don’t have an SEO problem.
They have a visibility problem.
They’re doing great work, but no one can find them.
Here are the 5 most common SEO mistakes I see every week — and how to fix each one with zero fluff.
1. You Don’t Have a Google Business Profile (Or It’s Incomplete)
If you’re not in the “map pack” (the 3 listings under Google Maps), you’re already losing.
Over half of clicks go there before they even hit your site.
Fix it like this:
- Go to Google Business Profile, claim or verify your listing.
- Use your exact clinic name, not a keyword-stuffed one.
- Add: your services, photos, hours, and accurate Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP).
- Make sure your NAP is identical across your website, Yelp, Healthgrades, and everywhere else.
- Add categories and booking links if available.
Pro tip: Reviews with keywords in them boost your local SEO. Ask happy patients to leave one.
2. Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly
Over 70% of patients are searching on their phones.
If your site’s slow, hard to click, or forces them to zoom?
They’re gone, and Google will tank your rankings.
Fix it like this:
- Make your layout fully responsive — no sideways scrolling, no zooming.
- Use tap targets at least 48px — small links = missed clicks = missed patients.
- Limit load time to under 2.5 seconds. Use PageSpeed Insights to diagnose.
- Compress every image (use TinyPNG) or convert to WebP.
- Preload or defer your fonts to avoid flashing text.
- Test on real phones — not just your laptop browser.
3. Your Site Is Too Slow
Speed isn’t optional — it’s your first impression.
A 1-second delay = 7% drop in conversions.
A 3-second delay = half your traffic left on the table.
Fix it like this:
- Compress images before uploading (again, TinyPNG).
- Limit third-party scripts (no auto-play videos or pop-ups on mobile).
- Use fast, secure hosting — avoid $3/month shared servers.
- Enable lazy loading for images and videos.
- Use CDNs like Cloudflare to speed up delivery.
Use PageSpeed Insights to see exactly what’s slowing you down — and how to fix it.
4. You’re Targeting the Wrong Keywords
If your homepage says “Welcome to Our Practice” instead of “Vein Specialist in Milwaukee”, you’re invisible.
Fix it like this:
- Use tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic to find what patients actually type in.
- Target high-intent, local searches like:
- “pediatrician near me”
- “dermatologist milwaukee”
- “vein doctor open now”
- Use those keywords in:
- Page titles
- Headings (H1s, H2s)
- Meta descriptions
- Alt tags on images
- Your actual content (naturally — don’t stuff)
Want to rank locally? Include your city name on every page.
5. You Don’t Have Clear CTAs
Let’s say your site loads fast. You rank well. A patient finds you.
But there’s no clear button. No phone number. No next step.
So they leave.
Fix it like this:
- Every page should have a primary CTA (Book Now, Call Today, Schedule a Free Consult).
- Put it:
- Above the fold
- In your navigation
- At the bottom of every page
- On mobile, use sticky buttons to keep the CTA visible as they scroll.
- Make your contact page 1 click max from anywhere.
If they can’t take action in 3 seconds or less, your site isn’t working.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to spend $5,000/month on ads to get new patients.
You just need to fix what’s broken — and most of it takes less than an hour.
These 5 mistakes are the reason most clinics lose out on organic growth.
Fix them, and you’ll start getting:
- More search traffic
- More appointment requests
- And more patients walking through your door
I do a limited number of free SEO audits each month for private practices that want to grow. If you’d like one, request yours here, you’ll get real advice, not fluff.