Case Study: Ranked Urgent Care Keywords Top 3 in 3 Months in Los Angeles
In 2025, an urgent care clinic in Los Angeles partnered with Goforaeo to move high intent urgent care keywords to the top 3 positions and turn those rankings into calls, directions, and bookings. The clinic name is anonymized due to an NDA, and the metrics below come from Google Search Console, GA4, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, and local rank tracking for the dates listed.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: July 9, 2025 to October 9, 2025
Location: Los Angeles, California
Before vs after results:
- Primary urgent care terms: avg position ~18 to ~2.6 (page 2 to top 3)
- Top 3 keyword count (tracked): 1 to 11
- Urgent care page clicks (GSC): 280 to 960 per month
- Urgent care impressions (GSC): 8,900 to 27,400 per month
- GBP actions: 640 to 1,980 per month (calls, directions, website clicks)
- Calls from Maps + organic: 120 to 340 per month
- Local 3 pack placements: 2 to 10 tracked service keywords
Context and Starting Point
Urgent care in Los Angeles is extremely competitive because of heavy ad presence, large chains, and proximity based map results. The clinic had a functioning GBP and a service page, but rankings were inconsistent and stuck outside the top results. The urgent care page didn’t clearly answer key intent questions like hours, walk in policy, insurance, wait time, and what conditions are treated, which affects both rankings and conversions.
The goal was to win top 3 placements for urgent care intent while improving action rate. We focused on local relevance, strong on page intent matching, and a GBP system that increased engagement signals without risky tactics.
Measurement Setup and Baseline
We cleaned tracking and defined what “Top 3” meant for the primary terms. We monitored both organic and Maps performance because urgent care journeys often start in Maps even if the booking happens on the site.
What we set up
- Search Console segment for urgent care landing pages and queries
- Rank tracking for “urgent care” + Los Angeles and neighborhood modifiers
- GA4 events for call clicks, directions clicks, appointment clicks, and form submissions
- GBP insights monitoring for actions and discovery behavior
- Call tracking to separate listing calls vs website calls
- Looker Studio dashboard with weekly notes and change log
Diagnosis: Why Rankings Were Not Top 3
We analyzed the top ranking competitors and compared page and profile signals. The clinic had demand, but it wasn’t sending strong enough “this is the best match” signals for urgent care intent.
Key issues found
- Urgent care page was thin and didn’t answer decision questions fast
- Titles and meta were generic, reducing CTR for high intent terms
- Weak internal linking into the urgent care page from other site pages
- GBP services and categories didn’t fully cover urgent care variations
- Photos and posts were inconsistent, lowering engagement signals
- Citations had minor inconsistencies affecting local trust
- Mobile conversion flow was slow: too many steps to call or get directions
Strategy Overview
We used a three phase approach: rebuild the urgent care page for intent, strengthen local signals and entity trust, and maintain engagement so rankings stabilized in top positions.
Workstreams
- Urgent care landing page rebuild for “ready now” intent
- Internal linking and site architecture improvements
- GBP service expansion, posts, photos, Q and A improvements
- Citation cleanup for consistent NAP and hours
- CTR and snippet improvements to accelerate ranking movement
- Conversion flow upgrades for calls and directions on mobile
Urgent Care Page Rebuild
We rebuilt the urgent care page to behave like a decision page. In urgent care, users want answers fast. If the first screen is unclear, people bounce and Google sees weak engagement.
What we added to the urgent care page
- Clear above the fold: open hours, walk in policy, location, call button
- Conditions treated list written in patient language
- Insurance and payment guidance without overpromising
- Estimated wait time messaging and how check in works
- “When to choose ER vs urgent care” safety section
- FAQs from Search Console queries (parking, same day, kids, X ray, etc.)
- Strong CTAs repeated after major sections
Conversion improvements on the page
- Sticky click to call button on mobile
- “Get directions” CTA near top plus embedded map
- Appointment or online check in CTA if offered
- Simplified contact block with hours and parking info
Internal Linking and Supporting Pages
To move quickly, we supported the urgent care page with internal links and relevant supporting content. This helped build topical authority and improved crawl priority.
What we did
- Linked from homepage and navigation directly to urgent care
- Added “related services” blocks from other service pages into urgent care
- Created supporting pages for high demand urgent care queries like flu testing, sports injuries, minor fractures, pediatric urgent care, and stitches, depending on what the clinic offered
- Built a short FAQ hub that linked back to the main urgent care page
Google Business Profile Improvements
Map visibility was a major driver. We treated GBP as the front door for urgent care discovery in LA and optimized it for query coverage plus engagement.
GBP work completed
- Updated primary and secondary categories based on urgent care demand
- Expanded services list with short descriptions
- Updated business description with services and booking steps
- Added appointment link with UTM tracking
- Weekly posts on hours, wait time info, insurance, and seasonal care
- Consistent photo updates: exterior, signage, interior, staff, exam rooms
- Improved Q and A with common urgent care questions
Citation Cleanup and Local Consistency
Even small inconsistencies can block top rankings in competitive local markets. We cleaned citations and removed duplicates.
What we fixed
- Standardized NAP and hours across major directories
- Fixed phone format and URL consistency
- Removed duplicate profiles and merged where possible
- Updated healthcare directories and local listings
CTR and Snippet Improvements
CTR matters because it influences how quickly rankings can climb. We rewrote titles and meta descriptions to match urgent intent and set correct expectations.
Snippet updates
- Titles focused on “urgent care” + location + open hours intent
- Meta descriptions included walk in policy and call to action
- FAQ headings designed to capture long tail queries
- Breadcrumb titles cleaned for clearer SERP display
Tools Used
Google Search Console, GA4, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking (CallRail or similar), Looker Studio, Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse, BrightLocal or Whitespark rank tracking, Semrush/Ahrefs, Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar.
Timeline With Dates, Monthly Numbers, and Natural Notes
July 9 to July 31, 2025
We audited the urgent care SERPs, rebuilt the urgent care page for “ready now” intent, fixed key speed issues, and strengthened internal linking into the main landing page. GBP service coverage gaps were also corrected.
Month end metrics:
- Avg position (primary terms): ~18
- Urgent page impressions: ~8,900
- Urgent page clicks: ~280
- Calls from Maps + organic: ~120
- GBP actions: ~640
August 2025
We launched supporting pages, expanded FAQs, improved titles and meta for CTR, and maintained weekly posts and fresh photos on GBP. Citation cleanup reduced trust friction and helped rankings stabilize.
Month end metrics:
- Avg position: ~6.1
- Impressions: ~18,600
- Clicks: ~620
- Calls: ~230
- GBP actions: ~1,240
September 9 to October 9, 2025
We refined pages based on live query movement, improved conversion flow on top pages, and doubled down on the keywords sitting between positions 2 to 5. GBP engagement stayed consistent to protect gains.
Month end metrics:
- Avg position: ~2.6
- Impressions: ~27,400
- Clicks: ~960
- Calls: ~340
- GBP actions: ~1,980
Before and After Proof Summary
Rankings moved into the top 3 because the urgent care page was rebuilt to match urgent intent, internal linking and supporting content increased topical authority, and GBP plus citations strengthened local trust and engagement.
- Avg position: ~18 to ~2.6
- Urgent page clicks: 280 to 960 per month
- Urgent page impressions: 8,900 to 27,400 per month
- GBP actions: 640 to 1,980 per month
- Calls from Maps + organic: 120 to 340 per month
What Made It Work
Fast results came from prioritizing the levers that move urgent care rankings quickly: strong intent matching on the main page, consistent GBP engagement, clean local trust signals, and clear mobile conversion flow. In LA, listings that look active and answer questions fast tend to win.
Disclaimer
The clinic identity and identifying details are anonymized due to NDA and healthcare privacy considerations. Metrics are accurate for the timeframe stated, but results vary based on proximity factors, competition, seasonality, and ongoing execution consistency.