Case Study: Ranked Individual Doctors from Page 4 to Page 1 in 4 Months in Houston
In 2025, a multi doctor clinic in Houston partnered with Goforaeo to rank individual doctor profile pages from page 4 to page 1 for high intent searches. The clinic and doctor names are anonymized due to an NDA, and the metrics below come from Google Search Console, GA4, local rank tracking, Google Business Profile insights, and call tracking for the dates listed.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: May 19, 2025 to September 19, 2025
Location: Houston, Texas
Before vs after results:
- Doctor profile keywords moved: avg position ~36 to ~8.1 (page 4 to page 1)
- Doctor name + specialty terms on page 1 (tracked): 0 to 14
- Clicks to doctor profile pages (GSC): 90 to 310 per month
- Impressions to doctor pages (GSC): 2,800 to 9,600 per month
- Calls + appointment inquiries influenced by doctor pages: 12 to 41 per month
- GBP actions (clinic listing): 420 to 980 per month (supporting signal)
Context and Starting Point
In Houston, “doctor name” and “doctor near me” searches are competitive, and many results include large hospital networks, directory profiles, and review sites. The clinic already had doctor pages, but they were thin, inconsistent, and not well connected to service pages. Google could see the doctors existed, but it didn’t have enough structured, consistent signals to rank those pages strongly.
Doctor profile SEO is not just about the profile page. Rankings improve when the doctor page, service pages, schema, reviews, and external mentions all reinforce the same entity signals.
Measurement Setup
We cleaned tracking and grouped performance by doctor page so each profile could be measured properly. We also tracked rank movement for each doctor name plus specialty and doctor plus location queries.
What we set up
- Search Console segment for doctor profile URLs
- Rank tracking for each doctor’s name + specialty + Houston modifiers
- GA4 events for call clicks, appointment clicks, and form submissions
- Call tracking to connect calls back to doctor page sessions where possible
- GBP insights monitoring to track overall local action lift
- Looker Studio dashboard with weekly notes
Diagnosis: Why Doctor Pages Were Stuck on Page 4
We reviewed the doctor pages and compared them with the profiles ranking on page 1. Most competitors had clearer entity signals, deeper bios, and stronger internal plus external validation.
Key issues found
- Doctor pages lacked depth beyond a short bio
- Missing structured sections: specialties, conditions treated, procedures, insurance
- Inconsistent NAP and doctor naming across the site and directories
- Weak internal linking from services to the doctor pages and back
- No strong “book with this doctor” flow, especially on mobile
- Missing or weak schema for physician pages
- Duplicate or near duplicate doctor pages for the same provider
- External citations and directory profiles were incomplete or inconsistent
Strategy Overview
We used a four month plan built around entity clarity. The goal was to make each doctor page the best result for that doctor in Houston, while also ensuring Google could connect the doctor to services, the clinic, and local trust signals.
Workstreams
- Doctor profile rebuilds with deeper content and conversion flow
- Service to doctor internal linking system
- Physician schema and structured data improvements
- External profile consistency and citation cleanup
- Reviews and trust signals tied to doctor experience
- Snippet improvements to improve CTR for doctor searches
Doctor Profile Rebuild: What We Changed
We rebuilt doctor pages to behave like high intent landing pages. These pages must answer “Is this the right doctor for me” quickly and clearly.
Content and structure added to every doctor page
- Clear specialty headline and location confirmation (Houston)
- Conditions treated and common reasons patients visit
- Procedures and services offered with links to service pages
- Education, training, certifications, and hospital affiliations (if applicable)
- Insurance and appointment guidance
- “What to expect” section for first visit
- FAQ section built from Search Console queries where available
- Strong CTAs: call, request appointment, schedule with doctor
Conversion improvements for doctor pages
- Sticky call button on mobile
- Appointment CTAs placed above the fold and after major sections
- Shorter appointment request forms with doctor preselected
- Better confirmation messaging and next steps
Internal Linking System: Services and Doctors Connected
Internal linking was one of the fastest movers here. We made sure Google could see which doctors are relevant to which services, and users could navigate between them easily.
Linking changes
- Added “meet the doctors” blocks on service pages, linking to relevant physicians
- Added “services provided” links on each doctor page pointing to service pages
- Built specialty hubs that list doctors by specialty and link to each doctor page
- Cleaned orphan pages and fixed broken internal links
- Added breadcrumbs and improved navigation paths
Schema and Technical Enhancements
Doctor pages benefit heavily from correct structured data because it reinforces entity understanding.
Technical work completed
- Added Physician schema and connected it to the clinic entity
- Added LocalBusiness/MedicalOrganization schema sitewide
- Added FAQ schema where eligible
- Fixed duplicates and canonicalized alternate doctor page URLs
- Improved page speed on doctor templates and removed heavy scripts
- Improved image compression and added descriptive alt text
External Signals and Profile Consistency
For doctor name searches, external validation matters. We ensured doctor names, specialties, and clinic association were consistent across key platforms.
External work completed
- Updated doctor profiles on major healthcare directories (where applicable)
- Ensured consistent naming, credentials formatting, and clinic association
- Cleaned duplicates and outdated profiles
- Added links back to the correct doctor page where possible
- Improved citation consistency for clinic NAP and hours
Reviews and Trust Signals
We improved trust cues on doctor pages and made review handling more consistent. While doctor specific reviews vary by platform and policy, we used compliant approaches and focused on patient experience.
What we implemented
- Compliant review request workflow after visits
- Consistent response cadence for reviews
- On page trust blocks: credentials, affiliations, and process clarity
- Testimonials where allowed, without revealing PHI
Tools Used
Google Search Console, GA4, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, Looker Studio, Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, BrightLocal or Whitespark, Semrush/Ahrefs, Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar, Google Tag Manager.
Timeline With Dates, Monthly Numbers, and Natural Notes
May 19 to May 31, 2025
We audited every doctor page, fixed tracking, mapped doctor name searches, and rebuilt the first set of priority profiles. Canonicals and duplicates were also cleaned so Google indexed the correct URLs.
Month end metrics:
- Avg position (tracked doctor terms): ~36
- Doctor page impressions: ~2,800
- Doctor page clicks: ~90
- Inquiries influenced: ~12
June 2025
We expanded doctor page content across the remaining priority doctors, added Physician schema, and implemented the service to doctor internal linking system. Early page 2 movement started once entity signals became consistent.
Month end metrics:
- Avg position: ~18
- Impressions: ~5,200
- Clicks: ~160
- Inquiries influenced: ~22
July 2025
We tightened external profile consistency, improved snippets for doctor searches, and strengthened trust sections and conversion flow on top profiles. Rankings moved from page 2 into page 1 for multiple doctors.
Month end metrics:
- Avg position: ~11
- Impressions: ~7,600
- Clicks: ~240
- Inquiries influenced: ~31
August 19 to September 19, 2025
We refined profiles based on query movement, expanded FAQs, improved mobile UX, and doubled down on doctors stuck between positions 8 to 15. By the end of the period, the highest value doctor terms held page 1 positions.
Month end metrics:
- Avg position: ~8.1
- Impressions: ~9,600
- Clicks: ~310
- Inquiries influenced: ~41
Before and After Proof Summary
Doctor pages reached page 1 because we improved entity clarity and depth, connected services and doctors through internal linking, added schema, and cleaned external profile consistency. Conversion improvements made the traffic valuable.
- Avg position: ~36 to ~8.1
- Doctor page clicks: 90 to 310 per month
- Doctor page impressions: 2,800 to 9,600 per month
- Inquiries influenced: 12 to 41 per month
What Made It Work
Doctor SEO moves fastest when everything agrees: the doctor page content, structured data, service links, and external profiles. Once Google could clearly connect each doctor to their specialty and the Houston clinic entity, rankings improved quickly and held more consistently.
Disclaimer
The clinic and doctor identities are anonymized due to NDA and healthcare privacy considerations. Metrics are accurate for the timeframe stated, but results vary based on competition, directory behavior, proximity factors, and ongoing execution consistency.