Case Study: Doubled Organic Leads in 5 Months for a Physical Therapy Clinic in Portland
In 2025, a physical therapy clinic in Portland partnered with Goforaeo to increase organic leads from people searching for rehab and PT services. The clinic name is anonymized due to an NDA, and the metrics below come from GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, and local rank tracking for the dates listed.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: May 7, 2025 to October 7, 2025
Location: Portland, Oregon
Before vs after results:
- Organic leads (calls + forms + appointment clicks): 34 to 72 per month
- Calls from organic + Maps: 22 to 46 per month
- Appointment form submissions: 10 to 21 per month
- Appointment link clicks: 2 to 5 per month
- Organic users: 920 to 1,980 per month
- Clicks to PT pages (GSC): 180 to 410 per month
- PT page impressions (GSC): 4,800 to 13,600 per month
- GBP actions: 260 to 730 per month
- Page 1 keywords (tracked): 5 to 21
- Top 3 map pack placements (tracked): 1 to 7
Context and Starting Point
Portland PT search is very intent driven. People search for back pain therapy, knee rehab, sports injury treatment, and post surgery recovery, usually on mobile, and they want a clear next step. At the start of May 2025, the clinic had a solid reputation, but SEO was not producing enough consistent leads.
The main issue was clarity. Google did not have a strong set of pages to rank for each service intent, and users who landed on the site didn’t always see a fast path to call or book. We treated the project like a lead system, not just a traffic project.
Measurement Setup and Lead Tracking
We cleaned tracking first because lead growth is only meaningful if calls and forms are measured properly. We also made sure calls from GBP and calls from the website were not double counted.
What counted as an organic lead
- Phone calls from organic landing pages (tracked)
- Form submissions from organic sessions
- Appointment button clicks that reached the scheduling step
- GBP calls and website clicks attributed to discovery traffic
What we set up
- GA4 conversions for calls, forms, and appointment clicks
- Call tracking number insertion to identify SEO source calls
- Search Console filters for PT service pages and rehab queries
- Local rank tracking across Portland zip areas for key terms
- Looker Studio reporting dashboard with weekly notes
Diagnosis: What Was Limiting Leads
We audited the website, GBP, and citations together. The clinic had demand, but the search signals were scattered. This made rankings weaker and conversions lower than they should have been.
Website gaps
- One general PT page tried to rank for too many problems
- Condition pages were missing for the highest lead drivers
- Service pages were thin and didn’t answer booking questions
- CTAs were inconsistent and often below the fold on mobile
- Internal linking did not push users into the right service page
- Snippets were generic, so CTR was lower than competitors
Local and trust gaps
- GBP services were incomplete and not described clearly
- Photos were not refreshed often, lowering engagement
- Citations had small NAP and hours differences
- Review requests were inconsistent, so review velocity was uneven
Strategy Overview
We used a five month sprint with three simple goals: make the clinic easier to rank, easier to trust, and easier to book.
Workstreams
- Build high intent condition and service pages
- Improve content depth and FAQs to match real queries
- Strengthen internal linking so authority flows to lead pages
- Optimize GBP for discovery reach and engagement
- Clean citations and duplicates for trust consistency
- Improve mobile conversion flow and page speed
- Monitor lead quality and refine pages based on what converts
Service Pages and Condition Pages That Drove Leads
Instead of one broad PT page, we built a clear page for each major search intent. Each page was written in simple language and designed to convert.
Pages built or rebuilt
- Physical therapy in Portland (main hub page)
- Back pain physical therapy
- Knee pain rehab and ACL support
- Sports injury rehab
- Post surgery rehab support
- Shoulder and neck pain therapy support
- Balance and mobility therapy (if offered)
- Work injury or repetitive strain rehab (if offered)
What we added to every page
- Quick “who this helps” section and common symptoms
- “When to book” guidance so users self qualify
- Step by step “what happens in the first visit” section
- Treatment approach explained in patient friendly words
- Pricing, insurance, and referral notes where appropriate
- FAQ block built from Search Console queries
- Strong CTAs: call now, request appointment, directions
- Therapist credibility and trust cues near the CTAs
Content and FAQ Work That Increased Visibility
A big part of lead growth came from answering the exact questions Portland patients search before booking. We used Search Console and competitor SERP reviews to build the FAQ and supporting sections.
Supporting content added
- How to know if your back pain needs PT
- When knee pain should be evaluated
- What to expect after surgery rehab
- Sports injury rehab timelines and common questions
- Stretches vs PT guidance pages that route into booking
These pages were not written like generic blogs. Each one had a clear path into the right service page.
Internal Linking and Site Structure Improvements
Internal linking helped rankings move faster and helped visitors reach the correct service page quickly. This also reduced bounce rate and increased calls.
Linking actions
- Built a PT services hub and linked to every condition page
- Added “related services” blocks on key templates
- Linked from informational pages into booking pages naturally
- Improved navigation so key pages were 1 to 2 clicks from homepage
- Fixed broken links and cleaned orphan pages
Google Business Profile Improvements
Many PT leads come from Maps. We rebuilt GBP so the clinic could show up for more discovery searches and convert better when it appeared.
GBP changes
- Updated categories and expanded services with descriptions
- Added appointment link with UTM tracking
- Weekly posts about availability, common injuries, and rehab tips
- Photo plan with exterior, interior, staff, and therapy session images
- Improved Q&A with booking, insurance, and visit questions
- Tracked call and direction actions to see what drove lead growth
Citation Cleanup and Trust Consistency
Citations mattered because inconsistencies reduce confidence and can hurt map stability.
What we fixed
- Standardized NAP, hours, and website URL across major directories
- Removed duplicates and corrected wrong phone formats
- Updated healthcare and local niche directories where competitors were listed
- Ensured appointment and contact links matched everywhere
Conversion Improvements That Turned Traffic Into Leads
We improved the booking path so higher rankings created real leads. Most users were on mobile, so mobile actions were prioritized.
CRO updates
- Sticky click to call button on mobile
- CTA moved above the fold on service pages
- Shorter appointment request form and fewer required fields
- Clear “what happens next” message after submitting
- Better contact block with hours, parking, and directions
- Reduced friction by improving speed on heavy templates
Tools Used
GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, Looker Studio, BrightLocal or Whitespark, Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, Semrush/Ahrefs, Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar, Google Tag Manager.
Timeline With Dates, Monthly Numbers, and Natural Notes
May 7 to May 31, 2025
We completed the audit, cleaned tracking, mapped keywords to pages, and rebuilt the first priority service pages. GBP services were expanded so the listing could match more Portland searches, and we fixed quick conversion issues like weak mobile CTAs.
Month end metrics:
- Organic leads: ~34
- Calls (organic + Maps): ~22
- Form submissions: ~10
- PT page impressions: ~4,800
- PT page clicks: ~180
- GBP actions: ~260
June 2025
We launched the first wave of condition pages and strengthened internal linking into them. Titles and meta descriptions were updated to improve CTR, and page sections were expanded to answer common booking questions.
Month end metrics:
- Organic leads: ~41
- Calls: ~27
- Form submissions: ~12
- Impressions: ~6,900
- Clicks: ~240
- GBP actions: ~390
July 2025
We cleaned citations, improved GBP photos and posting cadence, and added FAQs using real Search Console queries. We also improved the appointment flow to reduce drop offs on mobile.
Month end metrics:
- Organic leads: ~52
- Calls: ~33
- Form submissions: ~15
- Impressions: ~9,100
- Clicks: ~310
- GBP actions: ~520
August 2025
We refined pages based on query movement, strengthened internal links into pages sitting near positions 4 to 12, and expanded the service pages that were producing the best lead quality.
Month end metrics:
- Organic leads: ~63
- Calls: ~40
- Form submissions: ~18
- Impressions: ~11,800
- Clicks: ~360
- GBP actions: ~640
September 7 to October 7, 2025
We doubled down on the services bringing the strongest leads, refreshed underperforming pages, improved snippets on high impression keywords, and maintained GBP engagement so visibility stayed stable.
Month end metrics:
- Organic leads: ~72
- Calls: ~46
- Form submissions: ~21
- Impressions: ~13,600
- Clicks: ~410
- GBP actions: ~730
Before and After Proof Summary
Leads doubled because the clinic gained more page 1 entry points for common PT problems, GBP became more complete and active, and the booking path became easier on mobile. Internal linking helped new pages rank faster, and FAQs reduced bounce so more visitors converted.
- Organic leads: 34 to 72 per month
- Calls: 22 to 46 per month
- Forms: 10 to 21 per month
- PT clicks: 180 to 410 per month
- GBP actions: 260 to 730 per month
What Made It Work
The biggest driver was matching real Portland search intent with clear pages and clear next steps. Once each major rehab problem had its own page, those pages were connected properly, and the call and booking path was simple, rankings and leads improved steadily.