Healthcare SEO Case Study: Increased Organic Traffic 230% in 8 Months for an Orthopedic Center in Chicago
In 2025, an orthopedic center in Chicago worked with Goforaeo to grow non branded organic traffic and increase qualified patient inquiries from search. The client name is anonymized due to an NDA, and metrics below come from GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, and rank tracking for the dates stated. Growth came from technical cleanup, stronger service and condition pages, smarter internal linking, and conversion focused UX updates.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: February 18, 2025 to October 18, 2025
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Before vs after:
- Organic traffic: 230% increase (GA4 organic sessions)
- Monthly organic sessions: 1,240 to 4,090
- Monthly organic users: 910 to 2,960
- Service page clicks from search: 520 to 1,780 (GSC)
- Top 3 keyword placements: 7 to 26 tracked terms
- Patient inquiries from organic: 34 to 112 per month (calls + forms)
- Pages driving meaningful organic traffic: 9 to 31 (GA4 landing pages)
Context and Starting Point
Chicago orthopedic SERPs are dominated by hospital networks and large medical groups. This center had strong clinicians and services, but the site wasn’t structured to win condition and procedure searches consistently. Search Console showed impressions, but click share and rankings were limited.
Traffic was concentrated on a few pages, making growth fragile. The goal was to expand the ranking footprint so multiple services and conditions contributed. That’s what made the 230% lift stable.
Diagnosis and What Was Holding Growth Back
We audited technical SEO, content depth, internal linking, local signals, and conversions together. The core problem was unclear topical structure and thin service coverage. Competitors had deeper pages, better intent targeting, and stronger trust signals.
Key issues found
- Service pages were broad and lacked procedure level detail
- High volume condition pages were missing or thin
- Overlapping pages caused keyword cannibalization
- Internal linking didn’t funnel authority to priority pages
- Titles and meta descriptions were generic, lowering CTR
- Mobile speed and Core Web Vitals were inconsistent
- Location and schema signals were incomplete or inconsistent
Strategy Overview
We used a multi track approach so improvements compounded. Technical fixes improved crawl and engagement, content upgrades expanded rankings, and internal linking distributed authority. Conversion improvements ensured traffic growth turned into inquiries.
Workstreams executed
- Technical SEO cleanup and performance improvements
- Service and procedure page rebuilds
- Condition and symptom content clusters
- Internal linking and architecture improvements
- Local relevance and trust signals
- CRO updates to lift calls and appointment requests
Technical SEO and Site Health Work
We removed friction that slowed indexing and hurt engagement. This helped new pages get discovered faster and improved mobile experience. Tracking was also cleaned so reporting was reliable.
What we did
- Fixed indexation issues, duplicates, canonicals, and parameter problems
- Cleaned redirect chains, broken links, and orphan pages
- Improved crawl depth so key services were reachable faster
- Improved Core Web Vitals with image compression and script cleanup
- Validated sitemap, robots directives, and priority URLs
- Set up GA4 events for call clicks, forms, and appointment actions
- Added schema where relevant: MedicalOrganization, Physician, FAQ, LocalBusiness
Service and Procedure Pages That Drove High Intent Rankings
We rebuilt core service pages to match booking intent. Each main service got a dedicated page with clear sections and conversion focused layout. We also ensured service pages weren’t competing against each other.
Improvements added on service pages
- Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment options, recovery sections
- “When to see a specialist” and “What to expect” blocks
- FAQs built from Search Console queries and patient call themes
- CTAs for call now, request appointment, insurance questions
- Trust blocks near CTAs like credentials, reviews, and insurance accepted
- Stronger internal links to doctor pages and related services
Condition and Symptom Content That Expanded Traffic
Orthopedic SEO scales through condition searches like pain, injury, and mobility issues. We created condition pages that captured early stage intent and routed users to the correct services. This expanded entry points and improved conversion paths.
Content built during the period
- Condition pages for knee pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, back pain, sciatica, arthritis
- Sports injury and rehab content with clear next steps
- Support pages around treatment options and recovery timelines
- Internal links from condition pages to the correct services and booking CTAs
Internal Linking and Architecture Improvements
We built a structure that made topical authority clear. This ensured authority flowed into high value pages instead of staying trapped in navigation or blogs. It also reduced cannibalization and improved stability.
Linking actions
- Service hubs linking to procedures, conditions, rehab, and FAQs
- Contextual links inside content, not only in menus
- Doctor pages linked to services they support and vice versa
- Breadcrumbs added and URL patterns cleaned where necessary
- Overlapping pages consolidated to stop keyword competition
Local SEO and Trust Signals for Chicago
Even condition searches have local intent because patients want nearby care. We strengthened Chicago entity signals and ensured consistency across website and listings. This supported rankings and improved confidence.
Local improvements
- Location pages updated with directions, parking, neighborhoods served, and hours
- NAP consistency cleaned across footer, contact pages, and schema
- Google Business Profile services aligned with website services
- Citation cleanup where needed for trust reinforcement
- Trust details strengthened: clinician bios, review highlights, accreditations
Conversion Improvements That Turned Traffic Into Inquiries
We improved the “next step” flow for mobile users. The goal was fewer taps to call and less friction to request an appointment. We also improved CTA placement on top landing pages.
CRO updates
- Click to call buttons made more visible on mobile
- Appointment forms simplified and reduced fields
- CTAs added above the fold on top pages
- Insurance and new patient clarity added near CTAs
- Tracking added for call clicks, appointment clicks, and forms
Tools Used
- GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights
- Call tracking, Looker Studio reporting dashboards
- Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse
- Semrush or Ahrefs for keyword research and rank tracking
Timeline With Dates and Numbers
February 18 to February 28, 2025
Audit completed, tracking cleaned, keyword map built, and technical fixes prioritized.
- Organic sessions: ~1,240
- Organic users: ~910
- Service page clicks (GSC): ~520
- Patient inquiries (calls + forms): ~34
- Top 3 keyword placements: ~7
March 1 to April 30, 2025
Technical cleanup shipped, core service pages rebuilt, and titles plus meta improved to lift CTR.
- Organic sessions: ~1,680 to 2,150
- Organic users: ~1,180 to 1,520
- Service page clicks (GSC): ~700 to 950
- Patient inquiries (calls + forms): ~45 to 60
- Top 3 keyword placements: ~10 to 14
May 1 to June 30, 2025
Condition content clusters launched, internal linking expanded, and local signals strengthened across key pages.
- Organic sessions: ~2,450 to 3,050
- Organic users: ~1,730 to 2,120
- Service page clicks (GSC): ~1,050 to 1,320
- Patient inquiries (calls + forms): ~70 to 88
- Top 3 keyword placements: ~16 to 20
July 1 to October 18, 2025
Scaled winning pages, refreshed underperformers, improved conversion flow, and expanded structured content.
- Organic sessions: ~3,300 to 4,090
- Organic users: ~2,300 to 2,960
- Service page clicks (GSC): ~1,450 to 1,780
- Patient inquiries (calls + forms): ~95 to 112
- Top 3 keyword placements: ~22 to 26
Before vs After Proof Summary
By October 2025, growth was spread across multiple pages rather than a few. That reduced risk and made results more predictable. The biggest compounding effect came when condition content and internal linking matured.
- Organic sessions: 1,240 to 4,090
- Organic users: 910 to 2,960
- Service page clicks: 520 to 1,780
- Patient inquiries: 34 to 112 per month
- Top 3 placements: 7 to 26 tracked terms
What Made It Work
Service pages captured booking intent, condition pages created scale, and internal linking connected everything. Technical improvements helped indexing and engagement, while snippet and CTA upgrades increased clicks and conversions. That combination drove the 230% growth and kept it stable.
Key takeaways
- Condition pages create scale, service pages convert
- Internal linking distributes authority and stabilizes rankings
- CTR improvements unlock traffic without needing new rankings
- Speed and UX upgrades increase both visibility and inquiries