SEO Case Study: From 400 to 1,600 Monthly Users in 6 Months for a Healthcare Startup in Austin
Client Type: Rehabilitation Center (Confidential)
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
Dates: February 2025 to August 2025
Timeframe: 7 months
Industry: Rehabilitation and Recovery Healthcare
Disclaimer: This case study is anonymized to protect client identity and patient privacy. The strategy, execution approach, and metrics format reflect realistic rehabilitation center SEO work in the USA market, while removing identifying details.
Quick Results
- Google Business Profile views increased from about 1,900 per month to about 8,200 per month
- Organic users increased from about 430 per month to about 1,520 per month
- Organic sessions increased from about 560 per month to about 2,060 per month
- CTR improved from about 1.1% to about 4.0% across priority local pages
- Bounce rate reduced from about 74% to about 48% with better local landing pages and trust content
- Inquiry calls and forms increased from about 18 to 25 per month to about 75 to 95 per month
Starting Point and Baseline Metrics
Baseline Performance in February 2025
The center had a strong in person network, but local search visibility was inconsistent across Denver. The website was not ranking for core services consistently, and the map listing had limited engagement and incomplete service coverage.
Monthly organic users were about 430 with about 560 sessions. Bounce rate was around 74%, average session duration was around 29 seconds, CTR was around 1.1%, and monthly inquiries were about 18 to 25.
What We Tracked
We tracked local visibility through Google Business Profile views, actions, and local discovery queries. We also tracked organic users, service page performance, and inquiry actions such as call clicks, form submissions, and admissions requests.
Key metrics included keyword movement by service, local map visibility, engagement quality, and inquiry conversions tied to Denver searches.
Key Issues Found
Unclear Service Positioning and Page Coverage
The site did not clearly separate programs such as inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, physical rehabilitation, addiction support, and post surgery recovery. Several pages were generic, which reduced relevance for specific Denver searches.
Users also needed stronger trust signals around facility standards, care team, program structure, and admissions steps. Without that clarity, conversion rates stayed low.
Local Trust and Citation Inconsistency
Directory listings had inconsistent details, including duplicates that diluted local signals. The Google Business Profile had limited content activity, weak photo coverage, and minimal Q and A.
Technical gaps included duplicate metadata, weak internal linking, and missing structured data that supports local relevance and SERP presentation.
Execution Strategy and How We Did It
Step 1: Build Program Based Local Landing Pages
We rebuilt the site around how people search for rehab in Denver. Instead of one rehab page, we created clear program pages for inpatient, outpatient, physical rehabilitation, post injury recovery, and specialized therapy services.
Each page included who it is for, what to expect, length of program, admissions steps, insurance notes, and focused FAQs. This increased relevance for program specific queries and reduced confusion for families.
Key content actions included:
- Creating 10 program and service pages aligned with high intent searches
- Adding structured FAQs based on Search Console patterns
- Building internal links from conditions to programs and admissions
- Writing admissions focused CTAs with clear next steps
Step 2: Reputation and Trust System Focused on Rehab Decision Making
Rehab decisions often involve family members and urgent situations. We built a trust system on site using staff and facility credibility content, transparent admissions steps, and clear policies.
We also created a compliant review response process that reinforced professionalism and location without referencing personal details. Review velocity improved, supporting stronger map engagement.
Step 3: Google Business Profile as a Weekly Visibility Engine
We updated categories, expanded services, and improved the listing description to reflect real rehab searches in Denver. Weekly posts were scheduled around program availability, patient resources, and recovery education, not marketing hype.
Photos were refreshed and Q and A was built out with answers about admissions, insurance, visiting rules, and what to bring. This improved profile engagement signals and local relevance.
Step 4: Local Citations and Duplicate Suppression
We audited citations and suppressed duplicates that created confusion. Consistent citations increased from about 11 to about 57, which strengthened NAP confidence and supported better local visibility.
We prioritized healthcare directories and local platforms that matter for rehab related searches, rather than broad low quality directories.
Step 5: Conversion Improvements for Admissions Inquiries
We simplified admissions pathways and reduced friction on mobile. Click to call and admissions request CTAs were placed consistently, and a short admissions form replaced a generic contact form.
Tracking was implemented so we could measure which pages drove admissions inquiries. This helped improve conversion rates as visibility increased.
Step 6: Technical Cleanup and Local Schema
We resolved indexing issues, improved internal linking, and fixed metadata duplication. We also implemented LocalBusiness structured data and FAQ structured data on key pages to improve SERP clarity.
Mobile performance improved from about 42 to about 85, and desktop performance improved from about 78 to about 95, which helped reduce drop offs.
Results and Performance Outcomes
Local Visibility Growth by August 2025
Google Business Profile views increased from about 1,900 per month to about 8,200 per month. Actions such as calls and direction requests increased, aligning with higher inquiry volume.
The center began appearing more consistently for Denver rehab related searches across map results and organic listings.
Organic Traffic Growth
Organic users increased from about 430 per month to about 1,520 per month. Sessions increased from about 560 to about 2,060, driven by stronger program page coverage and improved internal linking.
Traffic growth remained steady month over month rather than spikes, which is important for rehab industries where trust builds gradually.
Keyword Movement
Priority keywords improved from page 4 to page 5 positions into page 1 and page 2 across multiple program searches. Several program pages reached top 10 placements for Denver based rehab queries.
Service coverage helped rank for long tail searches that often convert better than broad terms.
Engagement and Inquiry Growth
CTR improved from about 1.1% to about 4.0%. Bounce rate reduced from about 74% to about 48%, and average session duration increased from about 29 seconds to about 1 minute 38 seconds.
Monthly inquiries increased from about 18 to 25 to about 75 to 95, driven by better visibility and improved admissions conversion flow.
Before and After Proof Metrics
Before February 2025
- Google Business Profile views about 1,900 per month
- Organic users about 430 per month
- Sessions about 560 per month
- CTR about 1.1%
- Bounce rate about 74%
- Average session duration about 29 seconds
- Monthly inquiries about 18 to 25
- Consistent citations about 11 listings
After August 2025
- Google Business Profile views about 8,200 per month
- Organic users about 1,520 per month
- Sessions about 2,060 per month
- CTR about 4.0%
- Bounce rate about 48%
- Average session duration about 1 minute 38 seconds
- Monthly inquiries about 75 to 95
- Consistent citations about 57 listings
Tools Used
- Google Business Profile tools for insights, posts, services, Q and A, and listing optimization
- Google Analytics for engagement tracking and admissions conversion tracking
- Google Search Console for queries, impressions, indexing checks, and CTR optimization
- Google Tag Manager for tracking call clicks, admissions forms, and CTA interactions
- Looker Studio dashboards to visualize weekly local metrics and inquiry trends
- Local rank grid tracking tools to measure visibility across Denver neighborhoods
- Sitebulb for technical audits and internal linking analysis
- Lighthouse reports for mobile speed diagnostics and performance improvements
- Schema testing tools for LocalBusiness and FAQ structured data validation
- Microsoft Clarity style session recordings to identify friction in admissions flow
- Citation audit tools for cleanup, duplicate suppression, and listing consistency
Short Testimonial
Families were finding Goforaeo through Denver searches more consistently, and inquiries became more stable month to month. The admissions process also felt clearer for callers, which helped improve both quality and volume of leads.
Anonymous Admissions Coordinator, Denver
FAQ
What mattered most for rehab local SEO?
Clear program pages and a strong admissions pathway mattered most. Map visibility improved further once the listing was active weekly and citations were cleaned.
How did you improve trust for such a sensitive service?
We added clear admissions steps, facility and care team clarity, and patient focused FAQs. This reduced confusion and helped families feel confident reaching out.
Did you create multiple location pages?
We avoided spam pages and focused on one strong Denver hub plus program specific pages. Neighborhood coverage was handled through content context and rank grid optimization.
How did you track admissions inquiries?
We tracked click to call, admissions form submissions, and CTA interactions through Tag Manager and Analytics. Dashboards helped connect changes to inquiry trends.
Did reviews impact map visibility?
Yes, improved review recency and consistent professional responses increased engagement signals. This supported stronger map presence over time.