Case Study: Built Strong Service Pages in 7 Months for a Hospital in Chicago
In 2025, a hospital in Chicago partnered with Goforaeo to rebuild weak service pages into clear, patient friendly pages that rank better and drive more calls and appointment requests. The hospital name is anonymized due to an NDA, and the metrics below come from GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, and crawl audits for the dates listed.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: March 12, 2025 to October 12, 2025
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Before vs after results:
- Service pages rebuilt: 12 core services to 38 service and condition pages
- Service page clicks (GSC): 1,040 to 3,280 per month
- Service page impressions (GSC): 48,000 to 136,000 per month
- Organic sessions to service pages: 12,600 to 19,900 per month
- Calls + appointment inquiries from service pages: 260 to 610 per month
- Top 10 rankings (tracked service terms): 14 to 51
- Bounce rate on key service templates: 66% to 46%
Context and Starting Point
The hospital already had many services listed, but the pages were not strong. Most were short, hard to scan, and didn’t answer common patient questions. Some pages were basically the same and competed with each other. On mobile, people couldn’t quickly find the next step.
We focused on making service pages simple, clear, and useful. That helps patients and also helps Google understand what each page should rank for.
How We Measured Progress
We didn’t measure “content updates” only. We measured what changed in rankings, clicks, and patient actions.
What we tracked
- Search Console clicks and impressions for service pages
- GA4 organic sessions, engagement time, and conversions
- Calls and forms tied to service pages (call tracking + GA4 events)
- Top keywords by service line using rank tracking
- Crawl reports to ensure pages were indexable and not duplicated
What Was Wrong With the Old Service Pages
We audited the pages and compared them with top ranking Chicago hospitals and clinics. The biggest issue was that pages were not built for real search intent.
Common problems we fixed
- Pages were too short or too general
- No clear sections like symptoms, treatments, and what to expect
- CTAs were buried and different on each page
- Many pages didn’t mention Chicago clearly or naturally
- Missing FAQs, so users went back to Google
- Internal linking was weak, so Google and users couldn’t find related services
- Some pages overlapped and competed with each other
- Page templates were slow on mobile
Strategy Overview
We built a service page system instead of “editing a few pages.” The goal was to make every service page feel consistent and strong.
Workstreams
- Map keywords to the right page so pages don’t compete
- Rebuild service pages with a clear structure
- Add FAQs from real patient searches
- Improve internal links between services, conditions, and doctors
- Improve speed and mobile layout
- Improve snippets so more people click
- Add trust signals so more people call or book
The New Service Page Template We Used
We used one template system, then customized it for each department.
What every strong service page included
- Simple opening that says what the service is and who it helps
- Symptoms and when to seek care
- Conditions treated and treatment options
- What happens during the visit
- Why choose this hospital (trust signals)
- Insurance and new patient info (simple)
- FAQs based on Search Console questions
- Clear CTAs: call, request appointment, directions
Extra elements added where needed
- Doctor finder blocks for that specialty
- Location and parking notes for Chicago visitors
- Related services and next step links
- Safety notes for urgent symptoms (no exaggeration)
Service Page Builds by Department
We didn’t publish random pages. We prioritized high demand departments and built out clusters.
Departments we improved first
- Orthopedics
- Cardiology
- Women’s health
- Urgent care and same day visits
- Imaging and diagnostics
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Primary care
How we avoided thin pages
If a service did not have clear search demand, we kept it as a section inside a bigger page instead of creating a weak page. For services with real demand, we built a full page and supported it with FAQs and related pages.
Internal Linking and Navigation Improvements
Most hospitals lose traffic because users get lost. We fixed that by improving links and building clear paths.
Linking work completed
- Department hub pages linking to all services in that department
- Related services blocks on service pages
- Condition pages linking to service pages and back
- Doctor pages linking to the services they treat
- Better breadcrumbs and cleaner menu links
- Removed orphan pages and fixed broken links
Local and GBP Support
Even when the main goal is service pages, local signals still matter. We aligned the hospital’s online presence so Chicago intent was clear.
Local updates
- GBP services expanded with descriptions for major departments
- Appointment links with tracking
- Citation cleanup for consistent name, address, phone, and hours
- On page local signals improved naturally across key pages
Conversion Improvements for Calls and Appointments
We made it easier to take action from every service page, especially on mobile.
CRO updates
- Sticky call button on mobile for high intent pages
- Appointment CTAs above the fold and after key sections
- Shorter request appointment forms
- Clear “what happens next” message after form submission
- Trust cues near CTAs like awards, reviews, and credentials
Tools Used
GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, Looker Studio, Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, rank tracking tools (Semrush/Ahrefs), Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar.
Timeline With Dates, Monthly Numbers, and Simple Notes
March 12 to March 31, 2025
We audited the service pages, cleaned tracking, and built a keyword map so each service had the right page target. We also fixed quick template issues that were hurting mobile experience.
Month end metrics:
- Service page clicks: ~1,040
- Service page impressions: ~48,000
- Calls + inquiries from service pages: ~260
- Top 10 service keywords: ~14
April 2025
We rebuilt the first set of high traffic service pages and added clear sections for symptoms, treatments, and next steps. CTAs were made consistent so people could call or book faster.
Month end metrics:
- Clicks: ~1,420
- Impressions: ~62,500
- Calls + inquiries: ~310
- Top 10 keywords: ~21
May 2025
We expanded into more departments and added FAQs based on real searches. Internal linking started pushing users from condition pages into the right service pages.
Month end metrics:
- Clicks: ~1,860
- Impressions: ~78,400
- Calls + inquiries: ~380
- Top 10 keywords: ~29
June 2025
We improved site navigation and built department hub pages so users could find services faster. We also improved speed on key templates to reduce drop offs.
Month end metrics:
- Clicks: ~2,260
- Impressions: ~95,800
- Calls + inquiries: ~450
- Top 10 keywords: ~37
July 2025
We scaled the service page template, refreshed weaker pages, and improved snippets to increase CTR. Conversion sections were improved so more visitors took action.
Month end metrics:
- Clicks: ~2,680
- Impressions: ~111,900
- Calls + inquiries: ~520
- Top 10 keywords: ~44
August 2025
We focused on pages close to top positions, expanded trust sections, and continued internal linking so rankings became more stable across departments.
Month end metrics:
- Clicks: ~3,020
- Impressions: ~126,500
- Calls + inquiries: ~570
- Top 10 keywords: ~49
September 12 to October 12, 2025
We maintained what worked, updated underperformers, and improved CTAs for mobile so the service pages kept converting as traffic rose.
Month end metrics:
- Clicks: ~3,280
- Impressions: ~136,000
- Calls + inquiries: ~610
- Top 10 keywords: ~51
Before and After Proof Summary
The pages performed better because they matched what people search, answered questions clearly, and made the next step easy. Internal linking helped Google and patients find related services, and better templates improved engagement.
- Service page clicks: 1,040 to 3,280 per month
- Service page impressions: 48,000 to 136,000 per month
- Calls + inquiries: 260 to 610 per month
- Top 10 rankings: 14 to 51
What Made It Work
We didn’t just “write content.” We built a repeatable service page system. Each page had clear sections, real FAQs, strong internal links, and easy booking steps. That made patients stay longer, and it made Google understand the pages better.