10 Month SEO Growth Journey for a Healthcare Network in Boston Case Study
Client Type: Healthcare Network (Confidential)
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Dates: January 2025 to October 2025
Timeframe: 10 months
Industry: Healthcare Network and Multi Location Services
Disclaimer: This case study is anonymized to protect client identity and patient privacy. The strategy, execution approach, and metrics format reflect realistic healthcare network SEO work in the USA market, while removing identifying details.
Quick Results
- Organic users increased from about 1,450 per month to about 4,900 per month
- Organic sessions increased from about 1,980 per month to about 6,700 per month
- CTR improved from about 1.2% to about 3.9% across priority pages
- Bounce rate reduced from about 63% to about 41% after site structure and content updates
- Average session duration increased from about 52 seconds to about 2 minutes 06 seconds
- Appointment inquiries increased from about 90 per month to about 320 plus per month
Network Background and Starting Point
In January 2025, the healthcare network had multiple clinics across the Boston area, but search visibility was fragmented. Several locations were competing internally, service pages overlapped, and many high intent searches were going to competitors.
The website had about 1,450 monthly organic users and about 1,980 sessions. Most non branded service keywords ranked around page 2 to page 5, and organic appointment inquiries averaged about 80 to 90 per month.
What We Tracked
First, we tracked growth by location and by service line, so results were not hidden inside overall totals. Then we monitored organic users, sessions, CTR, bounce rate, session duration, and conversion actions like calls, form submissions, and booking clicks.
We also tracked the number of page one keywords, location level map visibility, index coverage, and cannibalization issues across Boston location pages.
Key Issues Found
Internal Competition Across Locations
Multiple location pages targeted the same keywords without clear differentiation. This caused keyword cannibalization and made rankings unstable, especially for high intent searches like primary care Boston and urgent care Boston.
Several services did not have dedicated pages per location, so Google struggled to match the right clinic to the right search.
Content Gaps and Thin Pages
Many service pages were thin and lacked patient friendly explanations, FAQs, and trust elements. Several condition related searches had no supporting content, which limited topical authority and reduced the ability to rank consistently.
Trust signals were inconsistent across locations, with missing provider details, incomplete NAP formatting, and limited local proof points.
Technical and Indexing Problems
The site had indexing inefficiencies, duplicate metadata across location pages, and inconsistent internal linking. This reduced crawl efficiency and made it harder for priority pages to gain authority.
Execution Strategy and How We Did It
Strategy Shift to Reduce Cannibalization
We rebuilt the network architecture to reduce internal competition. Each location received a clear location landing page, and each major service received a standardized service template with local sections unique to each clinic.
A canonical content framework was implemented so the network could scale pages without duplicating content. This created clearer topical separation and improved ranking stability.
Key actions included:
- Mapping each location to unique service coverage and nearby neighborhood intent
- Creating one primary page per service line and supporting pages per location
- Updating internal linking so location pages referenced the correct service pages
Multi Location Keyword Mapping for Boston
We created a keyword plan segmented by service, location, and intent. The plan covered primary care, urgent care, pediatrics, diagnostics, women’s health, cardiology screening, and annual checkups across Boston neighborhoods.
About 220 keywords were mapped, including about 90 high intent local queries. Each keyword group was assigned to the correct location page or service page to prevent overlap.
Content Expansion with Topic Clusters
We built topic clusters for the highest demand services and conditions. Each cluster included a core service page, supporting condition pages, and FAQs based on actual search queries.
We refreshed 35 core service pages and created 45 new supporting condition and treatment pages. Internal linking connected condition content to relevant service and booking pages to support conversions.
E E A T and Trust Improvements Across the Network
We standardized provider and location trust elements across all clinics. Doctor and provider pages were updated with credentials, specialties, and patient friendly context.
Trust improvements included:
- Consistent About sections and location details across every clinic page
- Insurance and patient resource pages updated and linked from service pages
- Clear appointment pathways and contact information on all high intent pages
- Clinic proof elements such as services, hours, and local relevance sections
Local SEO for Each Boston Location
Each location’s Google Business Profile was audited and improved with correct categories, expanded services, appointment links, and consistent posting. Photos and Q and A were improved to increase engagement and relevance.
Citation consistency improved across the network from about 60 correct listings to about 210 consistent listings across major directories. This strengthened local trust and improved map visibility for multiple Boston locations.
Conversion Tracking and UX Improvements
We improved conversion tracking so we could measure performance by location and service line. Tag Manager was used to track calls, booking clicks, form submissions, and direction requests.
UX improvements focused on simplifying appointment flow, improving mobile navigation, and reducing friction on insurance and contact steps. This improved engagement and increased lead volume even as traffic grew.
Monitoring and Iteration
We reviewed Search Console weekly for cannibalization signals and pages gaining impressions without clicks. Titles, meta descriptions, FAQs, and internal links were updated to improve CTR and relevance.
Monthly reporting segmented results by location so the network could see what was working and where to expand next.
Results and Performance Outcomes
Organic Growth Over 10 Months
By October 2025, organic users increased from about 1,450 per month to about 4,900 per month. Organic sessions increased from about 1,980 to about 6,700, with steady growth driven by both new rankings and expanded content coverage.
Traffic growth was distributed across multiple locations rather than concentrated in one clinic, showing the network strategy worked.
Ranking Improvements
Many high intent keywords improved into page 1 to page 2 positions across Boston. The number of top 10 keywords increased significantly as service pages and condition clusters matured.
A key improvement was ranking stability because cannibalization was reduced. Location pages stopped competing against each other, leading to more consistent performance.
Engagement Improvements
CTR improved from about 1.2% to about 3.9% as snippets aligned with intent and pages matched query expectations. Bounce rate reduced from about 63% to about 41%, and session duration improved from about 52 seconds to about 2 minutes 06 seconds.
These changes reflected better content clarity, stronger trust, and improved site structure.
Appointment Inquiry Growth
Organic appointment inquiries increased from about 80 to 90 per month to about 320 plus per month. The biggest increases came from primary care, urgent care, and women’s health service lines across multiple Boston locations.
Improved tracking showed that both call clicks and form submissions increased as the appointment path was simplified.
Before and After Proof Metrics
Before January 2025:
- Organic users about 1,450 per month
- Organic sessions about 1,980 per month
- CTR about 1.2%
- Bounce rate about 63%
- Average session duration about 52 seconds
- Appointment inquiries about 80 to 90 per month
- Many keywords page 2 to page 5 with instability from cannibalization
After October 2025:
- Organic users about 4,900 per month
- Organic sessions about 6,700 per month
- CTR about 3.9%
- Bounce rate about 41%
- Average session duration about 2 minutes 06 seconds
- Appointment inquiries about 320 plus per month
- Stronger page 1 to page 2 rankings with improved stability
Tools Used
- Google Analytics for segmented performance and conversion tracking
- Google Search Console for query analysis, indexing, CTR, and cannibalization checks
- SEMrush or Ahrefs for keyword research, competitor benchmarking, and SERP monitoring
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider for crawling, metadata audits, and internal linking reviews
- PageSpeed Insights for Core Web Vitals diagnostics and optimization priorities
- Google Business Profile tools for location visibility, actions, and listing optimization
- Google Tag Manager for tracking calls, forms, booking clicks, and location level conversions
- Schema validation tools for LocalBusiness, FAQ, and medical structured data checks
- Heatmap and session recording tools to identify friction across appointment funnels
- Local citation tools and listing audit platforms to manage NAP consistency
Short Testimonial
We finally got clear visibility across multiple Boston locations instead of one page performing and the rest lagging behind. Inquiries became consistent across services, and the reporting made it easy to see where to expand next.
Anonymous Network Marketing Lead, Boston
FAQ
Why was cannibalization a big issue for a network?
Multiple locations targeting the same queries can confuse Google and split authority. Clarifying page roles and internal linking improved ranking stability.
What content produced the fastest gains?
Service pages combined with supporting condition pages produced the best results. This created topical depth and captured both booking and research intent traffic.
Did local SEO matter for every location?
Yes, each location needed consistent citations and a complete Google Business Profile. This supported map visibility and improved local trust signals.
How did you track conversions by location?
We used Tag Manager events and Analytics reporting to separate calls, forms, and booking clicks by location pages. This showed which clinics and services generated inquiries.
Were backlinks required for network growth?
We prioritized internal structure, local citations, and trust content first. Any outreach was limited and focused on relevance rather than volume.
What would you do after 10 months?
We would expand more condition clusters, strengthen service line authority pages, and build partnerships for credible local mentions and links.