SEO Overhaul Delivered 240% Growth in 8 Months for a Hospital in Chicago
In 2025, a hospital in Chicago partnered with Goforaeo for a full SEO overhaul to grow non branded visibility, organic traffic, and patient inquiries. 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 rank tracking for the dates listed.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: February 18, 2025 to October 18, 2025
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Before vs after results:
- Organic sessions: 9,200 to 31,300 per month (about 240% growth)
- Organic users: 6,700 to 22,900 per month
- Non branded clicks (GSC): 2,450 to 8,920 per month
- Total indexed service pages: 46 to 112
- Top 10 keyword count (tracked): 38 to 141
- GBP actions: 1,120 to 3,460 per month
- Monthly inquiries (calls + forms + appointment clicks): 320 to 980
Context and Starting Point
The hospital had strong brand awareness, but SEO performance was held back by technical issues, thin service content, and unclear site structure. Search Console showed impressions, but clicks were limited because pages didn’t match intent well and snippets were not competitive. Many high intent searches were landing on broad pages that didn’t guide users to the right department.
We built an overhaul plan that fixed foundation problems first, then rebuilt service content, then scaled content clusters and internal linking to compound growth. Conversion improvements were included so traffic translated into inquiries.
Measurement Setup and Reporting
We cleaned tracking before shipping major changes so growth could be validated by leadership teams. We defined inquiries clearly and ensured GA4 events were consistent across templates.
What we tracked
- Organic sessions and users by department
- GSC impressions, clicks, CTR, and query movement
- GBP actions and discovery searches
- Calls, forms, appointment clicks as inquiries
- Rank tracking for priority service keywords in Chicago
- Page speed and Core Web Vitals on key templates
What we set up
- GA4 events for calls, forms, scheduling clicks, key button clicks
- Search Console segmentation by service line and landing pages
- Call tracking for organic and GBP calls where possible
- Looker Studio dashboard with weekly annotations
- Crawl monitoring for indexation and duplicate control
Diagnosis: What Was Holding Growth Back
We audited technical SEO, content coverage, internal linking, and local signals together. The hospital wasn’t missing credibility, but the site had friction that prevented it from ranking broadly.
Key issues found
- Duplicate and near duplicate pages causing index bloat
- Weak crawl paths to service pages and orphan content
- Thin or outdated service pages missing FAQs and intent sections
- Cannibalization between departments and location pages
- Titles and meta descriptions not written for high intent clicks
- Page speed issues on heavy templates (mobile especially)
- Weak internal linking, especially from informational pages to services
- GBP and website services not consistently aligned
Strategy Overview
We built the overhaul around four workstreams that compound. Each workstream supported the other, which reduced volatility and improved both rankings and inquiries.
Workstreams
- Technical cleanup and indexing control
- Service page rebuilds and new page creation for gaps
- Content clusters for conditions and long tail searches
- Internal linking system and site architecture improvements
- Local SEO alignment to support Chicago intent
- CRO improvements to increase actions from existing traffic
Technical Cleanup and Indexing Control
Technical debt was the first bottleneck. We fixed crawl and indexation so Google could focus on the right pages and new pages could rank faster.
Technical work completed
- Fixed duplicates, canonicals, parameters, and thin index pages
- Cleaned redirect chains and broken links
- Improved sitemap coverage and removed junk URLs
- Improved Core Web Vitals by optimizing scripts and images
- Simplified heavy templates and reduced layout shift
- Implemented structured data where eligible: LocalBusiness, Hospital, Physician, FAQ, MedicalWebPage
Service Page Rebuild and Expansion
We rebuilt service pages as decision pages with clear sections and conversion paths. We also created missing pages so each service intent had one best target.
What we built or improved
- Department landing pages with clear pathways to sub services
- High intent service pages for core hospital services
- Condition pages that matched “symptom + treatment” searches
- Doctor profile improvements with credibility details
- “New patient” and appointment guidance pages for conversion clarity
What we added to service templates
- Clear above the fold service and location confirmation
- “Common reasons patients visit” and eligibility blocks
- Treatment approach and what to expect sections
- FAQs based on Search Console queries
- Trust cues near CTAs: accreditations, credentials, insurance notes
- Strong CTAs for call, directions, and appointment scheduling
Content Clusters That Scaled Visibility
Hospital SEO scales when service pages are supported by condition and FAQ content. We built clusters that captured long tail queries and routed users into departments.
Cluster approach
- One pillar page per department or major service line
- 6 to 12 supporting pages per cluster
- FAQs and symptom pages based on real query data
- Internal linking from informational pages into booking pages
Examples of cluster topics
- “When to seek care” safety pages
- Condition explainers with treatment pathways
- Procedure preparation and recovery expectations
- Insurance and appointment process content
- Local Chicago specific intent where relevant
Internal Linking and Site Architecture Improvements
We built an internal linking system that helped both Google and users. Every content page had a next step route to the correct department or service.
Linking improvements
- Department hubs linking to all relevant services
- “Related services” blocks on top templates
- Contextual links from high traffic articles to services
- Reduced orphan pages and improved crawl depth
- Consolidated overlapping pages to reduce cannibalization
Local SEO and GBP Alignment
Even for a hospital, local intent matters. We aligned services across GBP and the website and improved local trust consistency. This supported both Maps and organic rankings.
Local work completed
- Expanded GBP services with descriptions aligned to departments
- Updated categories and attributes where needed
- Added appointment URLs with UTM tracking
- Citation cleanup for consistent NAP and hours
- Strengthened Chicago location signals across key pages naturally
Conversion Improvements That Increased Inquiries
The overhaul included CRO so growth turned into patient actions. Most actions came from mobile users, so mobile flow was prioritized.
CRO updates
- Sticky call button on mobile for high intent services
- CTAs above the fold and after key sections
- Improved appointment forms and reduced friction
- Clear “what happens next” messaging after submission
- Improved contact and directions sections for Chicago visitors
Tools Used
GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, Looker Studio, Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, BrightLocal/Whitespark, Semrush/Ahrefs, Microsoft Clarity/Hotjar, Google Tag Manager.
Timeline With Dates, Monthly Numbers, and Natural Notes
February 18 to February 28, 2025
We completed the full audit, cleaned tracking, built the keyword to page map, and prioritized technical fixes that were blocking crawl and indexing. We also identified the highest impact service pages to rebuild first.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~9,200
- Organic users: ~6,700
- Non branded clicks: ~2,450
- Monthly inquiries: ~320
March 2025
Technical cleanup shipped in waves, and the first set of priority service pages were rebuilt with clearer intent sections and better CTAs. Snippets were improved on high impression pages to lift CTR.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~12,400
- Organic users: ~9,100
- Non branded clicks: ~3,120
- Monthly inquiries: ~410
April 2025
We expanded service page rebuilds, launched department hub structure, and strengthened internal linking so authority flowed into the pages that convert. Condition content planning started based on query demand.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~16,900
- Organic users: ~12,600
- Non branded clicks: ~4,280
- Monthly inquiries: ~520
May 2025
Condition content clusters launched, FAQs expanded using Search Console data, and local signals were strengthened across key pages. GBP services were expanded to support discovery intent.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~21,700
- Organic users: ~15,900
- Non branded clicks: ~5,820
- Monthly inquiries: ~660
June 2025
We scaled internal linking across clusters, improved page speed on heavy templates, and refined conversion flow on top landing pages. Rankings began stabilizing across multiple service lines.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~25,600
- Organic users: ~18,500
- Non branded clicks: ~6,980
- Monthly inquiries: ~760
July 2025
We refreshed underperforming pages, expanded service gaps, and doubled down on pages sitting close to top positions. Engagement improvements reduced drop offs and increased action rate.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~28,900
- Organic users: ~20,700
- Non branded clicks: ~7,820
- Monthly inquiries: ~850
August 2025
We continued structured content expansion, improved snippets for high impression terms, and strengthened internal links into the highest value departments. GBP engagement cadence stayed consistent.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~30,600
- Organic users: ~22,100
- Non branded clicks: ~8,420
- Monthly inquiries: ~920
September 18 to October 18, 2025
We focused on stability, refreshed key pages, improved mobile CTAs, and maintained consistent local engagement. Growth held and reached a new baseline across traffic and inquiries.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~31,300
- Organic users: ~22,900
- Non branded clicks: ~8,920
- Monthly inquiries: ~980
Before and After Proof Summary
The 240% growth came from fixing technical indexing issues, rebuilding service content for intent, scaling content clusters, and strengthening internal linking so authority flowed into converting pages. Local alignment and CRO improvements ensured visibility turned into calls and appointments.
- Organic sessions: 9,200 to 31,300 per month
- Non branded clicks: 2,450 to 8,920 per month
- Monthly inquiries: 320 to 980
- Top 10 keywords: 38 to 141
What Made It Work
The overhaul worked because we fixed the foundation before scaling content. Once Google could crawl the right pages and each service had a clear page target, rankings expanded quickly. Internal linking made those gains stable, and conversion improvements ensured traffic produced real inquiries.
Disclaimer
The hospital identity and identifying details are anonymized due to NDA and healthcare privacy considerations. Metrics are accurate for the timeframe stated, but results vary based on competition, seasonality, proximity factors, and ongoing execution consistency.