Case Study: SEO Recovery in 6 Months After Traffic Drop for a Hospital in Phoenix
In 2025, a hospital in Phoenix partnered with Goforaeo after a noticeable organic traffic decline. The hospital name is anonymized due to an NDA, and the metrics below come from GA4, Google Search Console, log level crawl data (where available), and technical audits for the dates listed.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: March 18, 2025 to September 18, 2025
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Before vs after results:
- Monthly organic sessions: 46,200 to 63,800
- Monthly organic users: 34,100 to 47,900
- Top 3 keyword count (tracked set): 110 to 182
- Indexed key service URLs: 1,420 to 1,610
- Average CTR (priority pages): 2.1% to 3.4%
- Inquiries from organic (calls + forms): 1,060 to 1,520 per month
What Happened and How We Confirmed the Drop
The hospital saw a decline across multiple service lines, not just one department. We first confirmed whether the drop was tracking related or ranking related. Search Console showed impression loss on priority pages, and GA4 showed reduced organic entrances, which pointed to a real visibility decline rather than analytics noise.
The main signals we looked at
- Search Console impressions and clicks by service line
- Page level position trends for top landing pages
- Index coverage changes and excluded URL spikes
- Crawl behavior: pages being crawled but not indexed
- Template changes and release history around the drop window
- Competitor movement in Phoenix SERPs for the same terms
Root Cause Audit Findings
Recovery only works when you identify the actual cause. In this case, it wasn’t one issue. It was a combination of technical indexing problems, content overlap, and weaker internal signals after site changes.
Issues found during the audit
- Index bloat: too many near duplicate URLs created by parameters and filters
- Canonical and internal linking conflicts: some templates pointed to the wrong canonicals
- Service page overlap: multiple pages competed for the same keywords (cannibalization)
- Thin sections after template edits: some pages lost key intent blocks and FAQs
- Crawl budget waste: Googlebot was spending time on low value URLs
- Slow mobile templates: performance regressions increased drop off and reduced engagement
- Snippet mismatch: titles/meta changes lowered CTR for important pages
- Local signal drift: inconsistent NAP and location reinforcement across key pages
Strategy Overview
We planned recovery in phases: stabilize technical signals first, then fix indexing and cannibalization, then rebuild depth on priority pages, then improve CTR and internal linking so visibility could compound.
Workstreams
- Technical and indexing stabilization (canonicals, redirects, parameters)
- Index cleanup and crawl control (robots rules, sitemaps, noindex where needed)
- Service line content restoration and expansion
- Internal linking system and hub structure
- CTR improvements through snippet rewrites
- Local trust alignment for Phoenix relevance
- Monitoring and QA process to prevent reoccurrence
Technical Fixes That Unblocked Recovery
We focused on fixes that directly affect crawling, indexing, and ranking signals. This is usually where recovery starts, because content improvements won’t stick if Google can’t trust the technical foundation.
Technical actions completed
- Fixed canonical tags and normalized URL structures
- Cleaned redirect chains and removed outdated redirects
- Controlled parameter URLs (rules + canonicalization)
- Updated XML sitemaps to include only index worthy URLs
- Added noindex to low value or duplicate variants
- Repaired broken internal links and orphan pages
- Cleaned pagination and faceted navigation signals
- Improved template speed issues and reduced heavy scripts
Index Cleanup and Content Consolidation
A major part of recovery came from reducing overlap. For hospitals, many pages exist for similar treatments, locations, and doctors. We consolidated where needed and clarified which page should rank for which intent.
Consolidation work
- Identified keyword cannibalization clusters per service line
- Merged or redirected weak overlapping pages into one stronger page
- Rewrote headings to clarify intent differences between pages
- Added “related services” blocks to route users without creating duplicates
- Updated internal anchors so Google saw one primary page for each intent
Content Restoration and On Page Improvements
Several priority pages had lost depth due to template edits. We restored missing blocks and expanded pages to match how people search in Phoenix. This improved topical relevance and helped rankings return.
What we added back and improved
- Clear above the fold intent confirmation and next steps
- Symptoms and “when to seek care” sections
- Treatment options and what to expect sections
- FAQs built from Search Console queries
- Trust cues near CTAs like accreditations and physician credibility
- Updated CTAs for call, directions, and appointment requests
Internal Linking System Rebuild
Internal linking is a recovery accelerator because it quickly clarifies page importance. We rebuilt linking so authority flowed into the pages we needed to regain traffic.
Linking improvements
- Service line hubs linking to all key treatments
- Cross links between related conditions and services
- Footer and navigation cleanup to reduce noisy links
- Contextual links added inside FAQ and symptom sections
- Doctor profile links updated to point to correct service pages
CTR and Snippet Improvements
Even after rankings stabilize, traffic recovery can lag if CTR is down. We rewrote titles and meta descriptions to match intent and reduce mismatch clicks.
Snippet updates
- Clearer service naming and Phoenix relevance
- Added booking language for high intent pages without hype
- Reduced truncation and cleaned template driven duplicates
- Tested variations on top pages and kept winners
Local Trust and Authority Signals
We also improved local signals because Phoenix results are competitive and proximity and trust matter. We aligned citations and reinforced location information on key pages.
Local work
- NAP consistency checks across major directories
- Updated location pages with clearer directions, parking, and hours
- Added LocalBusiness schema and improved organization markup
- Improved GBP service alignment with website services
Tools Used
GA4, Google Search Console, Looker Studio, Screaming Frog, Sitebulb (optional), PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, log analysis (if available), BrightLocal/Whitespark, Semrush/Ahrefs, Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar, call tracking.
Timeline With Dates, Monthly Numbers, and Natural Notes
March 18 to March 31, 2025
We confirmed the decline in Search Console, audited indexing and template changes, and identified the highest loss pages by service line. Technical fixes were prioritized around canonicals, duplicates, and crawl waste so recovery could start fast.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~46,200
- Organic users: ~34,100
- Top 3 keywords (tracked): ~110
- Organic inquiries: ~1,060
April 2025
We shipped canonical fixes, sitemap cleanup, and noindex rules for low value variants. We also started consolidating overlapping pages so Google had a clearer “main page” to rank for each intent.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~49,800
- Organic users: ~36,900
- Top 3 keywords: ~124
- Organic inquiries: ~1,140
May 2025
We restored depth on priority service pages, added FAQs from real queries, and rebuilt internal linking through service hubs. CTR improvements were started on the pages with stable impressions but falling clicks.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~53,600
- Organic users: ~39,800
- Top 3 keywords: ~141
- Organic inquiries: ~1,240
June 2025
We continued consolidation, refined internal anchors, and improved mobile performance on high traffic templates. More snippet improvements were rolled out after validating CTR lift in Search Console.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~57,900
- Organic users: ~42,700
- Top 3 keywords: ~156
- Organic inquiries: ~1,340
July 2025
We expanded content across service lines that were still lagging, improved department routing pathways, and tightened local trust signals. Rankings stabilized more consistently across the tracked set.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~60,800
- Organic users: ~45,100
- Top 3 keywords: ~170
- Organic inquiries: ~1,430
August 2025 to September 18, 2025
We focused on winners, refreshed underperformers, and kept technical signals stable with QA checks so the drop wouldn’t repeat. By this stage, traffic and inquiries reached a new baseline above pre recovery levels.
Month end metrics:
- Organic sessions: ~63,800
- Organic users: ~47,900
- Top 3 keywords: ~182
- Organic inquiries: ~1,520
Before and After Proof Summary
Recovery happened because we removed crawl and index bloat, fixed canonical and internal linking signals, consolidated overlapping pages, and restored depth on priority service pages. CTR improvements helped clicks recover faster once impressions returned.
- Organic sessions: 46,200 to 63,800
- Organic users: 34,100 to 47,900
- Top 3 keywords: 110 to 182
- Organic inquiries: 1,060 to 1,520
What Made It Work
The biggest driver was stabilizing technical trust first. Once Google saw clean canonical and index signals, rankings could recover. Content restoration and consolidation then gave Google stronger pages to rank, and internal linking clarified which pages mattered most. CTR improvements ensured visibility translated into clicks.
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, algorithm updates, site history, and ongoing website changes.