If you want to know more about hospital marketing or if you want to start a career in this sector, this article is for you.alert-info
Assalammualaikum wbt and salam sejahtera to fellow readers.
In my last article, I shared what working in a hospital taught me about digital marketing — from approvals and compliance to mindset shifts you don’t usually see in other industries.
If you haven't read it yet, you can read it here: https://www.azaraslan.com/2026/01/what-nearly-4-years-working-in-hospital-digital-marketing.html
One area that I think deserves its own discussion is SEO.
Hospital SEO is different from SEO for e-commerce, SaaS (Software as a Service) or other services. You are not optimising for quick decisions or impulse clicks. You are optimising for patients: people who are anxious, looking for clear information and wanting to trust the hospital.
I’ve managed hospital websites and also practised SEO on my own blog, azaraslan.com. While I’m still learning, these are some of the lessons I’ve picked up so far about what tends to work in healthcare SEO.alert-info
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Why Hospital SEO Feels Different
Patients don’t search like customers.
Many healthcare searches come from fear, uncertainty, or urgency. Someone googling symptoms isn’t just looking for information — they want reassurance and guidance.
Healthcare content also falls under YMYL (Your Money Your Life). Google expects higher accuracy, expertise and trustworthiness.
Because of this, hospital SEO can’t rely on shortcuts. Authority, clarity, usability, and responsibility matter more than tricks or hacks.
Types of SEO I Focus On
Not all SEO works the same way, especially in healthcare. From my experience over nearly four years in a hospital environment, these are the areas that tend to matter the most.
I am still learning, and many people in this industry have far more experience than me. But these are the patterns I consistently see:
1. Service Page SEO
Service pages usually attract the highest-intent traffic.
When someone searches for a specific procedure or service, they are closer to taking action. These pages need to focus on clarity and understanding, not just keywords.
Even if a page is medically correct, it doesn’t help patients if they can’t understand it. Simplifying without losing accuracy is key.
2. Doctor Profile SEO
Doctor profiles are often overlooked but important.
Patients search for doctor names, specialties, and hospital affiliations. These searches are closely tied to Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). This makes sense, because people are searching for information that can directly affect their health decisions.
A well-optimised doctor profile should:
- Clearly show qualifications and experience
- Be easy to read and understand
- Feel professional but human
In healthcare, doctor pages are not just informational. They help patients decide whether they feel comfortable making an appointment. In many cases, trust is built here before any service page is even read.
3. Educational Content SEO (Health Articles)
Educational articles are where hospital websites often face challenges.
When a doctor contributes an article, you can’t just post it as-is. It’s important to read it carefully and understand what the doctor wants to say. Too much medical jargon can confuse patients.
An article may look professional and informative, but if patients struggle to understand it, it doesn’t build trust.
It also affects SEO. Google can still index the content, but engagement suffers if people leave quickly or don’t find answers. Clear, patient-friendly content aligns with both patient needs and search intent.
Good healthcare SEO for articles means:
- Translating medical terms into simple language
- Structuring the content clearly
- Preserving accuracy while making it readable
An article only works if patients can understand it.
4. Local SEO (Google Business Profile)
Local SEO is another area that directly impacts hospitals.
Many patients search with local intent, such as “hospital near me” or “specialist in area ABC”. A well-maintained Google Business Profile helps ensure the hospital appears at the right moment.
Accurate information, updated photos, reviews and consistent details all play a role. While it may seem simple, Local SEO often influences first impressions and walk-in decisions.
Keyword Research in Healthcare
Keyword research in healthcare feels different from many other industries.
Some keywords may look good in SEO tools, but they can be inappropriate, misleading, or require medical and compliance approval.
For example:
- A keyword that promises a “guaranteed cure” may attract searches, but it is misleading and not medically appropriate.
- Certain symptom-based keywords can be sensitive and may require careful wording to avoid causing unnecessary anxiety.
- Some treatment-related terms may need doctor approval to ensure the information is accurate and responsible.
Because of this, many keyword decisions involve discussions with doctors, management, and compliance teams. This process can slow things down, but from my experience, careful choices matter more than speed.
I also tend to focus more on long-tail keywords rather than very general ones.
For example:
- Instead of a very broad keyword like “heart treatment”, a more specific phrase such as “treatment options for blocked heart arteries” may be more realistic.
- Instead of “knee pain”, a long-tail keyword like “knee pain when climbing stairs” often reflects clearer patient intent.
Broad keywords are highly competitive and usually dominated by bigger players. Long-tail keywords:
- Face lower competition
- Match how patients actually search
- Bring more relevant traffic
This difference is also clear in Google Ads. Short-tail keywords can appear at the top of the page, but the cost is often very high. Long-tail keywords usually cost less and attract users who already know what they are looking for.
Whether for SEO or paid ads, long-tail keywords tend to be more sustainable and practical in a healthcare setting.
SEO Before Ads: Preparing the Pages First
One important lesson I’ve learned is that pages need to be ready before traffic is driven to them.
Running ads can bring visibility quickly, but if the landing page is not well-structured, unclear, or incomplete, high traffic does not mean good results. If patients arrive on a page and feel confused, unsure, or unable to find the information they need, they will leave.
From my experience, this applies strongly in healthcare.
Service pages, doctor profiles, and appointment-related pages should already be:
- Clear and easy to understand
- Medically accurate and compliant
- Fast and user-friendly
Otherwise, attracting more visitors only highlights the page’s weaknesses.
SEO helps establish these pages properly over time. It forces better structure, clearer messaging, and stronger alignment with patient intent. Once the foundation is in place, paid ads become more meaningful and effective.
Bringing traffic to a page that is not ready does not benefit patients and it does not benefit the hospital either.
Technical SEO: Website Performance
Even the best content can lose its impact if the website is slow.
From my experience, patients do not wait. If a page takes too long to load, many users leave before reading anything. This affects engagement, time on site, bounce rate and eventually search performance.
Website speed is often not the most visible part of SEO, but it quietly influences almost everything else. A faster site makes it easier for patients to access information and helps search engines crawl and evaluate pages more effectively.
To monitor performance, I usually rely on tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to understand loading issues and identify areas for improvement. While not every recommendation can be implemented immediately, even small improvements can make a noticeable difference.
In healthcare, a smooth and fast website is part of patient experience, not just a technical requirement.
SEO Metrics That Matter (for Me)
Traditional SEO metrics don’t always tell the full story in hospitals.
I usually look at:
- Branded vs non-branded traffic*
- Service page impressions and engagement
- Doctor profile visibility
- Assisted conversions
Hospital SEO often supports patient decisions over time, rather than immediate conversions.
*Branded traffic comes from people searching for the hospital or doctor by name, while non-branded traffic comes from people searching for services or health topics without mentioning the brand.
Usual SEO Mistakes I’ve Seen
Some mistakes I often notice in hospital websites:
- Publishing health articles without simplifying language
- Over-reliance on paid ads
- Thin service pages with minimal explanation
- Ignoring doctor profiles
- Slow-loading websites
These affect both search rankings and patient trust.
What Running My Own Blog Taught Me
Running azaraslan.com gave me the chance to experiment freely.
I tested content structures, internal links and long-term optimisation strategies. These lessons have helped me approach hospital SEO with a bit more confidence. Practising independently sharpens judgement, even if there’s still a lot to learn.
Advice for Anyone New to Hospital SEO
Healthcare SEO requires patience, medical understanding and respect for compliance.
Clarity matters more than clever optimisation. Treat it like any other industry, and it might not work. Treat it with care and responsibility, and it can be rewarding.
Conclusion
Hospital SEO is not fast, flashy or easy.
It requires accuracy, empathy, and long-term thinking. Traffic matters, but understanding matters more. Visibility matters, but trust matters most.
After nearly four years in healthcare digital marketing (and practising SEO on my own blog), I’ve learned that hospital SEO is not just a technical skill. It’s a responsibility and I’m still learning every day.
Thank you for reading this article. If you find this useful, kindly share to your circles.
If you want to know more about healthcare digital marketing, let me know in the comments section. It may motivate me to write another article.
Thank you again.
Azeem Raslan (AZAR)
Healthcare Digital Marketer
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