Oleg Levitas, a visionary SEO Expert, founded Pravda SEO to revolutionize how local businesses dominate search rankings.
When prospective patients search for a clinic online, they typically aren’t searching for one by name. They’re typing things like, “Pediatrician near me,” “Orthopedic doctor in West Palm,” or, “Top-rated allergist in NYC.” For multi-specialty practices, ranking for search queries takes more than a single Google Business Profile (GBP), yet many still rely on outdated setups. This leaves visibility—and growth—on the table.
To compete in local search today, clinics need a structure that mirrors how they operate. A multi-profile setup aligned with Google’s 2025 guidelines is essential to grow online. With nearly two decades in local SEO and working with specialty clinics and healthcare networks, I’ve seen how the wrong GBP structure doesn’t just waste time—it costs clinics real patients.
This guide is for medical marketing SEO managers, in-house teams supporting multi-specialty practices and clinic office managers overseeing online visibility. If your clinic handles multiple doctors, specialties or locations, this guide is built to save time, avoid costly mistakes and help your practice get found for the right patient queries.
After all, trying to represent 15 specialties and 20 doctors with a single profile isn’t just inefficient—it’s like publishing a medical journal with one paragraph for every discipline. It limits your ability to show up when patients are searching for exactly what you offer, right when they need it.
Why Local SEO Still Drives Growth In Healthcare
Patients are increasingly starting their care journeys with search. A 2022 survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Reputation found that 72% of consumers read online reviews before booking a new healthcare provider.
Often, those searches are specific; they include specialty, doctor type and location. In my experience, breaking out GBP listings by specialty can drive more impressions, better rankings and increased patient inquiries.
The Triple Threat Strategy: Doctor, Specialty, Location
A scalable local SEO strategy for healthcare starts with what can be called the “triple threat” framework: doctor, specialty and location.
Doctor: Each eligible practitioner should have a verified Google Business Profile for doctors, tied to their real hours and availability at the clinic.
Specialty: Departments operating semi-independently, such as dermatology or cardiology, can have their own listings if they meet criteria like having a unique suite number, phone number and staff.
Location: Each physical site should have its own GBP. These listings should not be shared across specialties or doctors unless the structure of the practice is truly unified.
When aligned with Google’s guidelines, this system helps your clinic appear in a variety of high-intent local searches without duplicating listings or risking penalties.
The 2025 GBP Rulebook For Medical Practices: What’s Allowed, What Gets Flagged
Google’s current rules for healthcare organizations are more transparent than many realize. Here’s a brief overview of what’s permitted for medical SEO:
• Separate GBPs for each physical location of a medical practice
• Listings for departments with a unique name, address and phone (NAP) combination
• Individual GBPs for doctors who serve the public directly, have their own hours and can verify their listings
What’s not allowed:
• One doctor with multiple listings across different locations
• Copy-pasted content or identical imagery across profiles
• Fabricated suite numbers to justify extra listings
• Keyword-stuffed business names (e.g., “top-rated pain clinic NYC”)
Structuring Listings Without Triggering Suspensions
Local SEO for doctors begins with getting the foundational elements right. This includes assigning consistent and accurate NAPs to each listing; keeping doctor and specialty descriptions distinct; naming profiles clearly and appropriately (e.g., “dermatology at Midtown Medical—Dr. Lee”); and linking each GBP to a unique landing page with tailored content.
It’s also important to structure your website to support GBP segmentation. Use internal links, build specialty pages and apply schema markup.
The goal is to reflect your real-world organization online. That’s the cornerstone of sustainable SEO for medical clinics.
Optimization Tactics To Help Drive Patient Growth
Once the structure is in place, it’s time to optimize. Healthcare marketing agencies often focus on three key areas: reviews, posts and FAQs, and photos and biographies.
Reviews: Use routing tools to direct patients to the correct listing. The right review on the right profile can impact both search rankings and conversion.
Posts and FAQs: Keep each listing active by posting updates relevant to the specialty or location. Add FAQs that answer real patient queries.
Photos and bios: Use authentic imagery and practitioner bios to build trust and relevance for local searchers.
To track profile rankings, monitor reviews and maintain citation consistency—all of which are essential components of SEO for healthcare services—clinics can use platforms to help, such as BrightLocal and Whitespark.
Common GBP Mistakes That Still Hurt Clinics
Even with good intentions, many clinics fall into predictable traps. These shortcuts don’t just hurt local search performance; they can also put your profiles at risk of suspension.
Common missteps I’ve seen include creating three listings for one doctor who works at multiple locations, reusing the same clinic phone number across different specialty profiles, copying and pasting generic content into each GBP and using keyword-stuffed business names in violation of Google’s naming policy. As mentioned above, these practices aren’t permitted.
Where To Begin: A Clean-Up And Build-Out Plan
Implementing a compliant, segmented GBP structure isn’t just a technical fix; it’s a competitive advantage that helps your practice dominate local search results. Start by auditing your current GBPs:
1. Identify duplicate or outdated listings.
2. Map out which specialties and providers are missing.
3. Segment your profiles according to doctor, specialty and location.
4. Create or revise landing pages that support those profiles.
Verifying Your Google Business Profile
Google offers step-by-step verification instructions. You can handle this in-house, or, some clinics managing multiple listings may also choose to work with a professional to help avoid rejections and delays.
Getting verified is just the start. Ranking well means structuring profiles to match how your clinic functions—and staying current with local SEO best practices. Still relying on one profile for everything? Google’s AI will catch it faster than your front desk can say, “Please hold.”
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