30-Point Clinic SEO Audit Checklist

The foundation. If Google can't crawl or render your site cleanly, nothing else matters.

• Site loads over HTTPS with no mixed-content warnings

  HTTP or mixed-content sites lose trust with users and rankings with Google.

• Mobile-friendly (passes Google's Mobile-Friendly Test)

  Google indexes mobile-first — desktop-only sites are penalised.

• Core Web Vitals passing (LCP, CLS, INP all in green)

  CWV is a confirmed ranking factor and directly affects patient conversion rate.

• XML sitemap present at /sitemap.xml and submitted to Search Console

  Without a sitemap, Google discovers pages slower and can miss deep pages.

• robots.txt exists and doesn't accidentally block key pages

  A single Disallow line in the wrong place can nuke your indexation.

• No indexation issues in Search Console (Excluded / Crawled – not indexed)

  Pages that aren't indexed can't rank. Period.

• No redirect chains (301 hops of more than one)

  Chains dilute link equity and slow crawl budget on larger sites.

• Structured data present (MedicalBusiness, Physician, Service, FAQPage)

  Schema is how you win rich results, AI Overview citations, and E-E-A-T signals.

• No duplicate content or unresolved canonical issues

  Duplicates split ranking signals and confuse Google about the canonical URL.

• HTTPS canonical + www vs non-www consistent sitewide

  Inconsistent canonicals leak link equity between four versions of the same URL.

The signals Google reads on the page itself — the piece most clinics get wrong first.

• Unique, keyword-targeted title tag on every page (50–60 chars)

  Title tags are still the single strongest on-page ranking signal.

• Unique meta description on every page (140–160 chars)

  Meta descriptions drive click-through rate, which drives ranking.

• One H1 per page that matches search intent

  Multiple H1s or missing H1s confuse both Google and screen readers.

• All images have descriptive alt text (not "IMG_2431.jpg")

  Alt text is a mini ranking signal and required for accessibility compliance.

• Internal linking depth — no orphan pages, no page more than 3 clicks deep

  Deep or orphan pages get crawled less and rank worse.

• Each treatment page targets one clear primary keyword

  Trying to rank one page for 10 treatments dilutes relevance for all of them.

• URL structure is clean and keyword-descriptive (/services/botox-toronto/)

  Clean URLs help both ranking and user trust.

• Content depth — treatment pages 1,200+ words, no thin service pages

  Thin pages rarely rank on competitive medical/aesthetic queries.

For a clinic, this is often bigger than the entire rest of the SEO stack combined.

• Google Business Profile is claimed, verified, and 100% complete

  GBP drives the map pack — often 40–60% of local clinic clicks.

• NAP (Name / Address / Phone) is identical across GBP, website, and citations

  Inconsistent NAP is the #1 local SEO killer.

• Google review count of 50+ with steady velocity (2+ new per month)

  Volume, recency, and cadence all feed the local ranking algorithm.

• Every review responded to within 48 hours (PIPEDA-safe language)

  Response rate is a ranking signal and shows patients you care.

• Local schema (MedicalBusiness / MedicalClinic) on homepage and contact page

  Local schema anchors your business as a real medical entity to Google.

• Service-area pages for every city you serve within 30 min drive

  You can't rank in Mississauga if your only page is "Toronto".

• Weekly Google Posts, 20+ photos, and Q&A actively managed

  Fresh GBP signals rank better than stale profiles.

• Consistent citations on top 20 local directories (Yellow Pages, RateMDs, etc.)

  Citations reinforce NAP and add local authority signals.

Google's medical/YMYL guidelines are strict — clinics without visible expertise signals get held back.

• Named practitioner bios with credentials on every relevant page

  "Reviewed by Dr. X, FRCPC" outperforms unattributed content on YMYL queries.

• Medical / injector credentials clearly displayed (CPSO / CPSBC / CMQ number)

  Provincial college registration is a required trust signal in Canada.

• Treatment pages cover the full patient question set (safety, cost, aftercare, candidacy)

  Comprehensive pages beat surface-level ones on YMYL topics — every time.

• Real patient testimonials and before/afters (where legally permitted)

  Social proof is both a conversion driver and a trust signal Google rewards.

• Blog is published to consistently (at least 2 posts per month) and updated

  Freshness is a real ranking factor for competitive medical queries.

• Author bios linked from every blog post to a full credentials page

  Author linking passes E-E-A-T signals across your entire site.

Traffic without conversion is a vanity metric. This layer decides whether visitors become patients.

• Clear primary CTA above the fold on every page

  If a patient has to scroll to book, most of them won't.

• Booking flow is 3 fields or fewer (or a single-click WhatsApp / call)

  Every extra form field cuts conversion by roughly 5%.

• Visible reviews / rating on landing pages (widget or embedded)

  Social proof at the point of decision lifts conversion 15–30%.

• Phone number is click-to-call on mobile, WhatsApp is one tap away

  For clinics, phone and chat still convert 2–3× better than form fills.

• Clear pricing signal (starting-at price or price range on service pages)

  Pages that hide pricing lose the majority of comparison shoppers.