Local SEO for rehab centers: Strategies to stand out

Finding the right rehab center can be a life-changing moment for people struggling with alcohol and substance abuse. Addiction is an incredibly hard affliction to live with, so it should be as easy as possible to find a path out. Local SEO (search engine optimization) for rehab centers helps your facility stand out. Leveraging the right strategies connects you with more patients and helps them on their road to recovery.

Creating a robust digital foundation for rehab centers

Good local SEO for rehab centers means removing any of the obstacles to a patient getting the help they need. For those seeking treatment for themselves or a loved one, Google is likely their first port of call. For search terms like “rehab center near me,” Google may present a fast solution in the form of a helpline.

A helpline that appears as a search result for the term “rehab center near me”

Sponsored results may appear under that, perhaps followed by organic results. But users tend to gravitate towards the Local Pack, which reveals the top three results in the area.

Local Pack results for rehab centers in Baltimore

This is valuable for people that want to compare local rehab centers. Users can quickly pull up patient reviews, see how far away they are, and also click to call directly. In fact, 60% of users make contact with results they find in SERPs (search engine results pages). This makes local SEO for alcohol and substance abuse rehab centers a value strategy for lead generation. These results pull data from Google Business Profiles (GBP), so it’s essential to optimize your listings.

A Google Business Profile for a rehab center

Start by verifying your GBP listing if you haven't already. Once verified, fill out every section, including name, address, and phone number (NAP). Make sure your operating hours are up to date and you’ve chosen the best categories. Images should include team members and a shot of the facility's entrance so people feel comfortable about visiting. When patients discover your rehab center online, it’s important to create a welcoming impression. Regular updates keep your profile fresh and current, showing patients that you care about how you present yourself. If you’re serious about your online presence, it stands to reason that you would apply the same level of attention to their treatment.

Google takes a holistic approach to ranking rehab centers, checking other directories and local citations to verify your information. That means it’s also important to maintain a strong listings presence. Consistent NAP information across all platforms helps search engines verify your location and improves your local search rankings. This consistency is particularly important in competing against government resources that often dominate local search results.

A list of connected listings for one of Pinnacle’s facilities

You can use a listing management tool to quickly get your rehab center on the top directories. You should also publish your essential details in industry-specific directories like Drug Rehab USA, Recovery.com, and Addiction Center. Pinnacle Treatment Centers revealed that before using Semrush’s Listing Management, a couple of patients arrived at wrong addresses. This can be devastating for someone that needs urgent help and lessens their confidence that the rehab center will help them. Semrush Local automates the process of keeping Pinnacle’s more than 100 locations up to date. It also allows the team to quickly suppress confusing duplicate profiles that pop up. Accurate NAP is an essential part of good local SEO for rehab centers, but your listings also need descriptions. To do that, you’ll first need to know which words to include. 

Finding the right keywords for rehab centers

To position yourself in front of patients in search results, you need to get a clear idea of what they’re searching for. Good keyword research means more qualified leads and a higher return on your local marketing investment.

Start with a list of local keywords like this:

• Addiction treatment centers near [location]
• Substance abuse rehab in [location]
• Alcohol rehab centers in [location]
• Drug rehab centers near [location]
• Inpatient rehab facilities in [location]
• Outpatient rehab services in [location]
• Detox centers in [location]
• [Location] rehab programs
• Residential treatment centers in [location]
• Best rehab centers in [location]
• [Location] drug and alcohol treatment
• Rehab for substance abuse near [location]
• Affordable rehab centers in [location]
• [Location] addiction recovery services
• Top-rated rehab centers in [location]
• [Location] mental health and addiction treatment
• Local rehab centers for drug addiction
• Immediate rehab help in [location]
• Government-approved rehab centers in [location]
• [Location] rehabilitation facilities

Build out your list by researching keywords your competitors rank for and identify gaps in their strategies. This helps you target underserved keywords and improve your search engine rankings. Next, dive deep into the keywords using Semrush’s Keyword Magic tool, or a free tool like Google’s Keyword Planner. These tools will tell you the monthly search volume you can expect as well as how difficult it is to rank for them.

Keyword research as part of local SEO for rehab centers

Work these targeted keywords naturally into the description of your online listings and social media platforms. You should also use them in your website content, meta descriptions, and headers. The keywords you’ll use here are typically commercial or transactional in nature. They’re for patients who already know they need help and are looking for the solution. However, not everyone is ready to take the leap to recovery and it's important to be there for them too.

Building trust with potential patients with quality content

Of course, your website needs the essential pages that break down your treatments and the admission process. It should also feature dedicated landing pages for each location your rehab center serves. Include relevant local keywords, NAP, and embedded Google Maps to improve local search visibility. But the journey to overcoming substance abuse begins with learning more about getting help. It often starts with questions like: “How do I get help for drug addiction?,” “What’s the first step to recovery?,” and “What treatments are available for substance abuse?”

Blog posts, FAQs, and detailed guides can establish your center as an authority on rehabilitation. Success stories of former patients also work well to build trust and establish credibility.

 Local SEO content for a rehab center

By being there with helpful content, you position your rehab center as a trusted source of advice. Later, when the patient is ready to seek help, they’re more likely to remember you.

Optimizing your website for better local SEO

The content on your website isn’t the end of your local SEO efforts. You also need to make sure you’ve covered the technical and user experience side of things. Start with a site audit to discover exactly where you should focus your website optimization efforts.

A site audit by Semrush

Page loading speed is crucial for user retention and SEO. Compress images, use caching, and minimize code to ensure fast loading times. Additionally, make sure your website is secure (HTTPS) to protect user data and build trust.

Fix any broken internal or external links that could send users or search engines down a dead end. Structure your pages correctly, with only one H1 tag per page, and easy-to-digest sections broken up with H2 and H3 tags. Run some tests to make sure your website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and easy to navigate. Highlight essential information like treatment programs and contact details. 

Use local schema markup to help search engines find your rehab center’s NAP, operating hours, and reviews. Schema markup helps improve your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) and can lead to rich snippets.

Connecting your network with link building

Link building is an effective way to boost local SEO for rehab centers. Backlinks enhance your website’s authority and improve your search engine rankings. Partner with local healthcare providers, support groups, and community organizations to build backlinks. This can include local clinics, wellness centers, and even schools offering health programs. Guest blog on their websites or co-host community events to create backlinks. You should have already listed your rehab center on industry-specific directories and associations. These sites often have high domain authorities, which can positively impact your SEO if your listing includes a backlink.

A rehab center profile on RehabPath

Develop content that other websites want to link to. This could be comprehensive guides on addiction recovery, infographics, or research studies related to substance abuse.

Amplify trust through online reviews

Automate the process of asking for reviews by sending follow-up emails or texts to clients after their treatment. Simplify the review process by including direct links to your review profiles. Actively manage your presence on various review platforms beyond just Google and Yelp. Consider medical sites like WebMD and DocSpot to broaden your review strategy and capture more diverse audiences. Feature positive feedback prominently on your website. Create a dedicated section for client success stories, and include video reviews to add authentic perspectives.

A Google review for a Pinnacle Treatment Center

Use tools to monitor reviews across multiple platforms and gather insights. Regularly analyze feedback to identify what you are doing well and areas needing improvement. Address recurring issues to demonstrate commitment to quality care.

Measure and refine your SEO strategy

Regularly reviewing the performance of your keywords is vital to maintaining and improving your search engine rankings. Use analytics tools to track how well your keywords are performing and adjust your strategy based on the data you gather. Define specific goals for your SEO efforts, such as increasing organic traffic, improving keyword rankings, or boosting conversion rates. Clear objectives help you measure success and make necessary adjustments.

Use tools like Semrush's Position Tracking and Map Rank Tracker to monitor keyword performance in different locations. This provides insights into how your rankings improve over time and identifies areas needing attention.

Track your competitors' keyword rankings and organic traffic to understand where you stand in comparison. Identify keywords where you can gain an edge and refine your strategy accordingly. Pinnacle Treatment Centers reported that they now rank ahead of five out of their six competitors and that the gap has grown.

Traffic and position data in Semrush

When the center started with Semrush Local, 14 new keywords entered the top three between February and March. They were also pleased to see three new keywords in the top 10.

A keyword rankings chart in Semrush

Rehab centers don’t need huge resources to run effective local SEO strategies. With affordable tools, even small teams can enhance their digital presence.