Local SEO: how to appear on Google when a patient is looking for you

When a patient looks for a practitioner today, they no longer leaf through a paper directory: they take out their phone and type "dentist in Nyon" or "osteopath near me". In a second, Google shows a small map with three practices, their reviews and their opening hours. That box, the "local pack", is where a large part of your visibility is decided. Appearing in it means reaching the patient at the exact moment they are searching. That is the whole point of local SEO.

Good news: unlike national SEO, which is won over months, local SEO relies on concrete levers, largely free, that are within your control. In this guide, I explain how Google decides who to show, what you can do this week, and the mistakes that hold back most practices.

1. Why local SEO is decisive for a practice

Patient behaviour has changed. The vast majority of health searches now happen on mobile, often with immediate intent: "paediatrician open today", "emergency dentist Lausanne", "physiotherapist near me". Someone typing that is not browsing: they want an appointment soon.

For this kind of search, Google shows a map at the top with three featured listings, the well-known "local pack". These three results capture most of the clicks, well ahead of the classic links below. Appearing there means being seen at the right moment; being absent means leaving the patient to a colleague.

And this is exactly where local is more accessible than national SEO. You are not trying to exist against the whole world: you are trying to be the obvious choice in your catchment area, within a few kilometres. That is an achievable goal, with method.

2. How Google ranks local results

For local searches, Google officially relies on three criteria. Understanding them tells you exactly where to act.

Relevance

Does your practice match what the patient is looking for? Google determines this from your business category, your profile information and your website content. A practice filed under the right category ("dentist", "orthodontist", "physiotherapy practice") and clearly describing its services stands out better than a vague listing. You act here by choosing the right category and listing your treatments precisely.

Distance

How far are you from where the search is made? Google favours proximity. It is the criterion you have least control over, but an exact address and, where relevant, a clearly defined service area (useful for home visits) at least ensure Google places you correctly.

Prominence

How well known and active is your practice online? Reviews, photos, the regularity of your updates, mentions of your practice elsewhere on the web, and the quality of your website all come into play. This is the most actionable criterion, and the one that makes the difference between two practices equally close to the patient.

3. The Google Business Profile: the foundation

The pillar of local SEO is your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). It is free, and it feeds both the map and the information panel that appears to the right of the results when someone searches for your practice.

First step: claim it. Google sometimes creates a profile automatically from public information; you then need to take control of it (Google checks that you really are responsible, usually by mail, phone or video). If no profile exists, create one.

Then fill in every field, with no approximation. Here is the checklist:

• Exact practice name, as it appears on your sign. Do not add artificial keywords ("Dr Martin | best dentist in Nyon"): this breaks Google's rules and can lead to suspension of the profile.
• Address, exact and uniform. For a practice with no public reception (home visits), define a service area rather than a visible address.
• Local phone number of the practice.
• Opening hours, including exceptions: annual closures, public holidays, half-days.
• Primary category, as precise as possible, then secondary categories if you offer several types of care.
• Link to your website.
• Services and treatments, listed one by one.
• A clear description: who you are, what you do, where you are, without jargon.
• Photos: the front (so people recognise you in the street), the waiting room, the team. A profile rich in photos generates noticeably more calls and directions requests than one without visuals.
• Useful attributes: wheelchair access, parking, languages spoken at the practice.

4. Consistent contact details: an underrated signal

This point is often summed up by three letters: NAP, for Name, Address, Phone. The idea is simple: these three pieces of information must be strictly identical everywhere your practice appears, that is, your Google profile, your website, medical directories and your social media.

Why does it matter? Because Google cross-checks these mentions to confirm that your practice really exists and is indeed where you say it is. An address written "Rue de la Gare 12" in one place and "Rte de la gare 12, 1260 Nyon" in another, an old phone number lingering on an outdated directory: all small inconsistencies that sow doubt and work against you.

The concrete action: go through your online mentions and align everything, down to the comma. Tedious once, then settled.

5. Reviews: a pillar (and a trap to avoid in medicine)

Reviews work on two fronts: they weigh on the patient's choice, and they count in local ranking. And it is not just a matter of number: freshness and regularity matter just as much. A practice receiving a few reviews each month inspires more confidence in Google than one frozen on ten reviews from three years ago.

How to obtain them, honestly. Most satisfied patients do not think to leave a review spontaneously. It is often enough to ask at the right moment, and to make it easy: a direct link, a QR code at reception. Aim for regularity rather than peaks.

What is forbidden. Buying reviews, exchanging them for a gift or a discount, or only asking patients you are sure are happy: all of this breaks Google's rules and is detectable. The risk is the removal of your profile. The only reviews that count are the genuine ones.

The trap specific to medicine: responding without breaching confidentiality. Responding to reviews shows an attentive practice. But one rule overrides all others: never confirm that a person is a patient, nor mention the slightest detail of their situation, even to defend yourself. Medical confidentiality (art. 321 of the Swiss Criminal Code) also applies in a public reply. For a negative review, a measured response is enough:

"We take your feedback seriously. Out of respect for medical confidentiality, we cannot comment on an individual situation here. We invite you to contact us directly to discuss it."

A negative review handled calmly often reassures more than a page of perfect reviews: it shows how you react when something goes wrong.

6. The role of your website in local SEO

Many think you have to choose between "being on Google" and "having a website". In reality, the two reinforce each other. The profile is your shopfront on the map: it makes you findable. The website is what reassures and gives the patient a reason to choose you. And technically, a good website supports the SEO of the whole. Four points matter:

• Speed and mobile. Most health searches happen on a phone. A slow site, or one poorly displayed on mobile, harms the patient's experience and your ranking.
• Pages per service. A dedicated page for each important treatment lets you appear on precise searches ("teeth whitening Nyon", "knee rehabilitation"), far better than a single general home page.
• Local anchoring. Naturally mentioning your town and region, your access, your neighbourhood, helps Google tie you to your area.
• Consistent, visible contact details (the NAP again), ideally in the footer of every page.

7. The levers, ranked by impact and effort

Lever	Impact	Effort
Claim and complete the Google profile	Very high	Low
Consistent contact details (NAP)	High	Low to medium
Add photos regularly	Medium to high	Low
Obtain regular reviews	High	Medium (routine)
Fast, mobile-friendly website	High	Medium to high
Pages per service	Medium	Medium
Regular activity (updates, posts)	Medium	Low (recurring)

The reading is simple: start with what is at the top of the table (high impact, low effort), and work your way down.

8. The mistakes that sink your local SEO

• Leaving the profile neglected: unclaimed, wrong hours, no photos. The most frequent case, and the most costly.
• Inconsistent contact details between the profile, the website and the directories.
• A vague or wrong primary category, which stops Google offering you on the right searches.
• Stuffing the name with keywords to game the algorithm: risk of suspension.
• Buying or rewarding reviews. Forbidden, detectable, punishable.
• A slow site or one not adapted to mobile, which drives the patient away and penalises ranking.
• Creating several profiles for the same practice. Duplicates confuse Google and dilute your reviews. One profile per location.
• Never responding to reviews, a sign of an inactive practice in the eyes of Google and patients alike.

9. Where to start: a four-step plan

No need to do everything in one day. Here is a logical order, from the most rewarding to the most demanding.

• Step 1, this week: the profile. Claim your Google Business Profile and complete every field. On its own, this step represents most of the result.
• Step 2: a review routine. Set up a simple way to ask for a review (link or QR code at reception), and get into the habit of replying to all of them, respecting medical confidentiality.
• Step 3: consistency. Go through your online contact details and align name, address and phone everywhere.
• Step 4: the website. Check its speed and mobile display, add a page per important service, and show your contact details consistently.

Frequently asked questions

How long before I see results?

The Business Profile can start ranking better within a few days to a few weeks after you complete it. Reviews and prominence, however, build over time: count rather in months for a clear, stable effect.

Do I have to pay Google to appear locally?

No. The Business Profile and the local pack are free. Paid ads (advertising) are a different subject, separate from the organic SEO discussed in this article.

Is a Google profile enough, without a website?

The profile makes you findable, but without a website you lose the place that reassures and converts a visitor into a patient, as well as control over your image. The ideal remains the combination of both: the profile to be seen, the website to be chosen.

How do I get reviews without cheating?

Simply ask, at the right moment, and make it easy (direct link, QR code). Aim for regularity. Never buy reviews and never reward them: it is forbidden and risky.

What about an unfair or clearly fake review?

You can report it to Google if it breaks the rules (defamatory, off-topic, from a competitor). Google does not remove everything, but a measured response and a steady flow of honest reviews naturally dilute an isolated one.

My work is done at home, with no reception at the practice. Can I appear?

Yes. For home care (nurses, midwives, some therapists), Google lets you define a service area instead of showing a precise address.

Do I need a multilingual website for local SEO?

Not necessarily. It depends on your patient base: useful if a notable share of your patients are not comfortable in the local language, superfluous otherwise. That is a topic in its own right.

The bottom line

Local SEO is not a magic formula, it is rigour. A complete and accurate profile, regular and honest reviews, consistent contact details and a fast website: that is what makes you appear when a patient in your area is looking for you. If you remember only one action, it is to claim and complete your Google Business Profile this week. It is free, it takes an hour, and it is by far the best starting point.

Sources

• Google · Tips to improve your local ranking · local results are based on relevance, proximity and prominence; ranking cannot be bought.
• BrightLocal · Google local algorithm and ranking factors · local ranking factors and the weight of reviews.