13 Wellness SEO Mistakes for Health Practioners to Avoid

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For health and wellness businesses, a strong online presence is essential. Whether you run a fitness studio, a wellness spa, or a nutrition clinic, clients often start their search online. Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your business appear in front of potential clients.

Even small mistakes in your SEO strategy can cost you visibility, leads, and revenue.

Optimizing your SEO is an integral part of any wellness marketing campaign.

13 Wellness SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Here are the most common wellness SEO mistakes health and wellness businesses make—and how to avoid them.

1. Ignoring Local SEO

Many health and wellness businesses rely on local clients. If you’re not optimizing for local searches, you’re missing out.

Local SEO Mistakes include:

1. Not claiming, updating, or optimizing your Google Business Profile.
2. Inconsistent Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) information across platforms.
3. Failing to include local keywords, such as “psychologist in Fredericton.”

Fix it:
Claim your Google Business Profile, ensure your NAP details are consistent, and add location-specific terms to your website content.

Here’s more about improving your local SEO.

2. Focusing on the Wrong Keywords

Choosing keywords without proper research can waste time and resources. Many businesses target too broad or too competitive terms, such as “wellness services” or “health tips.”

Fix it:
Conduct thorough keyword research to identify specific phrases your clients search for, like “best physiotherapist in Halifax” or “therapist for PTSD.” Tools like Google Keyword Planner or professional SEO services can help.

Keyword Tip: If you have Google Search Console set up for your site, this can be a good source of the actual keywords that prospects are using to discover your site.

If you need help, please reach out. We can help you research and sort the best keywords for your practice and objectives.

3. Skipping Mobile Optimization

Most users search for health and wellness services on their phones. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing potential clients.

Mistakes include:

1. Pages that load slowly on mobile devices.
2. Text that’s too small to read on a smartphone.
3. Difficult navigation or broken links.

Fix it:
Ensure your site is responsive, loads quickly, and works seamlessly on all devices. Test your site with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to identify and fix issues.

Because search engines rank your site based on its mobile-version, you are harming your desktop ranking when your mobile experience is bad. And it isn’t hard to optimize for mobile devices.

If you aren’t sure how your site is doing, our Technical SEO Site Audit will help with specific suggestions.

4. Publishing Thin or Irrelevant Content

Search engines prioritize websites with high-quality, relevant content. If your site is filled with short, unhelpful posts or generic information, it won’t rank well.

Fix it:
Focus on creating detailed, engaging content that answers client questions. For example:

• A physiotherapist could write a blog on “What to Expect After a Knee Injury.”
• A dentist might create a guide on “9 Things to Know About a Dental Bridge.”

Quality content not only improves rankings but also builds trust with your audience.

5. Overlooking Technical SEO

Technical SEO involves the behind-the-scenes aspects of your website that impact how search engines crawl and index it. Common mistakes include:

• Broken links or error pages.
• Missing XML sitemaps.
• Poor site navigation
• No-Index / No-Follow incorrectly applied
• Weird redirects and internal linking
• Slow page loading speeds.

Fix it:
Run regular audits using tools like Google Search Console to find and fix technical issues. Or book a professional site audit.

6. Ignoring Analytics and Data

Without tracking your website’s performance, you can’t measure the success of your SEO efforts. Many businesses fail to use analytics tools effectively or ignore the data altogether.

Fix it:
Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Monitor key metrics like traffic, bounce rates, and keyword rankings. Use this data to refine your strategy.

7. Neglecting Online Reviews

Reviews play a significant role in local SEO and client trust. Businesses that don’t encourage or manage online reviews miss out on opportunities to build credibility.

Fix it:
Ask satisfied clients to leave reviews on Google and other platforms. Respond to reviews (both positive and negative) to show you value feedback.

8. Expecting Instant Results

SEO is a long-term strategy, not a quick fix. Some businesses abandon their efforts too early, expecting immediate results.

Fix it:
Be patient and consistent. SEO efforts often take months to show results, but the payoff is worth it.

Local SEO in Canada can take 2-10 months, depending on the industry, competition, and your current ranking. Expect to see initial results more quickly.

9. Not Optimizing for Voice Search

Voice search is becoming more popular as people use smartphones and smart speakers to find services. Many health and wellness businesses overlook this trend, missing an opportunity to connect with potential clients.

Mistakes include:

• Failing to target conversational, question-based keywords like “Where can I find a physiotherapist near me?”
• Ignoring long-tail keywords that align with how people speak.

Fix it:
Incorporate natural, conversational phrases into your content and FAQ sections. Optimize for long-tail keywords that answer specific questions your clients might ask aloud.

Here’s more about voice search optimization.

10. Using Duplicate Content

Duplicate content can confuse search engines and provide little value to visitors. This often happens when businesses copy text from other websites or repeat the same content across multiple pages.

Mistakes include:

• Reusing content from service descriptions on every location page.
• Copying blog posts or resources from other websites without adding unique value.

Fix it:
Create original content for each page of your site. Use tools like Copyscape to check for duplicate content and rewrite sections as needed.

We recommend creating evergreen content on your site, and keeping news content for social media.

11. Neglecting Social Media Integration

Social media doesn’t directly impact SEO rankings, but it plays a role in driving traffic to your site and improving brand visibility. Many wellness businesses fail to link their SEO efforts with their social media presence.

Mistakes include:

• Not sharing blog posts, guides, or service updates on social platforms.
• Failing to include social sharing buttons on website content.
• Not implementing sameAs schema to connect your site with your social profiles.

Fix it:
Use social media to promote your website content and attract backlinks. Encourage your followers to share posts, which can drive more traffic to your site and increase engagement.

Ask your SEO agency to implement the correct schema for your company, including sameAs.

12. Forgetting About User Experience (UX)

Search engines prioritize websites that offer a positive user experience. If visitors struggle to navigate your site or find the information they need, they’ll likely leave—and search engines will take notice.

Mistakes include:

1. Cluttered website design that confuses visitors.
2. Hard-to-read fonts or poor color contrast.
3. Missing calls-to-action (CTAs) that guide users toward booking or contacting you.

Fix it:
Ensure your website is clean, easy to navigate, and designed for the user. Make sure every page has a clear purpose and guides visitors to take the next step, whether booking a service or reading more.

13. Ignoring E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness)

Google’s E-E-A-T principles play a significant role in how it evaluates health and wellness websites. Ignoring these can harm your rankings and credibility.

Mistakes include:

• Publishing content without citing credible sources.
• Failing to highlight your qualifications or expertise.
• Not speaking in first person, not building a solid About Page or site bio.

Fix it:

• Publish content backed by research and include citations or links to authoritative sources.
• Add an About page showcasing your credentials, certifications, and experience. This should be for the team, and for your personal credentials.
• Include photos of your team, office, services, and products as appropriate. While stock photos are fine, don’t use them as if they are your team.
• Don’t use AI images for anything. They undermine trust and don’t accurately represent your company.

Learn more about the wellness marketing services we offer to Canadian businesses.

Avoid These Wellness SEO Mistakes to Grow Your Business

By addressing these additional mistakes, your health and wellness business can stay ahead of competitors and build a strong online presence. With voice search optimization, unique content, and a solid social media strategy, your SEO efforts will deliver even better results.

SEO success requires attention to detail and a commitment to best practices. By avoiding these mistakes you can position your health and wellness business for sustainable growth.

Ready to refine your strategy and fix these common mistakes? Contact us today to start building your success story.