Surgical & pain
SEO & AEO for Orthopedic Surgery Practices
Help patients find your practice when they search for joint pain, sports injuries, and orthopedic care.
Orthopedic patients actively research providers online – nearly 60% of US adults search for health information online.[1] They search for specific conditions, procedures, and specialists before choosing who to trust with their care. If your practice isn't visible in Google and AI search results, you're losing patients to competitors who are.
The orthopedic surgery market is uniquely positioned at the intersection of high patient intent and high procedure value. With over 1 million joint replacements performed annually in the US,[2] the demand is substantial. When someone searches for "ACL reconstruction surgeon near me" or "best hip replacement doctor in [city]," they're often ready to schedule a consultation. These aren't casual browsers – they're patients with real pain seeking real solutions.
Yet many orthopedic practices struggle to capture this demand. Hospital systems invest millions in digital marketing. National chains optimize aggressively for local search. Google explicitly states that "review count and review score factor into local search ranking,"[3] giving practices with more reviews a compounding advantage. Meanwhile, independent orthopedic surgeons – often with superior outcomes and personalized care – remain invisible to the patients who need them most.
Why orthopedic surgery practices struggle with search visibility
Understanding these challenges is the first step to solving them.
Your competitors dominate "near me" searches
Hospital systems and large orthopedic groups have SEO teams dedicated to capturing local search traffic. Independent practices often get buried on page two or worse.
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Patients ask AI for surgeon recommendations
When someone asks ChatGPT "best orthopedic surgeon in [city]," your practice needs to be in the answer. Traditional SEO alone won't get you there.
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Generic content doesn't convert
Orthopedic patients want specific information about their condition – not generic "what is orthopedic surgery" content. Your site needs structured, condition-specific pages.
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Our approach for orthopedic practices
We build SEO and AEO infrastructure specifically designed for orthopedic surgery practices. Our system creates condition-specific content, implements medical schema markup, and optimizes your local presence – all while ensuring you're positioned for AI citation.
Unlike agencies that take months to show results, our AI-powered platform deploys optimized content in days. You review and approve; we handle the technical implementation.
- Build comprehensive content for every condition and procedure you treat – from ACL tears to total joint replacement.
- Structure your site so Google and AI tools understand your expertise, credentials, and specializations.
- Optimize your local presence for "orthopedic surgeon near me" and condition-specific searches.
- Monitor your visibility in both traditional search and AI tools like ChatGPT.
Live in one day
Unlike agencies that take months to show results, our AI-powered system deploys optimized content for your practice in days. You review, we publish.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions orthopedic surgery practices ask about SEO and AEO.
Traditional SEO agencies often quote 6-12 months for meaningful results. Our approach is different: we deploy optimized content within a week, and most practices see measurable improvements in visibility within 30-60 days. Competitive keywords like "orthopedic surgeon [city]" may take longer, but condition-specific pages often rank quickly.
Key takeaways
- Orthopedic patients research extensively before choosing a surgeon
- Local search dominance requires structured content and consistent citations
- AI tools are becoming a significant patient acquisition channel
- Condition-specific content outperforms generic service pages
- Speed to deployment matters – months of delay means lost patients
Sources
Learn more
Explore these concepts to understand how we help orthopedic surgery practices get found.
Guide
Entity SEO explained
When patients search for "orthopedic surgeon near me," Google isn't just matching keywords anymore – it's looking for known, trusted entities.[google-knowledge-graph] If your practice isn't established as an entity in Google's Knowledge Graph, you're invisible to both traditional search and AI tools like ChatGPT.
Guide
Local SEO for doctors
Local SEO focuses on improving visibility for location-based searches. For medical practices, this means appearing when patients search for "orthopedic surgeon near me" or "best dermatologist in [city]."[google-local-ranking]
Guide
What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
When a patient asks ChatGPT "best orthopedic surgeon in Boston," is your practice among the sources it cites? With nearly 60% of US adults searching for health information online,[cdc-health-it-2023] and AI tools rapidly becoming part of that journey, practices that aren't optimized for answer engines are invisible to a growing segment of patients.
Guide
Traditional SEO vs entity-first SEO
For years, SEO meant targeting keywords – researching what patients search and optimizing pages to rank for those terms. But search engines have fundamentally changed. Google's Knowledge Graph now contains over 8 billion entities,[google-knowledge-graph] and AI systems like ChatGPT retrieve information by understanding what entities exist, not just which keywords match.[openai-rag] The practices still optimizing for keywords alone are increasingly invisible to both traditional search and AI.
Guide
How Google ranks medical content
Google applies heightened scrutiny to medical content because it can significantly impact people's health, safety, or finances.[google-qrg] Understanding how Google evaluates healthcare websites is essential for ranking well.
Common challenges
Problems that practices in this specialty commonly face.
Common Problem
Why Your Practice Ranks Well But Phones Aren't Ringing
Your website shows up on Google. Your SEO reports look healthy. But the phones aren't ringing like they used to. You're not imagining it – something fundamental has changed in how patients find and choose healthcare providers.
Common Problem
Why Your Practice Doesn't Appear When Patients Ask ChatGPT
Patients are telling you they "asked ChatGPT" or "checked with AI" before booking. When you try the same queries, your practice doesn't come up. Meanwhile, competitors – sometimes with fewer credentials or worse reviews – are getting mentioned. This isn't random, and understanding why is the first step to fixing it.
Related specialties
Explore how we help practices in related specialties.
Surgical & pain
Spine Surgery
Spine patients spend significant time researching before choosing a surgeon – nearly 60% of US adults search for health information online. They search for specific conditions, compare surgical approaches, and look for specialists with relevant experience. Your online presence directly impacts whether they find you or your competitors.
Surgical & pain
Joint Replacement
Joint replacement is one of the most researched elective surgeries – nearly 60% of US adults search for health information online. Patients spend weeks comparing surgeons, researching techniques, and reading reviews before choosing who will perform their procedure. Your online presence is critical to being considered.
Surgical & pain
Sports Medicine
With 8.6 million sports injuries occurring annually in the US, athletes and active individuals are actively searching for specialized care. Nearly 80% of Americans participated in at least one sports or fitness activity in 2024, creating substantial demand for sports medicine expertise. Your online visibility determines whether these motivated patients find your practice.
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