keywords for podiatrists
A step‑by‑step how‑to guide for finding clinic‑focused keywords, using them on your site, and turning searchers into booked appointments.
This guide shows podiatrists how to choose the right search terms — location + problem + service — then use those keywords in pages, blog posts and Google Business to drive more local patients.
What are keywords — and why they matter for podiatrists
Keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google when they need help. For podiatrists, the most valuable keywords are high‑intent — terms that show the searcher wants care now (appointment or local clinic visit).
Types of keywords that convert
- Local + service: "podiatrist near me", "podiatrist Melbourne" — great for clinic pages.
- Problem + treatment: "heel pain treatment", "corn removal podiatrist" — ideal for service pages and landing pages.
- Long‑tail & symptom searches: "numb toes during pregnancy", "why do my toenails hurt" — perfect blog topics that capture earlier stage searchers.
- Brand + intent: "book appointment podiatrist [clinic name]" — patients ready to convert.
Step‑by‑step keyword research for podiatrists
Follow these practical steps. You can do a basic audit in under an hour and a full research session in a couple of hours.
1. Brainstorm patient phrases (10–30 mins)
Write down how patients describe problems. Use plain language — people search for symptoms, not clinical terms.
- - heel pain
- - ingrown toenail
- - foot numbness
- - fungal toenail treatment
2. Use free tools to expand (20–40 mins)
Tools: Google Autosuggest, People Also Ask, Google Trends, Keyword Surfer, AnswerThePublic, and Google Search Console (if available).
- Type "heel pain" into Google — note suggested queries and PAA boxes.
- Use Keyword Surfer to see search volume estimates.
- Use AnswerThePublic for long‑tail question ideas.
3. Localise every keyword
Add your suburb/city. People searching locally include "near me", suburb names, or postcodes — e.g., "podiatrist North Melbourne", "heel pain Brunswick".
4. Prioritise by intent & competition
Score keywords on 3 factors: intent (book now vs research), volume, and competition. High intent + low competition = top priority.
- - High priority: "podiatrist near me", "book podiatrist [suburb]"
- - Medium: "corn removal podiatrist"
- - Low (but useful): "what causes heel pain"
Save this checklist
- Step 1 Brainstorm 20 patient phrases
- Step 2 Expand with tools and capture long‑tail questions
- Step 3 Add local modifiers for every phrase
- Step 4 Prioritise by intent, volume and difficulty
Example keywords and how to group them
Use these groups to plan pages: Service pages, Location pages, Symptom pages and Blog articles.
High‑intent (use on service landing pages)
- podiatrist near me
- book podiatrist [Suburb]
- ingrown toenail specialist [City]
- corn and callus removal podiatrist
- heel pain podiatrist [City]
Symptom & question keywords (blog content)
- why does my heel hurt when I walk
- how to treat plantar fasciitis at home
- numbness in toes causes
- fungal toenail treatment options
- how long for ingrown toenail to heal
Local variations – generate for every suburb you serve
Examples for "heel pain":
On‑page optimisation templates (copy & paste)
Use these templates when creating or editing your clinic pages. Replace bracketed text with your specifics.
Meta Title
Meta Description
H1 (page title)
URL structure
Image ALT text
Schema basics (FAQ or LocalBusiness)
What to avoid
- Keyword stuffing — write for patients first, Google second.
- Duplicate meta titles across pages — keep them unique and descriptive.
- Thin pages — service pages should be 400–900+ words and include FAQs.
Content plan: convert readers into booked appointments
Match content to searcher intent: informational (blogs), navigational (location pages), transactional (service pages & booking pages).
Service pages
Targets: high‑intent keywords
- - Ingrown toenail treatment
- - Fungal toenail removal
- - Custom orthotics
Blog posts
Targets: question & symptom keywords
- - 7 home treatments for plantar fasciitis
- - When to see a podiatrist for bunions
- - How to prevent fungal toenails
Location pages
Targets: suburb + service searches
- - Podiatrist [Suburb]
- - Heel pain clinic [Suburb]
Content cadence (suggested)
Start with service and location pages, then publish 1 blog per fortnight for 3 months; measure which topics bring traffic and expand those themes.
Local SEO checklist — outrank competitors in your suburb
Google Business Profile
- Claim and verify your GBP listing.
- Use exact business name, address, phone (NAP) — same across website and directories.
- Add categories: Podiatrist, Foot Clinic, Orthotics Clinic.
- Upload photos (clinic, team, treatment room) with descriptive alt text.
- Post weekly updates with local keywords and offers.
Local citations & reviews
- List clinic on local directories (HealthEngine, HotDoc, TrueLocal).
- Ask satisfied patients for Google reviews; respond to all reviews.
- Ensure NAP consistency across listings — critical for local ranking.
Local content idea
Write a page: "Why [Suburb] residents choose [Clinic Name] for heel pain" — include local landmarks, transport, and suburb name multiple times naturally.
Track results — what to measure and how
Set expectations: local SEO takes weeks to months. Track progress weekly and optimise based on data.
Essential tools
- Google Search Console — check impressions, clicks, average position by query.
- Google Analytics 4 — track sessions, pages per session, and goal completions (calls, bookings).
- Rank tracker (free or paid) — monitor target keywords in your city.
- Google Business Insights — views and actions from GBP listing.
Key KPIs
How to iterate
If a page has impressions but low clicks: improve meta title/description with clearer CTA. If clicks but low conversions: improve page copy and booking visibility (phone button, booking widget).
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords should I target per page?
How long until I see results?
Should I write pages for every suburb?
Does Congero help with keywords?
Ready to get patient‑ready pages that rank?
Congero builds SEO-optimised, mobile-first websites for podiatrists and handles local optimisation for you — domain, hosting, schema and monthly analytics included.
All sites include local SEO setup and unlimited text‑in updates — change keywords and copy anytime. No lock‑in contracts.
Written by Congero — Australia’s AI‑driven web design agency for trades and clinics. Need help mapping keywords to pages? Text us a list and we’ll handle the updates.
