Introduction

Care home marketers often rely heavily on Google Search, but there is so much more to be unlocked when it comes to local SEO. With increasing competition and families needing to make emotionally charged decisions, visibility across the entire local ecosystem is key.

Essentially, if you’re only thinking about Google when it comes to local SEO, you’re missing out on powerful ways to connect with families right when they need you most.

Here’s how to level-up your local SEO and make sure you’re finding your audience in the right locations, literally!

Google is just the start

We all know and have probably used the Google search engine in our lives. We know that on paper, it’s the GOAT. Its dominance has even led to its name becoming a verb but with great power comes great competition, and as such, it can be difficult to get the results you want. 

Luckily, the SE in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) isn’t limited to just Google (more on that later!). So even if you’re not getting the results you want or need there, it’s well worth maintaining SEO best practice – staying visible, staying relevant and upholding a good reputation across the web.

Plus, there are other platforms and tactics that businesses and care homes can build trust and a local presence on. So stay with me while I take you through some more local SEO tactics that work.

Claim and optimise non-Google local listings

It’s not just about Google Business Profiles. Here are a few other platforms that are well worth registering on if you manage a care home:

 

• • Bing Places for Business – These profiles are very similar to Google Business Profiles. Profiles are indexed and will be delivered as search results to those who use Bing as their main search engine.

• • Apple Business Register – Again, think Google Business Profile but for Apple. With an estimated 24,000 iPhones sold per day in 2024, getting signed up and included in the default map app is a no-brainer.

• • Business directories – Platforms like Yelp, Yell and your local area’s business directories, as well as care home specific directories like Carehome.co.uk, Autumna and Lottie can help you stand out to people who are looking for care at that moment.

It’s also incredibly important to remember your NAP consistency across these platforms and no, we’re not talking about sleep hygiene. NAP refers to your Name, Address and Phone number. Keeping these consistent across all of your online homes not only helps search engines like Google see your business as reliable and trustworthy but it also helps potential customers contact you without any confusion.

Hyperlocal content that serves families 

Want to be known as the experts in your area? Be an expert on your area. A great tactic, which I believe is simply not used enough, is creating content based around a local area.

When creating hyperlocal content, consider:

 

• • Creating blog posts and landing pages that reference specific neighbourhood areas or towns.

• • Mentioning local landmarks, GP surgeries, community groups or spaces.

• • Adding internal links to your contact and service pages.

Creating pages that are relevant to a specific area helps you build local relevance and increase the likelihood of you appearing in searches for ‘near me’ or longer-tail keyword searches.

You could even collaborate with local organisations to co-create or share content, but more on that soon…

Local PR & backlink building 

An organisation who is looking to climb to the top of the search results pages should also consider employing a PR strategy and start building a good reputation through press coverage and social proof.

 

• • Care homes can gain local press coverage by:
    

     

    • • Sharing resident stories
    • • Hosting open days or local events
    • • Offering expert advice columns (e.g. “how to spot signs of dementia”)
    • • In local ‘What’s On’ guides
    • • Collaborating with anyone else locally with a website – including but not limited to local council websites, directories or partner organisations.

Each mention will send local relevance signals to search engines, and even better if you can get a backlink (hyperlink to your site) as that will help your website’s domain authority (a score that rates your likelihood of reaching the top of Google).

Use social proof to dominate local search 

Gaining social proof is also an effective way of boosting our SEO efforts. Encouraging those who have been satisfied with your care to leave reviews on platforms such as carehome.co.uk, Trustpilot, Facebook and Google shows that you mean business (pardon the pun) and also gives search engines more knowledge on your organisation and services.

Responding to reviews, whether good or bad, can highlight that you are an engaged and caring organisation that takes the time to do things properly and again helps to appease the search engines.

Displaying reviews on your website can also help SEO by keeping audiences on-site and engaged, signalling to search engines that it’s a website worth investing time into and therefore helping it climb the search page rankings.

Leverage local schema markup 

Adding structured data to your website is like giving search engines a detailed business card. It tells them exactly what your business is, where it’s located, and who it serves – helping them present your site in the most relevant way possible. 

For local businesses, this can be a game-changer, especially when targeting Google’s coveted map pack. Key schema types to consider include LocalBusiness, CareHome, Organisation and Review. 

Implementing these correctly can not only improve your local search visibility but also make your site eligible for rich results, such as review stars, business hours, and location details right in the search results. Plus, you don’t need to be a developer to get started. Free tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or popular WordPress plugins such as Rank Math and Yoast make adding schema quick and straightforward, turning technical SEO into a simple, high-impact win.

Conclusion

Local SEO for care homes isn’t just about showing up on Google – it’s about making sure your organisation is visible, trusted and easy to find across the entire online landscape. 

From claiming your spot on multiple local listings to producing hyperlocal content, building backlinks, collecting reviews and adding schema markup, every tactic adds another layer of visibility and credibility. These efforts work together to put your care home in front of families exactly when they’re searching for support, helping you stand out in a competitive and emotional decision-making space.If all this sounds like a lot to manage, you don’t have to do it alone. At Conteur, we specialise in helping care homes maximise their local presence and connect with the right audience. Get in touch today, and let’s make sure your care home is the one families find, and trust, first.