Doctors & hospitals · Kerala, Dubai, Australia
Digital marketing for doctors and hospitals in Kerala
I am Aiswariya Kolora, CEO of Techpullers. Before I explain how we work, here is what your patients are actually doing.
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0 → 605
keywords in 19 months, from a domain with no history
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9
keywords still in Google’s top three today
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6 → 9
keywords, four of them in the top three
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1,248 → 33
keywords, after the monthly work stopped
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244 → 5
keywords, after the monthly work stopped
Every one of these clients stopped the work once they ranked. Two still hold. Two faded. Most agencies would show you the first two and delete the rest.
Patients mostly look on Google My Business. Or they just search for a particular doctor nearby. Mostly the Business Profile is what shows, and they compare the ratings.
They might also look at AI Overviews and ChatGPT — using chatbots to understand which doctor is specifically good for a particular operation, surgery or treatment, and evaluating the doctor based on that.
Word of mouth still matters. In cities like Kozhikode, when we are looking for a heart surgeon, we ask people we know who have had surgery before. They recommend certain doctors by name, and we go specifically to the hospital where that doctor consults.
And we search across the whole city. If I am in Kochi searching, we search for doctors throughout Kozhikode, and we also look at Kochi. Whichever doctor specialises in a particular thing, we usually contact that person first, and then look at the others.
Somebody searching for a particular doctor will definitely go through Google and AI. That is what we all do in today’s time.
Where digital marketing for doctors usually goes wrong
Mostly it is the content. It is not written to meet E-E-A-T, and that itself is a red flag. Then the site structure, and the schema for the doctor and the team.
| Area | The common approach | What healthcare actually needs |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes | The SEO team writes the blogs | The doctor, or another qualified person — and the author bio says so |
| Writing standard | Written to fit a keyword | Written the way you would write for a medical publication, so it can be cited |
| The doctor’s time | The agency never talks to the doctor | Two to three calls before anything is planned, then a calendar agreed a month ahead |
| Structured data | Generic business markup | Schema for the doctor and for the team |
| Site structure | Several pages saying the same thing, so rankings get stuck on cannibalisation | One page per intent, one page per branch, each with its own local keywords |
| Proof | Stock photographs of smiling patients | Genuine video testimonials, before-and-after pictures, real reviews on the Business Profile |
The author bio should be the doctor, not the SEO team
Most SEO agencies go with random blogs written by the SEO team. I don’t understand the concept.
It is better to coordinate with the doctor on the treatment and write the content together. We make it clear to the doctor how he has to write — like writing for medical publications. To get him cited, we need to work hard.
Most agencies never talk to the doctor
Most digital marketing agencies don’t even talk to the doctors, or make them understand the necessity of good content that is worth publishing and informative. That is where this goes wrong.
This is one sector where input from the client’s end is a necessity. Our job is to ease that process.
What a healthcare agency should do first
Six steps before anything is published: where you stand on Google today, what your competitors rank for, a six-month plan, the site rebuilt around keyword research, presence on Practo and JustDial and the local press, and your facilities actually shown.
The first thing we actually do is check your presence on Google — how well you are performing as a brand. And who the competitors are, and what they are doing, in order to rank on Google, AI Overviews, chatbots and social media.
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One
Check where you stand
How well you are performing as a brand on Google today, and who you are actually competing against.
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Two
Take the competitors apart
What they rank for, the primary and secondary keywords we can take, the blogs to include, what they exclusively offer patients, their DA and PA, and where their links come from.
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Three
Build a six-month plan
More comprehensive than what the competitors are running, and consistent — so we can properly compete on social media and everywhere else.
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Four
Fix the site and the structure
Keyword research first, then the pages. One page per branch, each with its own local keywords and its own Google Business Profile.
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Five
Build presence off your own site
Local newspapers, local magazines, local sites and directories like Practo and JustDial — and work on getting reviews over there.
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Six
Show the practice, not just the pages
The setup, the facilities, patient reviews, testimonials and the equipment you have. Only then will people know those facilities exist at your hospital.
An omnichannel presence is required. Google organic, the Business Profile, AI Overviews, review sites and social media — not one channel.
Case study · former client, 2023 to mid-2025
Marketing a hospital from zero — Abate Eye Hospital
A brand-new domain with no history, no backlinks and no rankings reached 605 ranking keywords and around 3,260 organic visits a month in 19 months. Three branch pages, three Business Profiles.
Abate Al Salama Eye Hospital was our client from 2023 until mid-2025. They are a former client now, and these are the real numbers.
They first contacted us through Google search. They specifically wanted a good SEO company in Kerala to do their website design, SEO and Google Ads. We travelled to their office in Malappuram to meet and discuss the plan.
They weren’t getting many leads from Google organic search or Google Ads, and they did not even have their keyword research done properly. Their website wasn’t optimised — a lot of crawl errors, responsiveness and speed to fix. Even the pages weren’t built with clarity: multiple pages with similar content, so the ranking was stuck due to cannibalisation.
Abate had sold the Al Salama hospital, and the website went with it. abatehospital.com was a new domain, taken for Abate alone. No history, no backlinks, no rankings.
So we created the website design with keyword research first, and designed and developed the current website for them — we have developers and an SEO team in house, so the site can be built around SEO needs from the start. E-E-A-T was added to all the content. We also ran AdWords, but SEO is what actually gave them a lot of enquiries.
Hospitals with multiple branches
Branch pages were built for Kannur, Perinthalmanna and Calicut. Each one had its own local keywords and its own Google Business Profile. They basically got a lot of enquiries from local SEO — more calls from the Business Profile, more appointments, and patients walking in. Read the full case study.
The other practices we have worked with
All of them stopped once they ranked. Two still hold, two faded. Both are in the table.
Both columns. The second one is the reason to keep reading.
| Practice | Where | Then | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayur Vaidya Ayurvedic health centre |
Dubai | 182 keywords 569 visits/mo (Jun 2025) |
9 keywords in the top 3 434 visits/mo |
| Samwarthika Ayurveda hospital |
Ernakulam & Muvattupuzha |
1,248 keywords 800 visits/mo (Jun 2024) |
33 keywords 98 visits/mo |
| Santhimandiram Ayurvedic hospital |
Kottayam | 244 keywords 318 visits/mo (Jun 2024) |
5 keywords 15 visits/mo |
| iTEES Eye Hospital | Malappuram | 6 keywords 46 visits/mo (Jun 2024) |
9 keywords, 4 in the top 3 91 visits/mo |
In June 2024, Santhimandiram ranked #1 for “kottayam ayurveda”, #2 for “kottayam ayurveda hospital” and #3 for “ayurveda hospital kottayam”. Samwarthika ranked #1 for “samwarthika ayurveda hospital”, #3 for “ayurveda hospital ernakulam” and #9 for “best ayurvedic hospital in kerala” — a term searched a thousand times a month.
What that table actually shows
“I could have left the second column off. I’d rather explain it.”
Almost all these sites were designed and developed by us, and their rankings improved. Once they reached the first or second position, they stopped the monthly work. I don’t track a site after the work ends — so for this page, I checked every one of them in Ahrefs.
Two still hold. iTEES has more keywords in the top three today than it did in 2024. Ayur Vaidya still holds nine top-three positions in Dubai, and the traffic it earns would cost around $412 a month to buy as ads.
Two faded. Samwarthika went from 1,248 keywords to 33. Santhimandiram from 244 to 5.
Same agency, same kind of work, and all of them stopped. Some sites hold their position for a while without help; some lose it within a year. Nobody can tell you in advance which one you will be. Competitors don’t stop, and Google doesn’t freeze your position because you did good work two years ago.
Dental clinics have their own page: digital marketing for dental clinics. We have also worked with Javadent Dental Clinic and Ravi’s Dental Clinic, and three dental practices in Australia — Woonona, Dapto and Shellharbour.
Medical digital marketing is collective work
We find the keywords. Only your doctor can say how his procedure differs from the others, and only he can get the patient testimonials. Two to three calls before anything is planned.
We would like to work with all kinds of doctors and hospitals who are willing to work collectively with us, because their input is required. It is actually collective work, not just the work of a digital marketing company. The doctor or the hospital must also be as responsible as the digital marketing team.
The keywords we can find ourselves — Keyword Planner, competitor checks, deep analysis of the web and AI Overviews. But how you are different from your competitors, only your doctor can say. Only your doctor can give a clear opinion about how his procedure is different from the others.
And only he can get the testimonials, reviews or feedback from the patients. For that he needs a team at the clinic who can just ask the patient for a review on the Google My Business profile. That’s more than enough.
What we give you
- The content and the keywords, written so you can read it in your own voice
- Video editing from your raw footage, including thumbnails for YouTube and social media
- Google Ads, run by a verified Google Partner agency
- A monthly content calendar, agreed a month ahead
- Video creators and a content team, if you don’t have one in house
- Website design and development, built around SEO from the start
- Branch pages and Google Business Profiles for each location
What we need back from you
- The final word. You check the content properly before it goes out
- Genuine video testimonials, or raw footage we can edit
- Before-and-after pictures, usually sent over WhatsApp
- Someone at the clinic who asks patients for a review on the Business Profile
- Two to three calls together to agree the plan
If a client can’t give anything and still wants social media, we tell them straight: posting pictures simply won’t make any difference. People want to connect — see original testimonials, see the team.
What it costs, and how long it takes
Retainers start at ₹25,000 a month. The timeline depends on keyword competition, which we can judge up front because healthcare keywords are location-specific.
That depends upon the keyword competition. Usually it is multi-location or location-specific — both are location-specific keywords that we target. So we know the competition, and the approximate timeline.
The pricing might vary based on the niche and the competition, how much effort to put in, whether Google Ads are required, and landing pages. The rest can be discussed after we understand your goals and social media plans.
Healthcare retainers start at
₹25,000
per month
See the full pricing page — published, not hidden behind a form.
Talk to us
One number for phone and WhatsApp. You speak to me and to Leno, not to an account manager. Ask for a client reference and we will connect you.
It is very easy to call us and talk to us. There is a number available, and a WhatsApp number — both are the same number.
We work out whatever plan suits you, at your convenience — how much input you can give, what details you have, how you are doing now, what happened over the last six months, and what your short-term and long-term goals are.
If you want to meet us at any point during the project, we will be available at our office at Infopark, Kochi. And if you want us to meet you at your clinic or hospital, that would also work for us.
Who you will be talking to
Aiswariya Kolora
CEO & Co-founder. Digital marketing head and SEO head. 13+ years.
Leno B Vettoor
Co-founder. Hosting, development and the technical side. He will be talking to you as well.
We have already done this for a few clinics, hospitals and doctors. There are so many doctors already in contact with us. If you want a reference, we will gladly connect you with them.
Frequently asked questions
How much does digital marketing for doctors cost?
Retainers start at ₹25,000 per month. It depends upon the keyword competition, the niche, how much effort to put in, whether Google Ads are required, and landing pages. Basic pricing is on our pricing page.
How long before a clinic sees results?
That depends upon the keyword competition. Healthcare keywords are usually multi-location or location-specific, so we know the competition and can give you the approximate timeline.
Do I have to keep paying once I am ranking?
That is your call. Every healthcare client in the table above stopped once they ranked. Two still hold today and two faded — and nobody can tell you in advance which one you will be. We would rather you decide with the real numbers in front of you.
Do you work outside India too?
We have worked with healthcare clients in Kerala and Dubai, and with three dental practices in Australia — Woonona, Dapto and Shellharbour.
Who writes the medical content?
We give you the contents and the keywords, and we plan it with the doctor. But the author bio should represent the doctor himself, or the qualified person — and the final word has to be from your end.
Do I have to appear in videos?
If there is a video team in house, that is good. Otherwise we have video creators we can provide. You can also simply record it on a camera and give it to us in raw format, and we will edit it and set up the thumbnails. But if you cannot give anything at all, posting pictures simply will not make any difference.
Can you handle multiple branches?
Yes. Each branch gets its own page, its own local keywords and its own Google Business Profile. Abate had three handled this way — Kannur, Perinthalmanna and Calicut.
Do you work with dentists and ayurvedic hospitals too?
We do not mind if it is a big hospital, or if you are a gynaecologist or a dentist or even an ayurvedic hospital. We have already worked for these kinds of clients, so that is not a problem.
About the author
Aiswariya Kolora
Aiswariya Kolora is CEO and co-founder of Techpullers, a digital marketing agency for doctors and hospitals based at Infopark, Kochi. She has around 13+ years of experience in digital marketing and SEO, and is the digital marketing head and SEO head. Leno B Vettoor, co-founder, handles hosting, development and technical delivery.