Latest / The Clinic Marketing Podcast | Local SEO & Healthcare Online Marketing Tips for Clinic Owners & Wellness Providers / Stop Doing This on Your Clinic Website: What to Delete or Rewrite on Clinic Websites Now

Transcript

Stop Doing This on Your Clinic Website: What to Delete or Rewrite on Clinic Websites Now · The Clinic Marketing Podcast | Local SEO & Healthcare Online Marketing Tips for Clinic Owners & Wellness Providers

• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Hey there, and welcome back to the Clinic Marketing Podcast.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Darcy Sullivan from Propel Marketing and Design.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're talking about something that sounds simple, but it can make a massive difference in how your website performs in 2026.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's the new remove list, what you should delete, replace, or rewrite on your clinic website right now, because it may be hurting your visibility, hurting trust, and quietly lowering conversions.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: And just to set expectations, this is not an episode about changing your entire website, hiring a designer, or rebuilding from scratch.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Although if you are interested in doing that, book a discovery call.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: We'd love to help, and you can find the link in the show notes.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: This episode is about removing friction.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Because a lot of clinic websites do not have an SEO problem.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Some definitely do, and if you think that might be you, you can book that discovery call.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: But more often, the bigger issue is clarity and trust.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: They have a clarity problem, they have a trust problem, they have a this feels outdated problem, or, and I see this way too often, they have a this looks like every other clinic website problem.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: And in 2026, those problems do not just hurt conversions.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: They can also hurt how you show up in search, including AI-driven search results.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Because the way people search and choose has changed.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Patients are still using Google, but they are also using Voice Search.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: They are using AI answers, they are using maps, reviews, and comparison behaviors, which means your website has to do two jobs at once.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Job one is to be understood by search engines and systems that summarize businesses.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Job two is to be trusted by humans fast.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: So today I'm going to walk you through a practical checklist.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: What to remove, what to rewrite, what to replace it with, and why each one matters in 2026?
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Let's jump in.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, remove outdated COVID-related information.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Please, please, please remove it.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: I am shocked by how often I still see COVID banners and protocol copy on clinic websites.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: This is the easiest trust win on the list, and it is one of the most overlooked.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of clinics still have COVID holdovers sitting on their websites, and they may not even realize it.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: It could be a banner at the top of the site, a pop-up message, a line in the footer, a paragraph on the contact page, a telehealth update page, an old blog post, something sitting in the sidebar of your website or blog, or an FAQ that still references protocols that are no longer accurate.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Here's why it matters.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Patients might not consciously think this site is outdated, but they feel it.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: They read a COVID banner from years ago and their brain makes a quick assumption.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: If the website is not being maintained, what else is not being maintained?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And from an SEO perspective, outdated or irrelevant information creates noise.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: It makes it harder for search engines and especially AI-driven summaries to confidently understand what is current and true about your clinic.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: So what should you do instead?
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: If you still have current health and safety policies, keep them.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Just rewrite them so they are clearly current.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: A simple way to do that is to remove dates and emergency language and replace it with a calm, timeless statement.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: For example, instead of due to COVID, we are requiring you say something like, we prioritize a clean professional environment.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling unwell, please reschedule.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you have questions before your visit, call our office.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: That communicates care without sounding outdated.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a whole COVID page that is no longer relevant, delete it and redirect it.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Ideally, that's a 301 redirect.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: If you delete a page and do not redirect it, you can create a 404 error.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: In many cases, you can redirect the old page to your home page or to a relevant what to expect or new patient page if you have one.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a blog post about protocols that is no longer accurate, either update it into a broader what to expect post or remove it.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: This one change alone can make your site feel instantly more current.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, remove vague generic hero headlines.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: If the first thing your homepage says something like, Welcome to our clinic, or helping you feel your best, or personalized care you can trust, that is not helping you.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: It might sound nice, it might feel warm, but it is not doing its job.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Your hero headline is the top of your funnel.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: It has to answer in five seconds.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: Who do you help?
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: What do you help them with?
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: Where are you located?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: And what should they do next?
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: And to be clear, this is the actual text on your website, not a flashy background video or a rotating image.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: In 2026, people scan quickly, they bounce quickly, they compare quickly.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: So instead of a headline like Welcome to Smith Wellness, a better pattern is chiropractic care in Lake Worth for back pain, sciatica, and sports injuries.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Or physical therapy in Austin focused on shoulder rehab and return to sport.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Or acupuncture in Portland for fertility support, stress and pain relief.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Then you support that with a short sub-headline that makes your approach feel human, not robotic.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: For example, modern care, clear plans, and appointments that start on time.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Or evidence-based treatment with a focus on long-term results.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then your call to action needs to match what patients are ready to do.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Book an appointment, request a consult, call the office, or check availability.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, remove sliders and rotating carousels.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Rotating sliders on home pages look fancy, but they almost never perform well.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Most people do not wait for slide two.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: On mobile, they can be slow or hard to read.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: They create mixed messaging, which is the opposite of clarity.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Replace a slider with one strong section, one strong headline, one strong image, one clear call to action.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to feature multiple things, do it with a simple grid below the hero section so people can scan it.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Number four, remove stock photos that feel fake and photos that look dated.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying you cannot use stock photos at all.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: I am saying you should remove the ones that are clearly staged and clearly not your clinic.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: The overly perfect smiling model photos, the handshake photos, the awkward patient laughing while someone touches their shoulder photo.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Patients are more skeptical than ever, and AI-generated content has made people even more skeptical.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: When your visuals look generic, your clinic feels generic.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Replace them with real photos of your space, your team, and your actual environment.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you do use stock, use neutral, believable images that do not try to pretend they are your people.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Number five, remove long walls of text at the top of service pages.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Service pages often start with a long educational section before they ever say, who this is for, what problems you help with, what a first visit looks like.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: How to book.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: In 2026, patients do not need a textbook at the top of the page.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: They need clarity and next steps.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: So the rewrite approaches start with a plain language summary of who the service is for.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Add a short list of common symptoms or goals.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Explain what you do in simple terms.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: And include a clear next step.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Then add the deeper educational content underneath.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: That content is still beneficial.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Even if your visitor does not read every word, search engines and AI-driven systems can still scan it when deciding whether you are a credible resource to recommend.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: Number six, remove WeTreat Everything lists.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: If your website has a list of 45 conditions in one section, it can hurt trust and clarity.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: It makes you feel unfocused.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: It makes patients feel less seen.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: It can confuse relevant signals for search.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, choose your top services or conditions and build strong pages, or at least strong sections, for them.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a longer list, organize it by categories and make it scannable and link to the most important topics.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: For example, you might have a sports injuries category and then list the key issues underneath with links to the most important pages.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: Number seven, remove outdated trust badges and clutter.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Look at your footer and sidebar areas.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: Old association logos that no longer apply.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: A social widget that shows posts from years ago.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: Badges that feel like old web design.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Delete them.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: And please, I am begging you, remove the old Google Plus logo.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Google Plus has been gone for years, and yet the logo still lives on some clinic websites.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Replace Clutter with modern trust signals.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Recent reviews, a clear what to expect section.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: Credentials and specialty training if relevant.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: A simple Why Patients Choose Us section.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Number eight, remove confusing navigation labels.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of clinic websites have navigation that makes sense to the clinic owner, but not to the patient.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: If your menu includes services, treatments, conditions, modalities, and specialties all at once, simplify.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Keep it clean and patient friendly.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: Home about services, conditions, new patients, reviews, contact, book.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: Then organize within services in a way that matches how your audience thinks.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Number nine, remove weak calls to action.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: If your buttons say learn more everywhere, it is too vague for high-intent pages.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Use clearer, more direct calls to action.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: Book an appointment.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: Request a consult.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Call now.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Check availability.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: Start as a new patient.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: Also reduce competing buttons.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: One primary action per section.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: Number ten, remove content that exists only for SEO.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: SEO is important.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: It really is.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: I am not talking about quality SEO content designed for your target audience.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm talking about thin pages like Best Chiropractor Near Me, where the content is repetitive and awkward.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: In 2026, thin content is a liability.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: If you have location-related content, make it genuinely useful with real details, real photos, and clear next steps.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you already have awkward pages, delete them or rewrite them into real service area pages.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Number 11, remove the resume style about page.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: If your about page is mostly a list of degrees and certifications, it may feel professional, but it is not building connection.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: Add what you believe, who you help best, your approach.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: What to expect.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: Credentials, but as support, not the main story.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: A real photo.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: A next step.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Number 12.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Remove slow, heavy page elements.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Video backgrounds, autoplay videos, huge uncompressed images, heavy animations, pop-ups that block the screen, and chat widgets that cover booking buttons on mobile.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: If it slows the site down or blocks the action, it is not helping.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Use video intentionally, embed it where it supports the page, and make sure it is not hurting mobile.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Number 13.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: Remove inconsistent nappy info across your site.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: NAP refers to your name, address, and phone number.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: If your header shows one phone number, your footer shows another, and your contact page shows something different, clean it up.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: Consistency still matters for local visibility, and it matters for AI summaries too.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_00: Number 14, remove duplicate location pages if you have multiple locations.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: If your location pages are basically the same with the city swapped, rewrite them.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: Add real details that make each page uniquely true.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: Team services, local landmarks, parking, photos.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Number 15.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Remove risky claims and compliance landmines.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Overpromises.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Guaranteed outcomes.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Vague medical claims.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Testimonials with too much detail.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: You want confidence without exaggeration.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now here's the key takeaway.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: In 2026, you do not win by stuffing your website with more pages.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: You win by making your best pages clearer, more trustworthy, and more current.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: Clean sites rank better.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: Clean sites convert better.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: Clean sites make it easier for Google and AI-driven search systems to understand what you do and who you help.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: And if listening to this made you realize your website has a few of these issues, start with the easiest win remove outdated COVID info.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Then go straight to your homepage headline and your main service pages.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: Those three changes alone can make a noticeable difference.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you in the next one.