Optometry · Local SEO + Google Ads

Filling the Exam Chairs With Local Search and Smarter Ads

Beating the optical chains in local search and paid

An independent optometry clinic with two locations competed against big-box optical chains for eye exams and glasses, held back by a thin local presence and ads that mostly sent traffic to the homepage. We fixed both sides at once, and the exam chairs started filling up.

Results at a glance:

  • Map-pack ranking up from 9 to 3 across both locations
  • Booked eye exams up 58%
  • Cost per booked exam down 31%
  • Wasted ad spend down 47%
Independent optometry clinic ranked first in the local map pack for eye exams with a matching ad
Before and after optometry clinic local search beating optical chains in the map pack

The Challenge

The owner could not figure out why a well-reviewed clinic still had gaps in the exam schedule. Nearby chains dominated the map pack, so the clinic rarely showed up when locals searched for an eye exam. The ads were not helping either, burning budget on broad searches like glasses without booking many actual exams.

A combined audit of the local presence and the ad account turned up the leaks:

  • Both Google Business Profiles were under-optimized with wrong categories
  • Citations were inconsistent across the two addresses
  • No location-specific service pages for exams or eye care
  • One catch-all ad campaign mixed exam, contact lens, and eyewear intent
  • No negative keywords, so broad searches drained budget
  • No call tracking to see which ads booked exams

The Solution

We optimized both Google Business Profiles, cleaned up citations per location, and built location and service pages so the clinic could compete locally, then rebuilt the ad account around real exam intent. The two halves work together in any strong local search program. Here is what went into it.

Two optometry clinic locations with optimized Google Business Profiles climbing the map pack

Two locations, two strong local profiles

For a two-location clinic, the map pack is where exams are won or lost. Both profiles were under-optimized and their details clashed across the web, so we rebuilt each one to compete in its own neighborhood.

  • Right categories: we fixed the profile categories and services so each location matched the exact searches patients use for eye exams.
  • Clean citations per location: we aligned name, address, and phone across directories for both addresses, so Google trusted each as a distinct, real location.
  • Location and service pages: dedicated pages for exams, contact lenses, and kids eye care gave each location relevant content to rank on.
  • Into the top three: the map-pack ranking moved from around position nine to position three across both locations, right where local searchers actually click.

Stop paying for browsers, start booking exams

One catch-all campaign mixed people wanting an exam with people just pricing glasses, so the budget bled. We split the account by intent and pointed each ad group at a matching page, backed by proper Google Ads management.

  • Split by intent: exam, contact lens, and eyewear searches each got their own campaign, so budget could favor the high-value exam bookings.
  • Negative keywords: a deep negative list stopped the ads from paying for broad, low-intent searches that never booked anything.
  • Exam-focused copy: ads written specifically around booking an eye exam spoke to what those searchers actually wanted.
  • Matching landing pages: each ad group pointed at a page built for that intent instead of a generic homepage, which lifted conversions.
  • Call tracking on everything: CallRail tied every booked exam back to its ad, so wasted spend dropped 47% and cost per booked exam fell 31%.
Optometry Google Ads account split by exam, contact lens, and eyewear intent with landing pages

How We Did It

01. Combined audit

We audited both Google Business Profiles and the Google Ads account to find the local and paid leaks.

02. Optimize local

We optimized both profiles, cleaned up citations per location, and added local schema.

03. Build local pages

We built location and service pages for exams, contact lenses, and kids eye care.

04. Restructure ads

We split the ad account by intent, added negative keywords, and matched each ad group to its own landing page with CallRail.

05. Review and refine

We ran weekly search-term reviews to keep tightening negatives and shifting budget toward booked exams.

Optometry results dashboard showing map-pack rank 9 to 3 and booked exams up 58 percent

The Results

Both locations moved into the map pack for core exam searches while the ads stopped wasting spend on browsers and started booking exams. Combined, the clinic filled its calendar and lowered what it paid to acquire each new patient.

Map-pack ranking 9 to 3
Booked eye exams +58%
Cost per booked exam -31%
Wasted ad spend -47%
Build time 2 to 4 Months

Services & tools used: Google Business Profile, citation cleanup, local schema, Google Ads, CallRail, GA4, landing pages, and Semrush.

local seo

“We were losing to the chains on Google even though our care is better. Now we show up first locally and the ads actually book exams.“

Owner, Independent Optometry clinic

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Frequently Asked Questions

You win in the map pack, not the chains’ ad budget. Optimizing your Google Business Profile, fixing citations, and building location pages moves you into the top three for local exam searches. Here, both locations went from around position nine to position three and booked 58% more exams.
Yes, they cover different searchers and reinforce each other. Local SEO captures people browsing the map pack while ads target high-intent exam searches. Running both took this clinic from gaps in the schedule to a full calendar with a lower cost per new patient.
Usually one catch-all campaign is mixing exam, contact lens, and eyewear intent with no negative keywords, so you pay for browsers. Splitting by intent, adding negatives, and matching each ad to a landing page cut this clinic’s wasted spend by 47%.
Yes. Each location needs its own optimized profile with correct categories and consistent name, address, and phone. Managed properly, both of this clinic’s locations climbed into the map pack for their own neighborhoods rather than competing with each other.
Meaningful map-pack movement usually takes two to four months as Google recrawls and trusts your updated profiles and citations. For this clinic, both locations reached the top three and exam bookings climbed within that window.
It varies by market, but the goal is a cost your exam and eyewear margins can comfortably support. Splitting by intent and tracking calls with CallRail lowered this clinic’s cost per booked exam by 31%, which made the ads clearly profitable.
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Services in this project: SEO · Google Ads Management