What actually happens when a dermatology practice invests in SEO

The first month focuses on audit and setup — activities that generate zero patient inquiries but prevent wasted months later. Technical SEO audits typically reveal indexing issues, mobile responsiveness gaps, site speed problems, or schema markup omissions. These must be fixed first. Google cannot rank what it cannot properly crawl or understand.

Content planning also starts here. We map your existing pages against patient search intent (e.g., "acne treatment near me" vs. "how to treat severe acne"), identify content gaps, and prioritize which procedure pages and educational pieces to build or optimize.

By the end of month two, your site should be crawlable, mobile-friendly, and have correct schema for your practice location, phone number, and services. Content creation may be underway, but visibility in search results will still be minimal. This is normal. Patience here saves frustration in months 3–4.

By month three, Google has re-indexed your corrected technical foundation. You'll typically see movement in lower-competition, longer-tail keywords — "dermatology for sensitive skin [city]" or "best acne treatments [city]" rather than the single-word "dermatologist" terms.

New or optimized content begins ranking for these terms. In our experience working with dermatology practices, this phase generates sporadic phone calls and form submissions, but not yet a consistent weekly volume. Many practices report this is when they first notice the investment is "working."

Review generation campaigns also typically launch in month two or three, and by month four, you'll have accumulated 5–15 new patient reviews. These reinforce [trust signals](/resources/dermatologists/dermatology-website-advertising-compliance) and can push your Google Business Profile higher in local searches. This compounds in months 5–6.

Expect inconsistent results in this window — some weeks stronger than others. This is typical and does not indicate failure.

Most dermatology practices see measurable, consistent growth in new-patient inquiries in month five or six. Your primary service pages (acne treatment, Botox, laser skin resurfacing, etc.) begin ranking on page one for competitive local terms. Google Business Profile visibility strengthens due to accumulated reviews and on-page optimization work from months 1–4.

This is when practice administrators often ask, "Can we pause here and invest the savings elsewhere?" The answer is no — the work in months 1–4 created the foundation; pausing now stops momentum just as it accelerates. Month seven and beyond are where the highest-use compounding happens.

Seasonal factors emerge here too. Summer may bring higher volume for cosmetic procedures; winter may spike for acne-related dermatology if stress or climate shifts affect patient behavior in your market. Dermatology has less dramatic seasonality than, say, orthopedic surgery, but it exists.

Months 7–12 are where SEO becomes visibly profitable. Competitive keyword rankings improve steadily. Your practice accumulates more reviews, your content ages and gains topical authority, and domain authority metrics climb. New-patient cost per acquisition via organic search typically drops as your visibility and conversion rate improve together.

In our experience, practices that maintain consistent content, reviews, and technical optimization see inquiry volume plateau, then resume growth in month nine or ten. This second wave often exceeds month-six peaks because your practice now ranks for a wider range of keywords and has stronger local authority.

By month 12, you can measure ROI — comparing the cost of SEO investment against the lifetime value of patients acquired via organic search. Most dermatology practices break even by month eight or nine, with months 10–12 as pure profit.

Important: Timeline varies by local market competition, your practice's starting visibility, and your service mix. Competitive urban markets may need 8–10 months; less-saturated markets may see results in 4–5 months.

Year two is where most practices see highest ROI. The foundational work is done; your site structure, content, and authority are established. Ongoing work shifts to content updates, seasonal adjustments, and maintaining review volume. Monthly investment often decreases, while patient volume stays stable or grows further.

In our experience, practices see 20–40% higher inquiry volume in year two compared to month 12 of year one. This is not because of major changes, but because every month adds citations, backlinks, and review credibility. Compounding works in your favor.

Market saturation and competitor actions affect this. If competitors also invest in SEO, your growth may slow. If your market has low local SEO competition, growth may accelerate. Regular audits and quarterly strategy adjustments keep you ahead.

Dermatology has mild but real seasonality. Cosmetic procedures (Botox, fillers, laser resurfacing) often see higher inquiry volume in Q1 (New Year resolutions) and Q3 (pre-holiday season). Acne-related dermatology shows some variation with stress and seasonal skin changes, though it's less pronounced than allergic skin conditions.

Market competition matters more than seasonality for timelines. A dermatology practice in a saturated urban market (Los Angeles, New York, Miami) may take 6–8 months to see month-one results compared to a practice in a secondary market (8–10 months). This is because you're competing against more established practices for the same keywords.

Your practice's starting position also affects timeline. If your site currently ranks on page three for your main keywords, you may need 7–9 months. If you rank on page one but with weak conversion rates, timeline shortens to 3–4 months because ranking improvements compound faster.