Your ranking on Google can make or break your Medicare agency’s visibility, whether you’re serving local retirees or casting a wider net for Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers nationwide. In this article, we’ll share tips on optimizing for both local and national intent, based on location and informational needs.
Google Algorithms Rely on Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (EEAT)
With Google algorithms continuing to evolve with a stronger emphasis on EEAT (experience, expertise, authority, and trust), health care coverage agencies have to focus not just on meeting CMS marketing and advertising compliance guidelines, but also must employ the right strategies for online visibility.
Below, we’ll explain how your agency can potentially rank for local and national Medicare-related keywords through 2025 and beyond.
Google Local SEO starts with your Google Business Profile, which helps you appear in “Local Pack” map-based listings when someone searches for a nearby Medicare agent or help. Here are the key elements to include in your GBP:
A complete and regularly maintained GBP will provide the solid foundation for your local and hyper-local SEO efforts.
If your agency serves more than one town or county, you may be tempted to put all of your content on one generic “services” page. While it may be a good idea for now, eventually you’ll want to break out separate landing pages for each location you serve (“Medicare Plans in Tampa, FL” and “Medicare Supplement in Orlando, FL”) as well as for each plan type like “Medicare Advantage,” “Part D Drug Plans,”
These targeted pages will better rank for relevant long-tail keywords and also allow you to tailor the content to the specific questions or concerns that residents of that city or county have about their Medicare options. So, include enrollment periods, local seminars, area plan comparisons, etc.
To rank nationally, you’ll want to shift your focus to informational blog content that answers questions potential clients have about Medicare. Research and target keywords and phrases like “How to Choose Between health care coverage Advantage and Medigap”. Keyword research tools like Semrush and Google Search Console can be a good place to start finding search terms with high volume and low competition.
Create blog content that establishes your agency’s experience and authority, including case studies and real-life examples, quotes from licensed agents, CMS citations and links, and other original content. This will help Google’s algorithms identify your site as a trusted source of information.
Local SEO is not just about keywords; it’s also about who is linking to your website. Getting local news outlets, chambers of commerce, nonprofits, or senior advocacy groups to link to your site is one of the most powerful signals Google uses to rank you. The more local links you have, the more Google has confidence in your local authority.
Earn these by sponsoring local events, partnering with community groups, or getting quoted in local news articles or publications. You can also add citations (business directory listings with NAP) with sites like Healthgrades, Yelp, and others.
Schema, or structured data markup, can help your pages stand out to Google. Tag key elements on your site like services, frequently asked questions, contact information, and business reviews with the appropriate schema so they appear as “rich snippets” or bolded text in search results.
Rich snippets increase your chances of being clicked, like a “near me” query. For example, if someone searches “Medicare agent in Nashville” and your result has a 5-star review, phone number, and service category all bolded, it’s far more likely to be chosen. Adding FAQ schema to your blog posts or service pages can help you rank for People Also Ask boxes and other valuable SERP real estate.
With the rise of voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant, a lot of seniors and caregivers are using natural language search queries, especially “near me” searches, to find local services. Optimizing for this long-tail, conversational content can give you a big edge in local SEO.
Write content in a natural way. Instead of “ health care coverage plan,” try using “What is the best health care coverage plan near me?” or “How do I sign up for Medicare in Phoenix?” Answer these questions directly in a natural language for your site to show up in voice search results. Using FAQ sections on your key service pages can help here as well.
SEO marketing for Medicare agencies is an ongoing process. Rankings will fluctuate over time, new competitors will emerge, and Google is constantly tweaking its algorithms. To stay on top, it’s critical to regularly monitor your rankings, traffic, and conversion data using analytics tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console (GSC), and Semrush.
Pay close attention to what keywords are driving the best results locally vs. nationally. If you notice your rankings have slipped for a particular city or service, do a quick audit to see what’s wrong with the page: broken links, thin content, slow page speed, etc.
Annual refreshes and audits of your most critical pages will keep you ahead of the pack. Updating old content with the latest health care coverage rules and adding testimonials are also a good way to improve engagement and SEO.
Whether you’re targeting a neighborhood in Florida or beneficiaries across the U.S., the key to SEO is trust. Demonstrating experience through original content, securing quality backlinks, and building a fast, mobile-optimized website that answers users’ real questions, all of these signal to Google that your agency is a reputable source.
How long does it take for an agency to see SEO results? SEO is a long-term investment. Most agencies begin seeing measurable improvements in search rankings within 3 to 6 months if they consistently publish optimized content, earn backlinks, and keep technical SEO in good shape.
Can I rank nationally if I only serve clients in one state? Yes, but the approach needs to be strategic. While your service is geographically limited, you can still publish high-quality educational blog content on Medicare topics relevant across the U.S., like plan comparisons, enrollment deadlines, or CMS updates.
What keywords should an agency target for local SEO? Focus on long-tail, geo-specific keywords that mirror how people search, such as “Medicare agent in [City]”, health care coverage plans near me”,
Is blogging important for agencies trying to rank on Google? Absolutely. Blogging helps establish topical authority and boosts your site’s visibility for informational queries that users search every day, such as “How do I choose a Medicare plan?”
How does schema markup help a Medicare website rank better? Schema markup adds extra code to your site that helps search engines better understand your content. For Medicare agencies, adding LocalBusiness, FAQ, and Service schema can lead to rich results, like review stars, business hours, and quick answers in search snippets.