Zocdoc (Healthcare Marketplace – Localized Doctor Directories)

Zocdoc, a platform for finding doctors and booking appointments, capitalized on programmatic SEO to capture patients’ local search queries. It built an extensive network of localized doctor directory pages.

For example, Zocdoc generates pages like “Plastic Surgeons in Charleston, SC” or “Dentists in Boston,” each listing doctors in that area with that specialty. These category pages use SEO-friendly URL structures (e.g. /plastic-surgeons/charleston) containing the specialty and city, and they serve as hubs linking to individual doctor profile pages (with URLs like /doctor/doctor-name).

Every profile page includes the physician’s details, patient reviews, and appointment info. This two-level programmatic structure (city+specialty page → doctor page) allowed Zocdoc to scale to thousands of landing pages matching the exact phrases patients search (e.g., “24 hour pediatrician NYC”).

To succeed, Zocdoc combined this automated content with trust-building tactics:

• User-generated content: Patient reviews and ratings on doctor pages provide fresh content and credibility, improving SEO and conversion (patients see real feedback).
• Optimized content on pages: Besides listings, pages often include brief guides or FAQs about the specialty, boosting relevance.
• Local SEO signals: Each page is effectively optimized for local intent (with city names, map integration, etc.), helping Zocdoc outrank generic health sites for location-specific searches.

By leveraging programmatic landing pages for every specialization and geography, Zocdoc became highly visible on Google for healthcare searches. A search for a doctor + city often yields Zocdoc’s directory page on page one, driving consistent organic patient acquisition.

This strategy was supported by Zocdoc’s ongoing content marketing (health tips blog) and strong domain authority in the medical space, but the template-driven local pages have been the cornerstone of its organic growth.