Why your aesthetics clinic needs a local search strategy

If you run an aesthetics clinic, you’re likely investing time in treatments, client experience and referrals, and those are all critical. But one thing many clinics ignore (at their peril) is a dedicated local search strategy.

Here’s why that matters, and why you don’t want to get left behind.

1. Local intent is huge - and rising

• Approximately 46 % of all searches on Google have local intent (i.e., the user is looking for a business or service nearby).
• Some sources report that up to 52 % of searches have local intent in 2025.

What this means: When someone in your town types “aesthetics clinic near me” or “lip fillers [location]”, you need to be visible. If you’re not, you’re invisible to a large chunk of potential clients.

2. Local searches often lead to bookings quickly

• 76 % of mobile local searches result in a business visit within a day.
• One source says 78 % of location-based mobile searches end in an offline purchase.
• Another shows that businesses in the local “map pack” (the top local results on Google) get 126 % more traffic and 93 % more calls/directions/website clicks than those ranked lower.

In short: The moment someone searches locally for your service, they’re often ready to act, book, call, or visit. If you’re not optimised, a competitor will likely get that booking.

3. Many businesses still miss the opportunity

• 58 % of businesses don’t optimise for local search. Only about 30 % have a formal local SEO plan in place.
• Another survey finds that ~56 % of local businesses haven’t claimed or fully optimised their Google Business Profile.

This gap is your opportunity. If your clinic focuses on local search when others aren’t, you can capture visibility that your competitors are ignoring.

4. Trust & reputation matter markedly in local search

• 87 % of consumers read online reviews for local businesses.
• 62 % of people would avoid a business if they found inaccurate information about it online.

When someone’s searching for “aesthetics clinic [location]”, they’ll check reviews, star-ratings, images, whether your info is correct. If you don’t have that set up, you risk losing their trust before they even visit.

5. Visibility translates into a brand advantage

When your clinic appears in the map pack, in “near me” searches and in local directories, you appear everywhere the potential client is looking. Studies show:

• 94 % of searchers pick a business on the first page of local search results.
• “Near me” searches have grown considerably (some sources state over 900 % increase in recent years).

If you’re visible and appearing often, you become the clinic people think of. If you’re invisible, you lose that brand advantage, even if you’re offering excellent treatments.

6. For an aesthetics clinic, urgency and locality matter

Because many clients search for aesthetic treatments with urgency (e.g., prepping for an event, or wanting results soon), local search enables you to capture high-intent clients who are ready to book. The earlier statistic (76 % of mobile local searches leading to a store visit within a day) emphasises this.

Given that aesthetic treatments are often localised (people want a clinic near them, with easy access), a local search strategy aligns perfectly with your business model.

7. How this ties into our three-pillar framework

Local SEO
Optimise your website and listing so you show up in searches like “aesthetics clinic [town]” or “botox near me”. Ensure your business profile, citations, local keywords and website content are aligned.

Local AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)
Produce content that answers common local queries: e.g., “Where is the best place to get botox in [location]”. AEO helps you capture people earlier in their search journey.

Local AI/GEO Search
Optimise for voice search, “near me” queries, map optimisation, geo-specific content. With voice and AI search growing, being location-aware is no longer optional.

8. The cost of not having a strategy

• You’ll miss out on high-intent clients who are actively searching nearby.
• You’ll concede visibility to competitors who are optimised.
• Your brand will not appear in the spaces potential clients trust, Google map pack, reviews, “near me” results.
• Over time, your clinic may appear less authoritative locally, making you more dependent on referrals (which are less predictable).

Don't be invisible

For an aesthetics clinic, having excellent treatments and a strong reputation is only half the story. The other half is being visible and accessible to the clients who are searching for you, right when they’re ready to act.

With local search accounting for nearly half of all searches, and high conversion rates associated with local intent, you can’t afford to ignore it. By applying a structured strategy across Local SEO, Local AEO and Local AI/GEO search, your clinic can capture more bookings, build stronger brand presence locally and reduce its reliance on unpredictable referral or passive marketing streams.

If you haven’t yet built or formalised your local search strategy, now’s the time. Because if you’re not showing up, your potential clients will find someone who is.  See how our local visibility framework works for aesthetic clinics like yours.