Here is exactly what working with ElderIndex looks like.
Most care providers have worked with agencies that sent impressive reports and moved nothing. We work differently: specific actions, plain English updates, and every outcome measured against enquiries and occupancy.
01 - The free audit.
The audit is the starting point and it costs nothing. We look at your current search position across Google Search, the Google Map Pack, and your primary care directories, Carehome.co.uk or Homecare.co.uk depending on your service type. We check your Google Business Profile for category accuracy, NAP consistency, photo recency, and review velocity. We check your website for schema markup, indexation, mobile performance, and Core Web Vitals. We check your Carehome.co.uk or Homecare.co.uk position against your three nearest competitors and identify whether the gap is a subscription tier issue, a review score issue, or a profile completeness issue.
The audit takes two to three working days and produces a specific findings report. It tells you where you are, where your nearest competitors are, and what the three or four changes most likely to move your enquiry volume actually are. If we find nothing meaningful to improve, we say so. The audit is genuinely free because we believe the findings should speak for themselves rather than being withheld to create a commercial conversation.
Most care homes we audit have at least two significant gaps between their care quality and their search presence. A Good or Outstanding CQC rating that is not communicated through schema markup. A Carehome.co.uk profile where review velocity has stalled and competitors have quietly moved ahead. A Google Business Profile with the wrong primary category or a phone number that does not match the CQC register. Each of these is specific, identifiable, and fixable. The audit identifies them in order of likely impact.
02 - The plan.
If the audit findings point to an opportunity we can address, we present a specific plan before any engagement begins. The plan names the exact actions we would take, in what order, and why. It includes which directory profiles need work and what specifically needs changing on each, which technical issues on your website need fixing and what the expected outcome is, what your Google Business Profile is missing and how we would address it, and what a review collection process for your home or agency would look like in practice.
The plan is tied to the CARE Framework, Credible, Authority, Relevance, Effective, and your specific situation within it. A residential care home with a strong CQC rating but poor Map Pack presence has a different plan to a home care agency with good Google rankings but incomplete Homecare.co.uk postcode coverage. There is no standard template because the gaps are never identical between providers.
You will also receive an honest assessment of the competitive context in your area. If the homes above you on Carehome.co.uk are predominantly on Platinum subscriptions and you are on Enhanced, the plan reflects that reality rather than overpromising what review velocity alone can achieve. If there is a meaningful opportunity within your current tier, we show you exactly what it looks like and how long it is likely to take.
03 - The work.
Monthly SEO work for a care home or agency covers several areas in parallel. On the local search side: Google Business Profile maintenance, review velocity monitoring, NAP consistency checks across directories, and Map Pack position tracking for your primary search terms. On the directory side: Carehome.co.uk or Homecare.co.uk profile updates, news and activity posts to signal an active listing, postcode coverage audits for home care agencies, and review score trend monitoring against competitors.
On the website side: schema markup implementation and maintenance, technical SEO monitoring through Google Search Console, Core Web Vitals tracking, and content additions where specific care type pages are missing or too thin to rank. For care groups, we apply the same programme across every home in the portfolio with group-level consistency checks to ensure no individual site is being suppressed by NAP inconsistency or schema errors at group level.
You focus on delivering care. We focus on making sure families can find it. The monthly work is documented and reported against the specific gaps identified in the original audit so progress is always measurable against a defined starting point rather than a moving target.
04 - The reporting.
Monthly reports cover the metrics that matter for a care provider. Google Search Console data shows impressions (how many times you appeared in search results), clicks, average position for your primary queries, and which pages are indexed and ranking. Map Pack position changes for your key local searches are tracked and reported specifically, because a move from position four to position two for "care home [town]" is a meaningful business change rather than merely an SEO metric.
Directory position changes on Carehome.co.uk or Homecare.co.uk are tracked monthly against the same competitor set we identified in the original audit. Review score trend are reported alongside review velocity so you can see whether the collection process is producing the momentum the ranking requires. For care groups, reports are produced at both portfolio and individual home level.
Reports are written in plain English for a registered manager or operations director, not for a marketing team. If something has improved, we say so and explain why. If something has not moved as expected, we say that too and tell you what we are adjusting. The goal is a report you can act on, not one you file.
What to expect and when.
Audit complete. Findings report delivered. Google Business Profile corrections made where access is available. Carehome.co.uk or Homecare.co.uk profile gaps identified and a priority fix list produced. Schema markup assessed and implementation started on your website if it is missing.
NAP consistency corrections propagating across directories. Google Business Profile category and completeness improvements beginning to affect Map Pack position. First review velocity data available showing whether the collection process is producing momentum. Most care homes see their first measurable Map Pack position change in this window.
Organic search rankings for care type and location queries beginning to show in Google Search Console. Carehome.co.uk or Homecare.co.uk position changes visible as review velocity compounds. Website content additions starting to generate impressions for longer-tail queries. The compounding effect of consistent local authority building becomes measurable in enquiry volume during this period for most clients.
Established local authority across Google and care directories. Consistent Map Pack presence for primary search terms. Review velocity embedded as an operational habit rather than a campaign. The focus shifts from fixing structural gaps to maintaining and extending position against competitors who are also improving their search presence.
What we do not do.
These are the questions most care providers have before they engage with an SEO agency. We prefer to answer them here rather than in a sales conversation.
Do you work with competing homes in the same area?
No. We do not take on a client whose home competes directly with an existing client in the same geographic area and care type. If you are a residential care home in Rochdale, we will not simultaneously work with another residential care home in Rochdale targeting the same Map Pack positions.
Are there long contracts?
No. We work on a rolling monthly basis. We ask for three months to demonstrate meaningful progress because SEO compounds over time rather than producing instant results. After that, you continue because the work is producing results, not because a contract requires it.
Do you run paid advertising?
No. ElderIndex focuses exclusively on organic search, local search, and directory optimisation. We do not manage Google Ads, Meta advertising, or any paid media. If that is what you need, we can recommend someone who specialises in it.
Can you guarantee a specific ranking position?
No, and we would be concerned about any agency that does. We can tell you what specific improvements are likely based on your current position, your competitors, and the gaps we identify in the audit. We cannot guarantee that Google will rank you in a specific position by a specific date.
What happens if the audit finds nothing significant?
We tell you. The audit is free and the findings are honest. If your search presence is already well-managed and there is no meaningful opportunity we could address better than you are currently doing yourself, we say so. We would rather have that conversation than take a monthly fee for work that produces no material improvement.
"Most clients see their first meaningful change in search position within 8 to 12 weeks. We will tell you honestly if we do not think we can help before we take any money."