New Website? Here Are the Essential Pages Every Medical Website Should Have
If you’re a doctor, dentist, or clinic owner in Florida, especially around Jacksonville, you’ve probably noticed something. Patients aren’t just walking into practices cold anymore. They’re Googling you first. Sometimes they don’t even remember your name; they just search things like “urgent care near me Jacksonville” or “family doctor accepting new patients in Florida.” And if your website isn’t showing up, or worse, if it appears to have been untouched since 2008, they move on. It’s a little harsh, but true: your website is your digital front door. For some of your future patients, it’s the only door they’ll ever walk through before deciding to book an appointment. That’s why it’s so important not just to know the essential pages every medical website should have, but also to implement them.
Now, when we say “essential pages,” we’re not just rattling off a checklist. Think of it more like designing the layout of your practice itself. You wouldn’t build a waiting room, but forget the exam rooms. You also wouldn’t plaster every wall with signs and hope people figure out where to go.
The same thinking applies to healthcare website design in Jacksonville, FL; or anywhere in Florida, really. But we’ll lean on Jacksonville because that’s where we work most closely with providers at C7 Healthcare. (And, let’s be real, it’s where the competition is stiff. If you want to outrank the practice across town, you need to get this right.)
So let’s talk about the pages you actually need.
Essential Pages Every Medical Website Should Have
1. The Home Page: More Than Just a Welcome Mat
Here’s the thing about Home Pages: people will tell you it needs to “make a good first impression.” Which is fine advice, except it’s kind of vague. What does that mean for a medical website?
It means a few practical things:
- Clarity. Who are you? What type of practice do you run? Are you a single doctor or a group? If you’re “Jacksonville Family Medicine,” say that, right up front. Don’t bury it three clicks deep.
- Action. Patients shouldn’t wonder what to do next. Do you want them to call? Book online? Fill out a form? A call-to-action button: “Book Now,” “Schedule an Appointment,” “Call Today”, should be right there.
- Quick facts. Address. Phone number. Maybe even your hours. People often just want confirmation that you’re open.
From an SEO angle, your Home Page also carries a lot of weight. Search engines like Google scan this page to figure out what your site is about. That’s why a little mention like “Trusted urgent care provider serving Jacksonville and surrounding Florida communities” actually helps your search rankings.
And there’s something else—voice search. People talk to Siri or Alexa like they’re asking a friend: “Hey, find a pediatrician near me open now.” The wording on your Home Page should echo that style, almost like you’re answering someone in conversation.
2. The About Page: The Page That Actually Gets Read
If there’s one page people actually read on a medical practice website, it’s the About Us page. Why? Because choosing a doctor is personal.
Patients want to know:
- Who are you really?
- Why did you become a doctor?
- Are you connected to the community, or just another clinic chain?
Here’s a thought: don’t make it sound like a résumé. A bulleted list of degrees won’t hurt, but it won’t win trust either. A few sentences about why you opened your clinic in Jacksonville, maybe even a line about raising your kids here, feel more real.
Add provider profiles for each doctor or nurse practitioner. Include a friendly photo (not the corporate headshot with arms crossed, something a little softer).
This page is also where you can sprinkle in local SEO magic without sounding like a robot:
“Dr. Martinez has been serving families in Jacksonville and St. Augustine for over 15 years, offering personalized care for everything from annual checkups to urgent care visits.”
That sentence does a lot: it builds trust and drops a breadcrumb trail for search engines.
3. Services Page: Don’t Make People Guess What You Do
It’s shocking how many medical websites make you hunt for what services they offer. A single “Our Services” page with one vague paragraph isn’t enough.
Here’s the better way:
- Have one main Services Page. Think of it as a table of contents.
- Create subpages for each major service. Pediatrics, dermatology, cardiology, telehealth; whatever you offer.
Why so many pages? Because search intent. Someone might Google “telehealth appointments Jacksonville FL” or “skin cancer screening near Jacksonville.” Google prefers pages that feel laser-focused on one topic, not pages that scatter everything.
Also, break it down in plain language. Don’t just list “Preventive Care.” Add a line or two:
“From annual physicals to flu shots, we help Jacksonville families stay healthy year-round.”
4. Patient Resources: A Page That Quietly Saves You Hours
Every practice has the same bottleneck: paperwork and phone calls. The Patient Resources page cuts that down.
What to include?
- Downloadable patient forms (PDF or, better, fillable online)
- Insurance info (and a clear note about which Florida plans you accept)
- Payment options (credit card, CareCredit, etc.)
- FAQs (“Do you take walk-ins?” “How do I get my medical records?”)
When you include things like this, something interesting happens: people start Googling answers like “does [practice name] take Florida Blue”, and your site shows up because you’ve already answered it.
5. Contact Page: Don’t Hide It, Don’t Overcomplicate It
This sounds silly, but a lot of medical websites make their Contact Page harder to find than it should be.
Here’s the checklist:
- Clickable phone number (especially for mobile users)
- Contact form for people who don’t want to call
- Map embed with a Jacksonville pin (Google loves this for local SEO)
- Driving directions or nearby landmarks (“Two blocks from Baptist Medical Center”)
Your contact information should also be in the footer of every page: consistent, clear, and identical to your Google Business Profile listing. That’s a big local SEO ranking signal.
6. Blog or Resource Hub: Your SEO Lifeline
Now, not every doctor wants to “blog.” The word itself feels fluffy. But here’s the thing:
- Google rewards fresh, high-quality content.
- Patients Google all sorts of niche stuff like “flu season symptoms Jacksonville” or “is it allergies or COVID Florida.”
When you write short, useful posts, even just 400-600 words, about topics like seasonal allergies, flu updates, or even “what to pack for a telehealth visit,” you create little entry points for people to find you.
It’s not just for ranking. A blog or “Resources” page also makes you look like a practice that’s engaged, current, and helpful. That ties back to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), the thing Google uses to decide which sites are “safe” to recommend.
7. Patient Portal: Optional but Increasingly Expected
Not every practice has one, but if you do, your patient portal should be easy to find. Patients expect to see a “Login” or “Patient Portal” button for:
- Test results
- Prescription refills
- Billing info
- Appointment history
Even just linking to your EHR system’s portal from your site is enough. It signals modern care, and honestly, it helps with patient engagement because patients like feeling in control.
8. Testimonials & Reviews: The Social Proof Page
We live in a review-driven world. For better or worse, people trust patient reviews almost as much as personal recommendations.
You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) post every review you’ve ever received, but a Testimonials page, or even a section on your Home Page, goes a long way.
- Include 3-5 good ones.
- Link out to your Google reviews page for more.
- If possible, sprinkle in some context: “Long-time patient from Jacksonville” or “New mom from St. Augustine.”
Google actually crawls this page, too, and sees words like “friendly doctor in Jacksonville” and “helped my family” which quietly improve your search engine ranking.
9. Emergency Info or After-Hours Instructions: Don’t Skip This
Many medical websites forget this page. And it’s kind of important.
Even just a short section saying:
- “If this is a medical emergency, call 911.”
- “Here’s the nearest ER in Jacksonville.”
- “After-hours? Here’s who to call.”
This isn’t just helpful, it also answers voice queries like: “What do I do if my doctor’s office is closed in Jacksonville?”
Bonus Pages You Might Consider
- Careers Page (if you’re hiring nurses or office staff)
- Insurance Partners Page (people search “doctors taking Medicare Jacksonville”)
- Telehealth Page (especially since Florida’s telehealth demand is growing)
So, Why Does All This Matter for SEO (and AI Searches)?
Because search engines, and now AI engines like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, are getting better at figuring out what a site “feels” like.
If your site has:
- A logical information architecture
- Mobile responsiveness
- Clear UI design and UX design
- Consistent contact info
- High-quality content that answers real patient questions
…you don’t just “rank better.” You show up in conversational searches like, “Which doctors in Jacksonville have online booking?”
Think of it as designing your website for two audiences: humans and machines. The machines read your site and decide whether to show it to humans.
Voice Search Angle (AI loves this)
Many searches aren’t typed anymore, they’re spoken. That’s why your content should sound a little more… conversational.
Instead of:
“Our medical practice provides preventive care.”
You may say:
“Looking for a doctor in Jacksonville who can help with preventive care? We do everything from routine checkups to vaccinations.”
It’s subtle, but it sounds more like how a person would ask—and answer—a question.
Wrapping It Up
Your medical website isn’t just a brochure. It’s a living part of your practice, something that either helps new patients find you… or quietly sends them elsewhere.
If you’re not sure where to begin, start with these essential pages every medical website should have: Home, About, Services, Patient Resources, Contact, Blog, Patient Portal, Testimonials, and Emergency Info. These core pages give patients the information they need while building trust from the first click. You can always add more as your practice grows.
And if you’re a Florida-based provider, especially in Jacksonville, here’s the truth: your patients expect a certain standard now. They expect responsive website design, fast loading speed, clear navigation, and a site that feels like it was built this decade, not the last one.
If you’re rebuilding or starting fresh, it might feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Think of each page as one piece of the patient experience. Get the pieces right, and your online presence starts to feel as strong as your in-person care.
Need expert help? Contact us at C7 Healthcare today.
FAQs
Q1: What are the essential pages every medical website should have?
At minimum: Home, About, Services, Patient Resources, Contact, Blog, Patient Portal, Testimonials, and Emergency Info.
Q2: How do I make my clinic website rank in Jacksonville?
Use local SEO signals (mention Jacksonville, include a map, claim your Google Business Page listing), and keep your site updated with useful content.
Q3: Do Florida doctors need a patient portal on their website?
Not always, but patients increasingly expect it, especially for test results and prescription refills.
Q4: What’s the easiest way to add online booking to a medical website?
Use a booking system or integrate with your EHR’s scheduling feature. Many healthcare web design teams in Jacksonville (including us at C7 Healthcare) can set this up in a few clicks.