When Dr Varun Harish approached us about his medical website, the brief was straightforward: bring it into 2026. The existing site worked, but it no longer reflected the calibre of his practice or met the expectations of patients researching specialist surgical care online.
What followed was a complete rebuild focused on three priorities: modern design, technical SEO excellence, and a foundation built for long term organic growth.
Here’s exactly what we did and why it matters for medical practices looking to improve their online presence.
The Starting Point: A Functional Site That Needed More
Dr Varun Harish is a specialist plastic, reconstructive and post-bariatric surgeon based in Sydney. His practice covers complex procedures from body contouring after weight loss to facial trauma reconstruction and skin cancer surgery.
The previous website did the basics. It listed services, provided contact details, and looked professional enough. But “enough” doesn’t cut through in competitive medical search results.
The core issues identified:
- No structured data strategy. Google had limited context about the practice, procedures, and Dr Harish’s credentials
- Image optimisation gaps. Large file sizes, generic filenames, missing alt text
- Limited content depth. Procedure pages lacked the detail needed to rank for specialist surgical terms
- Navigation friction. Patients couldn’t easily move between related procedures or find the information they needed
- No FAQ structure. Missing opportunities for featured snippets and voice search visibility
The site wasn’t at all broken. It just wasn’t built to compete.
The Approach: Specialist SEO From the Ground Up
Rather than patching issues, the rebuild focussed on SEO architecture as the foundation. Every decision, from image handling to navigation design, was made with search visibility and user experience in mind.
Custom Schema Markup on Every Page
This was the most significant technical improvement, and it came from a true collaboration.
Dr Harish’s team developed comprehensive custom SEO content for every aspect of the site. Our role was implementing that SEO content effectively and building the infrastructure to support it long term.
We created a custom schema block that allows complete JSON-LD markup to be dropped directly into any page, bypassing RankMath’s native schema limitations. This gives Dr Harish’s team full control over their structured data without technical barriers.
Each procedure page now includes:
- MedicalProcedure schema with specific procedure types, body locations, and medical descriptions
- Physician schema linking Dr Harish’s credentials, qualifications, and hospital affiliations
- LocalBusiness and MedicalBusiness markup for practice details
- FAQPage schema integrated with visible FAQ sections
Why does this matter? Structured data helps Google understand exactly what each page offers. For specialist medical searches, this context is critical. When someone searches “breast reduction surgeon Sydney,” Google needs confidence that your page genuinely addresses that query from a qualified provider.
The custom schema block approach means Dr Harish’s team can update and refine their markup as needed, without waiting on developers or working around plugin constraints. It’s a future proof solution that puts control where it belongs: with the practice.
Image Optimisation Done Properly
Every image on the site was handled individually:
- Converted to WebP format with compression settings tailored to each image type (line illustrations vs photography)
- Descriptive filenames replacing generic uploads (e.g., tummy-tuck-abdominoplasty-illustration.webp instead of IMG_4521.jpg)
- Custom alt text written for each image describing the content and context
Dr Harish also created original line illustrations for key procedures. These custom assets serve multiple purposes: they’re unique (no reverse image search leading to stock libraries), they’re lightweight, and they visually communicate complex surgical concepts clearly.
Original illustrations for procedures like tummy tuck, breast reduction, and facial fracture repair now support the content while contributing to image search visibility.
Procedure Page Architecture
We restructured the service pages around how patients actually research surgical procedures.
Each procedure page now includes:
- Clear procedure overview explaining what the surgery involves
- Custom navigation sidebar allowing patients to jump between related procedures without returning to a main menu
- Scroll functionality for longer pages, keeping navigation accessible
- Integrated FAQ sections formatted for RankMath’s FAQ block, ensuring proper schema output and visual consistency
- Credential reinforcement with Dr Harish’s specialist qualifications visible on every procedure page
The procedure categories span:
Body Contouring
- Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) for excess abdominal skin and muscle repair
- Body Lift Surgery (360° Belt Lipectomy) for post weight loss skin removal
Breast Surgery
- Breast Reduction (Reduction Mammaplasty) for physical discomfort from large or heavy breasts
Reconstructive Surgery
- Skin Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction for BCC, SCC, and melanoma
- Scar Revision Surgery for hypertrophic, keloid, burn, and C-section scars
- Facial Fracture and Maxillofacial Trauma Surgery for jaw, cheekbone, eye socket, and nose injuries
- Lower Limb Reconstruction and Limb Salvage for open fractures, bone infection, and complex wounds
Minor Procedures
- Minor Skin Surgery for moles, cysts, lipomas, and skin tags
Each category has defined internal linking paths, building topical authority around Dr Harish’s core specialisations.
Technical Details Worth Noting
Beyond the visible design improvements, several backend changes strengthen the site’s SEO foundation:
Custom Schema Block Development
We built a dedicated schema block that accepts complete JSON-LD markup. This bypasses plugin limitations and allows us to implement exactly the structured data each page requires, no compromises, no workarounds.
FAQ Integration
FAQ sections aren’t just content padding. Each FAQ is:
- Written to address genuine patient questions (sourced from consultation patterns and search data)
- Formatted to trigger RankMath’s FAQ schema output
- Structured to target featured snippet opportunities for question based searches
Image Delivery
WebP conversion was done manually rather than through automated plugins. This allowed us to:
- Control compression levels per image
- Maintain quality for detailed illustrations
- Ensure consistent loading performance across all page types
Navigation UX
The custom sidebar navigation on procedure pages serves two purposes:
- Keeps patients engaged by surfacing related procedures
- Distributes internal link equity across the procedure category, strengthening topical relevance signals
Why This Matters for Medical Practice Websites
Medical SEO operates under different rules than standard commercial websites.
Google applies heightened scrutiny to health related content through its E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). For specialist surgeons, this means:
- Credentials must be explicit and verifiable. Schema markup that clearly identifies qualifications, affiliations, and specialisations helps establish expertise signals
- Content must demonstrate genuine knowledge. Surface level procedure descriptions don’t rank. Detailed, accurate information written (or reviewed) by the practitioner does
- Trust signals matter more. Original imagery, consistent NAP information, and proper medical business markup all contribute to perceived trustworthiness
The rebuild for Dr Varun Harish addresses all three areas, creating a site that doesn’t just look professional but is structured to earn visibility in competitive medical search results.
Key Takeaways for Healthcare Providers
If your medical practice website was built more than three years ago, chances are it’s missing opportunities. Here’s what to prioritise:
- Audit your structured data. Check what schema currently exists (if any) and whether it accurately represents your practice, services, and credentials
- Review your image setup. Filenames, alt text, and file formats all contribute to both accessibility and search visibility. Generic stock imagery with default filenames is a missed opportunity
- Map your internal linking. Patients should be able to navigate logically between related services. So should search engine crawlers
- Build FAQ content from real questions. What do patients actually ask during consultations? Those questions are what people search before they book
- Consider custom solutions over plugin defaults. For specialist practices, generic plugin output often isn’t sufficient. Custom schema and structured content may require more upfront work but deliver better long term results
See the Results
The rebuilt Dr Varun Harish website is live at drvarunharish.com.au.
If your medical practice needs a website that’s built for modern SEO standards, we’d welcome a conversation about what’s possible for your online presence.
Get in touch for a free website audit →
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a medical website rebuild take?
Timelines vary based on the number of service pages and complexity of required features. A specialist practice website like Dr Harish’s typically takes six to ten weeks from strategy to launch.
Do you only work with surgeons?
We work with medical specialists, dental practices, allied health providers, and healthcare organisations across Australia. The principles of medical SEO and E-E-A-T compliance apply across healthcare sectors.
What if my current website is on a different platform?
We primarily build on WordPress for its flexibility with custom schema and SEO requirements. Migration from other platforms is part of our standard process.
How important is custom schema versus plugin schema?
For general business websites, plugin schema is often sufficient. For medical practices where credentials, procedures, and trust signals directly impact rankings, custom schema provides significantly more control and accuracy.
Header Photo by Karola G