Why many physician pages underperform

How SwiftSchema helps

How it works

What is Physician structured data?

Physician is a LocalBusiness subtype for individual or doctor-led practices. It captures your practice’s NAP data, hours, specialties, accepted insurance, and optional services (telehealth, in-office procedures). Structured data helps search engines understand each provider location so patients see accurate info in local results, knowledge panels, and map listings.

Why physician markup matters

• Patient trust: Publishing clear contact details, hours, and specialties reduces confusion when patients schedule visits.
• Compliance: Many regions require up-to-date provider info; structured data keeps your site aligned with regulatory expectations.
• Multi-location clarity: Practices with multiple offices or providers can differentiate each location’s services.
• Telehealth & services: Highlighting virtual visits, vaccines, or specialty procedures in schema and copy ensures search surfaces the right offerings.

Essential properties to include

• name
  : Physician or practice name as displayed on signage and directories.
• address
  : Full PostalAddress (street, locality, region, postal code, country).
• telephone
  and optional
  faxNumber
  .
• openingHoursSpecification
  : Clear day ranges with
  HH:MM
  format; specify telehealth hours if different.
• medicalSpecialty
  or description sections listing specialties (cardiology, family medicine).
• availableService
  : Optional Text/Service entries for vaccinations, lab services, etc.
• image
  : Practice or provider photos.
• sameAs
  : Official profiles (health system pages, professional directories, social).
• aggregateRating
  : Only if you host compliant first-party reviews.

Preparing physician content before generating schema

1. Confirm NAP: Use data from credentialing or practice management systems to avoid discrepancies.
2. List services: Specialties, procedures, telehealth availability, languages spoken; include them in page copy.
3. Gather hours: Clinic vs telehealth hours; note holiday variations.
4. Collect imagery: Provider headshots or office interiors.
5. Document insurance: While not a structured field, mention in copy which networks you accept.
6. Plan governance: Define who updates schema when providers change schedules or addresses.

Implementation workflow inside SwiftSchema

1. Select Physician in the generator.
2. Enter practice/physician
   name
   , canonical
   url
   , and PostalAddress.
3. Add
   telephone
   ,
   faxNumber
   (if public), and
   openingHoursSpecification
   .
4. Mention specialties and services in
   description
   or additional sections (and align with on-page copy).
5. Include
   image
   and
   sameAs
   links (health system profiles, insurance directories, social).
6. Add
   aggregateRating
   only for first-party reviews displayed on the page.
7. Export JSON-LD and embed it on each location page; validate via the Rich Results Test.

Troubleshooting & QA

• Inconsistent NAP: Align schema with your locator, Business Profile, and medical directories.
• Missing specialties: If the page lists cardiology or pediatrics, ensure the schema description mentions it too.
• Telehealth services: Note availability in copy and, if applicable, link to virtual visit scheduling.
• Schema reuse: Avoid copying one location’s data to another without updating address or phone; use automation to reduce errors.
• Regulatory updates: When compliance teams change messaging, update structured data accordingly.

Automate QA by storing provider data in a central sheet or CMS and generating schema programmatically. Schedule checks to confirm each property matches the latest provider records.

Maintenance and governance

• Review each provider page quarterly (or per credentialing cycle) to confirm addresses, hours, and services.
• Update schema when providers add/remove services, join/leave the practice, or change schedules.
• Keep
  lastReviewed
  metadata current and assign owners (practice ops, marketing) for schema updates.

Common Errors & Fixes

• Incomplete address: include locality, region, postal code, and country.
• Misformatted hours: follow recognized
  openingHours
  or
  openingHoursSpecification
  formats.
• Missing specialty context: add specialties and accepted insurance in page content.

On-page parity checklist

• Practice name/address/phone on-page match
  name
  ,
  address
  , and
  telephone
  .
• Hours shown (clinic vs telehealth) align with
  openingHoursSpecification
  .
• Specialties and services listed on-page align with descriptions and any
  medicalSpecialty
  references.
• Images in schema match on-page headshots or office photos and resolve publicly.
• Only one Physician schema block per location page; avoid duplicates from locators or plugins.

Content depth ideas (avoid thin practice pages)

• Add provider bios, credentials, and languages spoken.
• Include appointment types (new patient, follow-up, telehealth) and how to book.
• Explain insurance acceptance, payment options, and referral requirements in copy.
• Provide directions, parking, accessibility features, and emergency instructions.
• Link to relevant articles or patient education created by the provider.

Privacy and compliance

• Publish only contact info meant for patients; avoid exposing personal emails or non-public numbers.
• Keep HIPAA/PHI considerations in mind—no sensitive patient info belongs in schema or page content.
• When providers leave or relocate, remove or update their schema immediately to prevent misinformation.

Maintenance and QA

• Revalidate after schedule changes, relocations, or rebrands.
• Cross-check schema against your provider directory/credentialing source monthly.
• Log changes to hours, services, and providers; update
  lastReviewed
  with each governance cycle.
• Ensure telehealth vs in-person appointment URLs are distinct and match on-page CTAs.
• Keep translation/localization aligned with
  inLanguage
  if you serve multiple locales.
• Add a short care philosophy or patient onboarding note to keep the page substantial and set expectations.
• If you list multiple providers on one page, ensure each has a distinct Person schema and that the Physician location markup reflects the practice rather than an individual.
• If you list accepted insurance networks, keep them consistent across footer, schema descriptions, and any downloadable forms.
• Note languages spoken on-page when they differ from the default locale and align with
  availableLanguage
  if you expose it.