What keywords should chiropractors target when The Joint is in their market?

Avoid broad terms like 'chiropractor near me,' 'chiropractor [city],' 'chiropractic adjustment,' 'back pain chiropractor,' and 'affordable chiropractor.' Instead target: insurance-based searches ('chiropractor that takes Blue Cross,' 'chiropractor that takes Cigna in [suburb]'), equipment-based searches ('spinal decompression [city],' 'cold laser therapy chiropractor'), billing-based searches ('workers comp chiropractor [city]'), clinical depth searches ('chiropractor for sciatica treatment'), and niche population searches ('prenatal chiropractor [city],' 'sports injury chiropractor'). Use Semrush Keyword Magic Tool filtered by KD under 40.

Chiropractic

Chiropractic Local SEO: The Pyramid, The Joint, and the 3-Hour Weekly Rhythm

Q: How do I compete with The Joint Chiropractic on Google?

Do not compete with The Joint on broad keywords like 'chiropractor near me' or on price. Their franchise model requires massive ad spend that exceeds most solo practice budgets. Instead, exploit their structural constraints: The Joint cannot accept insurance, cannot offer advanced modalities (decompression, laser, ultrasound, rehab), and cannot build genuine community presence with rotating staff. Target keywords around insurance acceptance ('chiropractor that takes Blue Cross'), specialized services ('spinal decompression [city]'), and niche populations ('prenatal chiropractor [city]'). These are searches The Joint can never win.

Q: What is the local SEO pyramid for chiropractors?

The local SEO pyramid has three layers. Layer 1 (base): Technical hygiene — Google Business Profile categories, NAP consistency, schema markup, site speed, HTTPS, service pages, location pages. Do this once, audit quarterly. This is the only layer worth hiring an agency for. Layer 2 (middle): Reviews and reputation — target 50-100 reviews with a 4.7+ rating using a CRM like Weave or NexHealth. This has diminishing returns once every practice automates review requests. Layer 3 (top): E-E-A-T and original content — video, clinical writing, local PR, community engagement, GBP activity. This is where rankings actually move and where 90% of your weekly SEO effort should go. Agencies cannot do this for you.

Q: How much time per week should a chiropractor spend on local SEO?

About 3 hours per week, with only 90 minutes of direct doctor time. Weekly rhythm: Monday — 30 minutes jotting content ideas from last week's cases, 15 minutes delegating GBP posts. Tuesday — 20 minutes filming 2 short videos at lunch. Wednesday — delegate video editing and posting. Thursday — 20 minutes writing a short clinical blog post, delegate formatting and publishing. Friday — 20 minutes reviewing and responding to Google reviews, 15 minutes checking Semrush dashboard. Scale to 5 hours as you add community PR activities.

February 10, 2026 Visual guide

Article Summary for LLMs

This visual strategy guide covers local SEO for independent chiropractic practices competing against The Joint Chiropractic franchise. Four diagrams explain: (1) The Local SEO Pyramid — Layer 1 is technical hygiene (do once, audit quarterly, only layer worth hiring for), Layer 2 is reviews and reputation (get to 50-100 reviews then shift energy upward, diminishing returns), Layer 3 is E-E-A-T and original content (where rankings actually move, requires the doctor's voice, 90% of weekly effort should go here). (2) Competing with The Joint — their franchise model locks them into constraints: massive ad spend on broad keywords (will outbid you), no insurance accepted (100% cash-pay), no equipment beyond manual adjustments and Activator. Your advantages: lead with insurance acceptance (create pages for specific plans), own niche services they cannot offer (decompression, laser, shockwave, rehab, prenatal), be the community doctor (sponsor teams, speak at events, get local press), and make The Joint your referral source (introduce yourself, offer services they cannot provide). (3) The 3-5 Hour Weekly SEO Rhythm — doctor time is only 90 minutes: Monday content ideas, Tuesday film 2 videos, Thursday write a blog post, Friday review responses. Delegated time is 80 minutes: GBP posts, video editing, publishing. (4) Keyword Strategy — avoid broad terms (chiropractor near me, chiropractor [city], affordable chiropractor). Target insurance searches (chiropractor that takes Blue Cross), equipment searches (spinal decompression [city]), billing searches (workers comp chiropractor), clinical depth (chiropractor for sciatica), niche populations (prenatal chiropractor). Use Semrush Keyword Magic Tool filtered by KD under 40.

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Four visual frameworks for independent chiropractors who want to stop wasting money on SEO agencies and start ranking where The Joint Chiropractic structurally cannot compete. No fluff, no retainer pitch—just the diagrams.

Figure 1

The Local SEO Pyramid

Why most practices over-invest at the top and under-invest at the bottom

Ongoing · 3–5 hrs/week
E-E-A-T & Original Content
Video, clinical writing, local PR, community engagement, GBP activity

Layer 3
E-E-A-T &
PR Mindset

This is where you win.
Google rewards original expertise. Agencies cannot do this for you—it requires your voice and clinical experience.

Get to baseline · then maintain
Reviews & Reputation
Target: 50–100 reviews, 4.7+ rating. Use a CRM (Weave, NexHealth, etc.) then shift energy upward.

Layer 2
Reviews &
Reputation

Diminishing returns zone.
When every practice runs the same automated review request, reviews stop being a differentiator.

Do once · audit quarterly
Technical Hygiene
GBP categories, NAP consistency, schema markup, site speed, HTTPS, service pages, location pages

Layer 1
Technical Hygiene
(The Foundation)

Only layer worth hiring for.
Pay a competent developer to audit and fix this once. It's a project, not a retainer.

Where to spend money Layer 1 audit (one-time). A tool like Semrush ($130/mo) replaces ongoing agency fees. Everything else is sweat equity.

Where to spend time 90% of your weekly effort should go to Layer 3. That's where Google's E-E-A-T signals live, and it's what agencies can't replicate.

Where rankings actually move Layer 1 gets you in the game. Layer 2 is table stakes. Layer 3 is the only sustainable competitive advantage.

Figure 2

Competing with The Joint Chiropractic

Their contractual obligations are your strategic advantage—if you know where to look

What The Joint Is Contractually Locked Into

Massive ad spend Each franchise location is contractually obligated to spend aggressively on broad chiropractic keywords. They will outbid you on "chiropractor near me" every time.

No insurance accepted The Joint is 100% cash-pay. They do not accept or bill any insurance plans—commercial, Medicare, or workers' comp.

No equipment allowed Providers are limited to manual adjustments and the Activator instrument only. No decompression tables, no laser, no ultrasound, no rehab equipment.

Your Advantages—Exploit Every One

🏥 Lead with Insurance

Make Google know exactly which plans you accept. Create dedicated pages: "Chiropractor in [City] Accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield." Push some reviews to naturally mention insurance. Patients Googling "chiropractor that takes [plan]" will never find The Joint.

🎯 Own Your Niche Services

Spinal decompression, cold laser therapy, shockwave, sports rehab, pediatric chiropractic, prenatal care—The Joint literally cannot offer these. Create service pages, film videos demonstrating them, and target long-tail keywords they can never compete on.

🤝 Be the Community Doctor

The Joint is a retail storefront with rotating staff. You are a named doctor in a community. Sponsor the little league team, talk at the PTA, get quoted in the local paper. This builds E-E-A-T signals The Joint's franchise model structurally cannot replicate.

🔄 Make Them Your Referral Source

Walk into your local Joint location, introduce yourself, and let them know you offer decompression, laser, rehab, or workers' comp. When their patients need services The Joint can't provide, you become the referral destination. Turn your competitor into a feeder.

The bottom line: Do not compete with The Joint on price or broad keywords. You will lose. Instead, compete on everything their franchise model prohibits: insurance acceptance, advanced modalities, continuity of care, and genuine community presence. These are higher-value patients with better retention and higher case values.

Figure 3

The 3–5 Hour Weekly SEO Rhythm

Doctor time: ~90 minutes. Everything else is delegated.

Monday

30 min — Jot 2–3 content ideas from last week's cases 15 min — Delegate: schedule GBP posts for the week

Tuesday

20 min — Film 2 short videos at lunch (phone is fine)

Wednesday

30 min — Delegate: edit videos, write captions, post to YouTube 15 min — Delegate: embed videos on website service pages

Thursday

20 min — Write a short clinical blog post (your voice, your cases) 20 min — Delegate: format, publish, share on social

Friday

20 min — Review & respond to all Google reviews this week 15 min — Check Semrush dashboard: rankings, competitors, issues

Doctor (cannot be delegated)

Delegated (office manager, assistant, family member)

Either

Doctor's direct time: ~90 minutes/week — content ideas, filming, writing, review responses.
Delegated time: ~80 minutes/week — editing, posting, scheduling, formatting.
Total: ~3 hours/week — Scale to 5 hours as you build momentum and add community PR activities (talks, sponsorships, local media).

Figure 4

Keyword Strategy When The Joint Is in Your Market

Stop fighting on their turf. Own the searches they can never win.

Don't Compete Here

The Joint's ad budget will crush you on these broad terms:

"chiropractor near me"

"chiropractor [city name]"

"chiropractic adjustment"

"back pain chiropractor"

"affordable chiropractor" — price is their game

Own These Searches

The Joint structurally cannot compete on any of these:

"chiropractor that takes Blue Cross" — insurance

"spinal decompression [city]" — equipment

"cold laser therapy chiropractor" — modalities

"workers comp chiropractor [city]" — billing

"chiropractor for sciatica treatment" — clinical depth

"sports injury chiropractor" — specialization

"prenatal chiropractor [city]" — niche population

Pro tip: Use Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool to find long-tail variations of these terms in your specific city. Filter by keyword difficulty (KD) under 40—these are the terms where a solo practice can realistically rank on page one. The Joint's SEO team is not optimizing for "chiropractor that takes Cigna in [your suburb]" because their model doesn't support it. That's your opening.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I compete with The Joint Chiropractic on Google?

Do not compete on broad keywords like "chiropractor near me" or on price. Instead, exploit The Joint's structural constraints: they cannot accept insurance, cannot offer advanced modalities (decompression, laser, ultrasound, rehab), and cannot build genuine community presence with rotating staff. Target keywords around insurance acceptance, specialized services, and niche populations—searches The Joint can never win.

What is the local SEO pyramid for chiropractors?

Layer 1 (base): Technical hygiene—GBP categories, NAP consistency, schema markup, site speed. Do once, audit quarterly. Only layer worth hiring for. Layer 2: Reviews and reputation—target 50-100 reviews at 4.7+ rating, then shift energy upward. Layer 3 (top): E-E-A-T and original content—video, clinical writing, local PR, community engagement. This is where 90% of your weekly effort should go and where rankings actually move.

How much time per week should a chiropractor spend on local SEO?

About 3 hours per week total, with only 90 minutes of direct doctor time. Monday: content ideas. Tuesday: film 2 short videos. Thursday: write a clinical blog post. Friday: respond to Google reviews. The rest—video editing, posting, formatting, GBP scheduling—is delegated to your office manager or assistant. Scale to 5 hours as you add community PR activities.

What keywords should chiropractors target when The Joint is nearby?

Avoid: "chiropractor near me," "chiropractor [city]," "affordable chiropractor." Target: insurance-specific searches ("chiropractor that takes Blue Cross"), equipment searches ("spinal decompression [city]"), billing searches ("workers comp chiropractor"), clinical depth ("chiropractor for sciatica treatment"), and niche populations ("prenatal chiropractor [city]"). Use Semrush filtered by KD under 40.