If you want patients from another country, you can't keep writing as if you were talking only to locals.
One of the most common mistakes clinics make when trying to attract international patients is to assume that technical or generic medical language will rank in Google. If the patient searches for "ivf success rate in Mexico", but your content says "highly effective assisted reproductive technologies", you are losing traffic and inquiries.
This article shows you how to choose the right keywords to attract patients from the US and Canada, with real examples and mistakes to avoid.
What your patients are looking for (and how they are looking for it)
It's not just about knowing English. It's about understanding how they search, what they care about and what they expect to find. Here are some real examples, taken from SEO tools:
Fertility:
- "affordable IVF for Canadians"
- "IVF in Mexico reviews"
- "best fertility clinic in Latin America".
Regenerative medicine:
- "stem cell therapy for autoimmune diseases Mexico".
- "is stem cell treatment safe abroad"
- "stem cell clinic near California border
Aesthetic surgery:
- "plastic surgery recovery in Cancun".
- "top plastic surgeons in Mexico".
- "tummy tuck cost in Mexico"
Dentistry:
- "dental implants in Mexico reviews"
- "veneers in Tijuana safe?"
- "dental tourism for Americans"
Each of these phrases has clear search intent. These are not curious visitors. They are patients ready to decide.
3 common mistakes when choosing your keywords
1. Mistranslating the patient's language
Stem cells treatment Mexico" is not the same as "stem cell therapy in Mexico". The first one sounds forced and does not rank. Use natural phrases, real and proven by SEO tools.
Ignoring the patient's location
Many doctors try to position with "IVF in Mexico" when their ideal patient searches for "IVF for Americans in Mexico". Adding the nationality or origin of the patient is key to capturing qualified searches.
3. Not having structure in your site to target those keywords
It's one thing to identify words, it's quite another to give them space. You need pages by treatment, by country, and specific content. Without that, even the best SEO doesn't work.
How to find the right keywords for your clinic
Step 1: Choose your 3 most cost-effective treatments
Don't try to position everything. Focus on those with margin, clinical expertise and international demand.
Step 2: Use geolocation tools
Use Ahrefs, Semrush or Ubersuggest to see search volumes by country. Filter by US and Canada only.
Step 3: Analyze intent + competition
Not all words with volume suit you. Prefer those that show commercial intent ("cost", "clinic", "how to travel for") and manageable competition.
How to use these words in your site
- In the title of each page ("IVF for U.S. patients in Mexico")
- In H1 and H2 headings
- In the URL: /ivf-mexico-americans
- In the content, answering real doubts
- In FAQ sections with long tail questions
- In meta descriptions and ALT texts of images
Conclusion: It's not about more traffic. It's about attracting those who are already looking for what you offer.
Your web can have visits. But if they do not come with the intention of consultation, they are useless. The right keywords don't just attract more people. They attract the patient who has already decided he wants to be treated outside his country. They just need to find your clinic.
At Torres CreativeWe use keywords designed for acquisition, not just traffic. We create content with real intent, adapted to the language and culture of the patients that can bring the most value to your practice.
If you already have content, but it's not converting, you're probably speaking the wrong language.