Inline Orthodontics is a single-location orthodontic clinic in Calgary, Alberta, founded in 2001 by Dr. Trpkova. The practice serves families, teens, and adults, with a strong focus on braces, Invisalign, and comprehensive orthodontic treatment.
They were already well established locally with a solid reputation and referral base. However, their digital presence did not reflect their clinical credibility or years of experience. Organic visibility was minimal, and the website was not functioning as a reliable acquisition channel.
This project evolved into both a full website rebuild and a structured long-term local SEO campaign.
The Real Problem
When we first reviewed the website, it was clear that incremental SEO work would not be enough.
The existing site was built on WordPress using the Avada theme builder. Over time it had become plugin-heavy, poorly maintained, and technically unstable. Performance was slow, code was bloated, and the structure had never been developed with search visibility in mind.
From an SEO perspective:
- No proper heading hierarchy (H1/H2 misuse)
- No structured service architecture
- No location-focused optimization
- No schema implementation
- Indexing inconsistencies
- No citation development
- A poorly managed Google Business Profile
They were not ranking on page one for any core orthodontic terms in Calgary. Most new patient acquisition relied on paid advertising and referrals.
The business had credibility offline. It had no authority online.
Why the Problem Existed
The original website was built as a design asset, not as a growth system.
Avada-based builds often accumulate technical debt when not actively maintained. Excessive plugins, unnecessary scripts, and heavy theme frameworks can slow performance and complicate SEO implementation. Over time, this created:
- Slow page load speeds
- Poor mobile experience
- Limited control over structured data
- No scalable content architecture
- Difficult optimization workflows
Additionally, there was no long-term local SEO strategy in place. No consistent citation building. No backlink development. No ongoing content strategy.
The site existed, but it was not engineered to compete.
At that point, continuing to optimize the old framework would have cost more than rebuilding it correctly.
Strategic Approach
The strategy followed a structured local SEO framework:
- Rebuild the technical foundation
- Re-architect the content structure
- Optimize for local search intent
- Improve conversion structure
- Implement long-term authority development
The objective was not quick ranking spikes. It was sustainable visibility for high-intent orthodontic searches in Calgary.
Because Inline Orthodontics operates in a competitive local healthcare space, we approached this as a long-term authority build rather than a short campaign.
Implementation
1. Full Website Rebuild
We rebuilt the entire site on:
- WordPress
- Elementor
- Kinsta hosting
This allowed us to eliminate theme bloat, remove unnecessary plugins, and improve performance control.
We implemented:
- Clean URL restructuring
- Full redirect mapping from old URLs
- Proper heading hierarchy across all pages
- Schema markup for services and organization
- Optimized internal linking structure
- Improved Core Web Vitals performance
- Mobile-first design improvements
The rebuild was not cosmetic. It was structural.
2. Content Rewriting and Local Optimization
Every core page was rewritten.
Content was structured around:
- Orthodontist Calgary
- Braces Calgary
- Invisalign Calgary
- Calgary braces
- Peripheral orthodontic services
- Location modifiers including SE Calgary
Each page was written to reflect:
- Local search intent
- Clear service differentiation
- Patient-focused FAQs
- Strong EEAT alignment (experience-driven tone, clinical authority, clarity)
We also redesigned pages for conversion performance, ensuring traffic from both organic search and paid ads would convert more effectively than on the previous site.
3. Google Business Profile Optimization
The Google Business Profile was restructured and actively managed.
Ongoing work included:
- Regular posts
- Review acquisition guidance
- Consistent review responses
- Service optimization
- Category alignment
In local healthcare markets, map visibility is not optional. It is foundational.
4. Citation and Backlink Development
We implemented monthly:
- Local citation building and cleanup
- Backlink acquisition
- Authority development outreach
Over a two-year period:
- Referring domains increased by +95
- Backlinks increased by +184
- Domain Rating improved (+6)
This authority growth supported ranking movement for competitive terms.
5. Ongoing Monthly SEO Work
SEO was not treated as a one-time setup.
Each month we:
- Audit and refine one to two key pages
- Improve internal linking
- Publish new blog content
- Expand topical coverage
- Strengthen on-page optimization
- Continue citation and link growth
Consistency was critical, particularly given budget limitations. Growth compounded over time.
Results and Impact
This was not an overnight shift. It took over a year post-launch to see strong ranking traction.
Year-over-year results (Jan 29 – Feb 25 comparison):
- Active users: +106%
- New users: +121%
- Organic search traffic: +175%
- Event count: +58%
- Average engagement time increased
- Multiple competitive keywords moved from page three to page one
Notable ranking improvements:
- “Orthodontist Calgary” → 42 → 7
- “Braces Calgary” → 31 → 13
- “Calgary Braces” → 27 → 11
- “Orthodontist Calgary SE” → 27 → 9
- “Orthodontists Calgary SE” → 27 → 10
Prior to the rebuild, they were not ranking on page one for any core orthodontic terms.
Today, they are visible for multiple high-intent commercial queries in Calgary.
Equally important, the redesigned pages convert both organic and paid traffic more effectively than the previous structure.
Closing Insight
This project demonstrates a common pattern in local healthcare marketing:
You cannot layer SEO onto a structurally broken website.
Technical foundation, content architecture, local authority, and ongoing optimization must work together. Inline Orthodontics already had clinical authority and a strong local reputation. Our role was to build the digital infrastructure that reflected that credibility.
The growth was not accidental. It was structural, consistent, and deliberate.
For established clinics operating on outdated websites, rebuilding properly is often not an expense. It is the reset required for long-term organic growth.