In the world of senior living communities, attracting high-quality leads is essential. Yet, many community leaders feel trapped, relying on third-party directories to drive prospects to their facilities. While directories like A Place For Mom (APFM) offer visibility, they come at a steep cost. One of our senior living clients recently shared, “For the upcoming year, A Place For Mom has increased their fees to 108% of the first month’s rent for referrals who move in that originated from APFM. This is the largest year-over-year increase I have seen in my career.”
If you’re tired of being beholden to such directories, now is the time to shift your focus and turn your own website into a lead generation machine. The secret lies in leveraging Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising to boost your online presence, attract qualified traffic, and convert visitors into residents.
Step 1: How Your Website is Designed and Developed Matters
Your website is most likely the first impression your target audience will have with your community, and as we all know, first impressions matter a lot. Your senior living community website needs to be created with your target audience of seniors and their adult children in mind. That means the design must be clean, simple and clear, depicting a welcoming message and clearly displaying through the tone of copy and imagery used, what the culture in your community is like. Also, since the target audience is a demographic that is more likely to experience vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive impairments, your community’s website also needs to have accessibility in mind. For instance:
- Larger text size and strong contrasts help individuals with impaired vision.
- Alt-text for images and transcripts for video/audio assist those with hearing or vision impairments.
- Keyboard navigation supports individuals with motor difficulties who may struggle with using a mouse.
Your website should also be created with lead generation in mind. There are certain design and development considerations that help increase the likelihood of a visitor reaching out to your community via a phone call or contact form fill. Things like how quickly a page loads, where a contact form is placed on a website, where call-to-actions are placed and what color those buttons are can make a big difference.
And lastly, your site should be created with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Because a great website doesn’t matter if no one can find it when they search the world wide web. The way a website is coded can make a big impact on how well search engines can crawl, index, and rank your site within their searches. Cheap website templates are great for building good looking sites quickly and affordably, but they come at a cost with a lot of extra code that search engines don’t like. A custom coded website is ideal for ensuring clean, fast-loading, and mobile friendly site that search engines can easily understand and rank.
Step 2: Optimize Your Website with SEO
Launching a new website simply isn’t enough. You can bet your competitors are actively investing in improving their site in order to increase their visibility, and search engines are always changing. This is why SEO should be an important long-term strategy in your senior living marketing efforts. Here is where you should start:
- Keyword Research
Start by identifying the keywords that your target audience is using to search for senior living communities. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, or Ahrefs can help you find popular search terms, such as “senior living near me,” “assisted living in [City],” or “retirement communities.” Include these terms naturally within your website’s content, blog posts, and meta descriptions. - On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is all about improving individual pages on your website to rank higher in search engines. Creating rich informative pages about your senior living community, the services you offer, and the lifestyle residents can expect will make an impact. You will want to include case studies, testimonials, resident highlight stories, and visuals like virtual tours or photos of the facilities. - Local SEO
Since senior living communities serve local regions, focusing on local SEO is crucial. Set up and optimize your Google Business Profile (GMP) to appear in local searches and maps. Post to the GMP regularly. using location-specific keywords in your content. Encourage satisfied residents or their families to leave positive reviews on Google. Ensure that your basic information is listed and accurate across the multitude of directories available online (Apple Maps, Yahoo, Bing, Yellowpages etc..). - Generative Engine Optimization
Generative AI search engines are a new concept, but are being rapidly adopted by consumers due to their ease of use. These new AI-driven search engines have their own set of algorithms that determine whether or not a business shows up in their results. Current Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies include focusing on acquiring high-quality links and brand mentions from other reputable and industry-specific websites.
Step 3: Maximize Immediate Results with PPC Advertising
While SEO takes time to build momentum, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising can generate immediate traffic and leads for your senior living community. PPC platforms, such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads, allow you to target specific audiences actively searching for senior living services.
- Targeted Google & Microsoft Ads
Google and Microsoft Ads lets you bid on keywords so that your community appears at the top of search results. Start by targeting high-intent keywords, like “senior living facilities near me” or “best assisted living in [City].” Use ad copy that highlights what sets your community apart, whether it’s state-of-the-art facilities, compassionate care, or unique amenities. - Facebook Ads for Demographic Targeting
Facebook offers robust demographic targeting options that are perfect for reaching seniors or their adult children who are likely searching for senior living options. You can create highly engaging ads that showcase the lifestyle and care options at your facility, with a strong call-to-action directing users to your website. Facebook ads can also be effective for any recruiting needs your community may have.
Step 4: Track, Analyze, and Adjust
To ensure your SEO and PPC efforts are working, you need to consistently monitor and analyze performance. Tools like Google Analytics can help you track how visitors interact with your site, which keywords are driving the most traffic, and which PPC campaigns are generating leads. Use this data to refine your strategy over time—doubling down on what works and adjusting what doesn’t.
The Cost of Relying on Directories vs. Owning Your Leads
The fee increase noted earlier for A Place For Mom referrals demonstrates how costly relying on third-party directories can be. By investing in your own website’s lead generation capabilities, you can reduce dependency on costly directories while taking control of your marketing efforts. The long-term benefits are substantial: you’ll build a steady flow of leads that belong to you—without the steep commission rates.
Now is the time to shift your strategy from relying on directory listings to turning your senior living community website into a lead generation powerhouse. By leveraging the right marketing mix, you can attract, engage, and convert prospects—without paying hefty commissions to third-party sites. Embrace these strategies, and watch as your website becomes your most valuable lead generation asset.
