SEO for Melbourne Aged Care Facilities

The Melbourne Aged Care Market in 2026

Australia's aged care sector is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety fundamentally changed public expectations, regulatory requirements, and the competitive landscape. Melbourne has over 470 residential aged care facilities and more than 1,200 home care providers operating across the metro area, serving a population where 16% of Victorians are now over 65 — a figure projected to reach 20% by 2030.

The search landscape in aged care is dominated by families in crisis. In most cases, it's an adult child searching on behalf of an ageing parent — often after a health event like a fall, hospital admission, or dementia diagnosis. These searches are emotionally charged and time-sensitive. Google data shows that 71% of aged care searches happen on mobile devices, often during evenings and weekends when families are together discussing care options. The average family visits 8–12 provider websites before shortlisting, and the research phase typically lasts 2–6 weeks.

Two parallel markets exist within aged care. Residential care (nursing homes and retirement villages) involves high-value, long-term decisions where trust and facility quality dominate the selection criteria. Home care (under Home Care Packages and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme) is a rapidly growing segment where flexibility, service range, and local presence matter most. The new Support at Home program launching in 2025–26 is further expanding the home care market, creating opportunities for providers who establish their online presence early.

The competitive dynamics differ by region. Eastern Melbourne (Boroondara, Whitehorse, Manningham) has the highest concentration of over-65 residents and the most aged care facilities — competition here requires differentiation through specialist services and strong digital content. Western and northern growth corridors have ageing populations that are underserved by quality providers. Regional areas around Geelong, Bendigo, and the Mornington Peninsula present opportunities for providers willing to build geo-targeted content for less competitive markets.

Real SEO Examples: Who's Doing It Right (And Wrong)

Let's look at real Melbourne aged care homes and services and analyse what makes their SEO work — or fail.

Your First 30 Days: Step-by-Step Implementation

Don't try to do everything at once. Here's the priority order that gets results fastest:

Keyword Research: What Your Customers Search

Understanding search intent is crucial. Here are the most valuable keywords for Melbourne aged care homes and services:

High-Volume Keywords

Keyword	Monthly Volume	Notes
aged care melbourne	1,600	Primary target keyword
nursing home melbourne	1,000	Residential care search
home care packages melbourne	720	In-home support
respite care melbourne	480	Short-term care needs
dementia care melbourne	390	Specialist care search
retirement villages melbourne	880	Independent living

Lower Competition Opportunities

Content Strategy: What Aged Care Providers Should Publish

Aged care falls squarely within Google's "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) category — content that can significantly impact a person's health, safety, or financial wellbeing. This means Google applies its strictest quality standards to aged care content. Thin, generic pages get filtered out. Detailed, authoritative, empathetic content from credentialled organisations gets rewarded. This is an advantage for legitimate providers who invest in quality content.

Schema Markup: Ready-to-Use Code

Schema markup helps Google understand your business. Copy and customise this code:

LocalBusiness Schema (Required)

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "NursingHome",
  "name": "Your Business Name",
  "description": "Your description with services and location.",
  "url": "https://yourdomain.com.au",
  "telephone": "+61-3-XXXX-XXXX",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "addressLocality": "Melbourne",
    "addressRegion": "VIC",
    "postalCode": "3000",
    "addressCountry": "AU"
  },
  "hasOfferCatalog": {
    "@type": "OfferCatalog",
    "name": "Services",
    "itemListElement": [
      {"@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": {"@type": "Service", "name": "Residential Aged Care"}},
      {"@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": {"@type": "Service", "name": "Home Care Packages"}},
      {"@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": {"@type": "Service", "name": "Respite Care"}},
      {"@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": {"@type": "Service", "name": "Dementia Care"}},
      {"@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": {"@type": "Service", "name": "Palliative Care"}},
      {"@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": {"@type": "Service", "name": "Independent Living"}}
    ]
  },
  "aggregateRating": {"@type": "AggregateRating", "ratingValue": "4.8", "reviewCount": "127"}
}
</script>

12-Month Content Calendar

Consistent content signals to Google that your business is active. Here's what to post each month:

Monthly Content Rhythm

Competitor Analysis Framework

Understanding what competitors do well (and poorly) helps you find opportunities.

Quality Ratings & Compliance as SEO Assets

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission publishes star ratings for every residential aged care facility in Australia. These ratings are publicly searchable, and families increasingly check them as part of their research. Your star rating — particularly the overall quality rating and the individual quality indicators — can be either your biggest SEO asset or your most significant liability.

If your facility has strong ratings (4+ stars overall), build them into your SEO strategy aggressively. Mention your star rating in your page titles and meta descriptions. Create a dedicated "Our Quality Ratings" page that explains what each rating measures, links to your profile on the Commission's website, and details what you're doing to maintain or improve your scores. This page ranks for searches like "best rated aged care [suburb]" and "[facility name] quality rating."

For home care providers, the equivalent strategy centres on your Home Care Package approval status, any quality review outcomes, and your compliance with the Aged Care Quality Standards. Create content around each of the eight Quality Standards — explaining how your service meets them — and you'll build a library of indexable, trust-building pages that no competitor with a five-page website can match.

Local SEO Playbook: Reaching Families When They Need You

Aged care search has a unique local dimension. For residential care, families search within a reasonable visiting distance of their own home — typically 15–30 kilometres. For home care, they search near the recipient's home. This means your local SEO strategy should target both the suburbs where your facility is located and the suburbs where families of potential residents live.

For residential facilities, build suburb-cluster pages: "Aged Care in Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs — Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell, Box Hill" with genuine local detail. Mention proximity to hospitals (important for families considering emergency access), public transport for visiting, nearby parks and amenities, and the character of the surrounding neighbourhood. Families want to feel their parent will be in a pleasant, connected community — not isolated.

The Cost of NOT Doing SEO

Every day you're not visible in Google, competitors win jobs that could be yours. Let's do the maths:

Technical SEO Checklist

Technical issues can tank rankings no matter how good your content is:

Google Business Profile Checklist

Your GBP is often the first thing customers see. Make it count:

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does aged care cost in Melbourne?

Home care: $5-50/day depending on package level. Residential: $50-300/day after government subsidies. RADs (lump sum) or DAPs (daily payment) apply for accommodation.

What's the difference between home care and residential care?

Home care: support in your own home (cleaning, meals, nursing). Residential: 24/7 care in a facility. Many start with home care and transition when needs increase.

How do I apply for aged care?

Start with an ACAT assessment through My Aged Care (1800 200 422). This determines eligibility and care level. Waitlists vary by area and care type.

What are aged care quality ratings?

Star ratings show quality across 4 categories. Check ratings at myagedcare.gov.au before choosing a provider. Higher stars indicate better quality.

Can I visit before deciding?

Yes - always tour facilities before deciding. Ask about trial stays or respite to experience the care firsthand. Speak with current residents and families.

How long does SEO take for aged care?

Expect enquiry increases in 4-6 months, significant growth in 8-12 months. Aged care decisions take time - SEO builds long-term visibility.