Google Business Profile for Medical Practices: A Beginner's Guide

Written by Anthony Cochran | 9/22/23 4:42 PM

Today, patients are increasingly turning to search engines to find medical care. This means that you need to ensure your practice is both visible in search results and the information presented is accurate.

What is local SEO?

Local search engine optimization (local SEO) is the process of optimizing a business' website and online presence so that it ranks higher in search results for relevant local searches. By improving local SEO strategies, your medical practice can increase its visibility to potential patients and expand your patient base.

What are Google Business Profiles?

Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly known as Google My Business, is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google Search and Maps. With a GBP, businesses can:

List their business information, including their name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation.
Add photos and videos to their profile to showcase their business and products or services.
Respond to customer reviews.
Post updates about their business, such as new products or services, special offers, and events.
View insights about how customers are finding and interacting with their business online.

GBP is an important tool for businesses of all sizes, but it is especially important for local businesses. When people search for businesses on Google, GBP listings are often the first thing they see. A well-maintained GBP listing can help businesses attract new customers, increase website traffic, and improve their online reputation.

We'll walk you through some best practices for all businesses when creating your Google Business Profile. Then, we are going dive into some of the questions you may have about how to make GBPs work best for your medical practice.

Google Business Profile Best Practices

Here are some of the things to keep in mind as you start developing a GBP for your business...

Present Correct Information
- Adding false or inaccurate information on your GBP can lead to negative interactions between prospective clients and your business. Ensure all information you list is true to your business.

Select Accurate Categories
- Business categories allow Google to better understand what your business offers to prospective clients. Selecting accurate and representative categories allows Google to more accurately match your business to a client.

Add Photos or Videos
- Informative and high-quality images or videos develop your business' credibility and can set you apart.

Complete Google's Verification
- Completing Google's business verification opens up additional features on GBP and builds authenticity of your business.

Keep Your Profile Up-To-Date
- Alongside presenting correct information, ensuring you alter business information as changes are made can ensure your prospective customers have a positive relationship with your business.

Growing Local SEO

In addition to the practices above, here are a few things that will be particularly useful to ensure your business is presented in local searches.

Keywords
- Throughout your profile, use keywords that are likely to be used when a prospective customer is searching for products or services you provide. Make sure not to keyword stuff - Google will notice this.
Customer Reviews
- Take steps to ensure it is as easy as possible for clients to provide feedback on your profile. Positive reviews will be a huge boost to helping your practice rank higher.
Google Posts
- Maintain an active feed of posts on your Profile. Include promotions, upcoming events, or any other information that may drive interest in your practice.

For My Medical Practice...

We just covered the basics that go into making a strong Google Business Profile. Now, let's dive into a few questions that can help you tailor your profile to your medical practice.

What if I have multiple doctors working out of one office?

Google has adapted the functionality on Google Business Profiles to allow for multiple listings to exist at one location. Medical practices can and should have a unique listing for each provider at a single location.

What if I work out of multiple offices?

If you are a care provider that works out of multiple locations, create a listing for each office you provide care out of. This will ensure that your services will be visible to anyone seeking relevant care near any location where you practice.

What business categories should I select for my practice?

As we discussed earlier, business categories are how Google understands the types of services you provide. The categories you select should accurately reflect your services and your medical specialty.

All of these questions should be considered as you begin to refine your Google Business Profile for your practice.

Let's Review...

First, we discussed what Local SEO is and how you can begin optimizing your online presence using a Google Business Profile. We then covered some of the general best practices to keep in mind as you start building your profile, as well as things to keep in mind that are unique to medical practices.

Getting started with our guide will certainly set your practice apart from many other medical providers. However, maintaining this presence can be a time-consuming challenge. dbaPlatform provides hands-on services that are aimed at bringing you results while allowing you to do what you do best, provide care. For more information about how dbaPlatform can kickstart your online presence, contact our sales team.

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