Cardiovascular Consultants Medical Group rises to the top of AI search after increasing their monthly online reviews by 53x with rater8
71%
increase in Google listings views
4.91
overall star rating
Meet Cardiovascular Consultants Medical Group
Founded in the late 1960s, Cardiovascular Consultants Medical Group (CCMG) is one of the oldest independent cardiology practices in the Greater Los Angeles area. Their team of 11 experienced physicians specializes in clinical and interventional cardiology, delivering comprehensive diagnostics, treatments, and patient support through the greater Southern California region.
The Problem
Prior to partnering with rater8, CCMG already had an excellent reputation among patients in their community, but their online reputation told a different story.
Despite providing high-quality cardiovascular care, the practice had amassed only 38 online reviews. With such a small number of reviews, even one piece of negative feedback could significantly lower their overall rating and distort the perception of prospective patients searching for care.
CCMG’s Practice Administrator, Kelli Jo Nicholas, CMPE, recognized that even referral-based patients were turning to Google before making an appointment.
“We had four reviews: three patients who loved us and one who said we were the worst people on earth,” Nicholas said. “It wasn’t a holistic assessment of our organization, and I knew we needed to change that.”
Although she tried to manage CCMG’s online listings and reviews herself, Nicholas quickly realized it was a time-consuming endeavor and difficult to maintain. Declining reimbursement rates and the desire to keep up with larger health systems also contributed to the need to polish their online reputation. She and her team were in need of a solution that would automate the process, save time, and help CCMG appear accurately online for prospective patients in need of care.
The Solution
After evaluating options to automate and enhance their online image, in 2022 CCMG’s leadership team turned to rater8, the industry’s only reputation management solution built specifically for healthcare.
Recounting this choice, Nicholas shared, “Once the decision was made, the whole activation process went very quickly and very smoothly. Honestly, it’s one of the best things I’ve done. I’m so pleasantly surprised every day. The results are outstanding.”
The fully automated review requests make it effortless for patients to leave authentic feedback with just a single click. Each request is delivered via text or email directly to verified patients following their visit, ensuring every review represents a genuine experience. The result has been a steady, continuous stream of new patient reviews that accurately reflect the practice’s exceptional care.
The platform has also given Nicholas something she’d never had before: control and clarity of CCMG’s online reputation, with ease. Systems that bring this kind of visibility and organization are just as valuable in other healthcare settings, where tools like lims software help teams manage diagnostic data, improve accuracy, and keep workflows easier to oversee. The raVE dashboard centralizes every review from every listing across the web, allowing Nicholas to monitor trends, identify outliers, and take action in real time.
“So much happens automatically without me doing anything,” Nicholas said. “It’s simple, it’s effective, and I can still check in every day to see what’s new. It’s usually the nicest five minutes of my day.”
The Results
53x Increase in Monthly Online Reviews
Before rater8, CCMG was building an average of about three online reviews per month. With rater8, this number skyrocketed to an average of 170 reviews per month. Their overall star rating also saw a boost, climbing from 4.53 to an impressive 4.91, giving patients a far more accurate reflection of their excellent care.
Dominated Local and AI Search Results
With rater8 fueling their online visibility efforts by methodically posting patient reviews to the sites that needed the most attention, CCMG began rising in local and AI-generated search results.
Over a 17-month period, their Google listings views increased by 71%, while clicks, calls, and other patient actions also grew steadily in tandem.
Today, the practice appears in two of the top three listings in the Google 3-Pack for cardiology-related searches in their region, such as “best cardiologist Encino, CA,” giving them prime digital real estate in one of the most competitive healthcare markets in California.
With the advent of generative engine optimization (GEO), CCMG’s providers are now appearing prominently in generative AI search results.
For instance, their physicians appear positively in Google AI Mode for queries such as “top rated cardiologist in Encino, CA.” Plus, with verified rater8 reviews also feeding into Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT, prospective patients are getting a glimpse into overall impressions and common themes, without having to sift through multiple pages.
Improved Employee Morale
rater8’s impact extends far beyond patient perception. Nicholas uses the platform daily to celebrate positive reviews, recognize staff members, and share patient praise across locations.
“It’s become an incredible tool for engagement,” noted Nicholas. “When a staff member gets mentioned, I call them out, send an email, or post it on our bulletin board. It’s such an easy way to say, ‘You’re doing great.’”
This culture of recognition has strengthened morale and reinforced the group’s commitment to compassionate, patient-first care.
Polished Employer Reputation
The practice’s strong online reputation has also become a powerful recruitment tool. When interviewing new physicians, Nicholas found that many candidates had already researched the practice online, and were impressed by the abundance of positive reviews.
“We’re hiring a new physician, and when he looked us up, he said, ‘I know, I saw your reviews.’ That’s what people see now, our true reputation,” she shared.
This kind of enhanced online visibility and trust has helped CCMG stand out among larger healthcare systems competing for top talent in Southern California.
Indeed, with rater8’s comprehensive, automated platform in place, Nicholas and her team no longer have to manually manage listings, monitor dozens of review sites, or worry how their online image is being perceived. Instead, they’ve gained real-time visibility, peace of mind, and a consistent flow of verified reviews that reflected the true quality of their care.
“rater8 delivered on what it promised, to bolster our online presence. Now prospective patients and even future employees researching our group can see who we really are,” Nicholas said. “I really do believe in your product, and when I believe in something, I’m happy to stand behind it, and rater8 has truly worked for us.”
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