Claim. Perfect. Grow.
Google My Business Listings Optimization
Google My Business Consulting
Perfect Your Listings
Perfect Your Listings
Partner with our team of consultants to create, claim, and optimize your Google My Business listings.
Creating multiple listings for your doctors and office locations can be tedious and time-consuming. We take care of it for you.
Why is Google My Business Important for Doctors?
Why is Google My Business Important for Doctors?
Google My Business makes you and your medical practice discoverable online so more patients can find you. Of all online experiences, 93% begin with search engines, and 90% of all searches occur on Google. Optimizing your Google My Business profile will increase your medical practice’s search visibility, allowing more patients to discover you.
Growing your organic presence through Google My Business should be one of your top marketing priorities as a medical practice.
Local Google search results are determined based on relevance, distance, and prominence, among other factors. Google employs a sophisticated algorithm to return the best results to its users. Because they strive to return high-quality results, it is not possible to “pay your way to the top.”
Relevance
Tell Google about your medical practice. Who are you and what do you do? It's important to have a complete Google My Business profile. The more information you provide Google about your practice, the better.
Distance
How far is your practice from the patient? If the patient doesn’t specify a location, Google will use their known location.
Prominence
How well-known is your practice? The best way to boost the prominence of your practice is to increase your online reviews and ratings. Your Google website ranking will also be taken into account, so it’s important to follow best SEO practices. Additionally, Google will analyze your medical practice’s presence across the web, including blogs, articles, and directories.
Other Google My Business Optimization Tips
Other Google My Business Optimization Tips
Claim Your Listing. It's important to claim your listing so you can edit and monitor it. Oftentimes, creating and claiming your listing is akin to herding cats and may involve postcard, phone, or video verification.
Add Photos. Upload high-quality, professional photos to your Google My Business profile, particularly if the listing is for a doctor. Google is more likely to accept and display a high-quality, square headshot as the primary photo. You can also include the practice’s logo or images of the building and facilities. Avoid stock photos. Stock photos are acceptable on your website, but they do not belong in your Google My Business profile.
Add Videos. After you upload photos, consider adding videos to your profile. Very few practices (or businesses in general) take advantage of this feature. If you choose to add a video, it will set you and your practice apart from other listings. The process of adding videos to your Google My Business profile is similar to adding photos: In the main dashboard, navigate to the Photos tab and select “Video” from the top toolbar.
Add a Compelling Business Description. This is your opportunity to shine. Tell potential patients what sets you apart from other doctors or medical practices. Do not include URLs or HTML code. The business description is limited to 750 characters, so be sure not to exceed this length. Target relevant and important terms without keyword stuffing.
Add Consistent NAP. Listing a consistent name, address, and phone number (NAP) within your Google My Business profile is crucial. Make sure this information is up-to-date and consistent on all platforms, websites, and directories, not just Google My Business. Having an inconsistent NAP will mislead or confuse users, and you'll risk losing their business. It may also hurt your SEO rankings. You’re allowed to input two phone numbers: mobile and landline. You cannot enter your fax number.
Select Categories. Google allows you to categorize your business. It’s important to select your categories carefully – they should be specific and relevant to your specialty. Don’t simply say “Doctor.” Instead, be more specific (e.g., "Orthopedic Surgeon"). Avoid repeats or basic phrase variation. For example, “eye surgery” and “eye surgeon” are too similar and a waste of a category. You’re allowed to choose up to 10 categories. The first category you enter will be considered your primary category, so this one carries more weight than others.
Add Hours. Potential (and existing) patients want to know when you’re open for business. Listing your business hours helps visitors know when they can and cannot contact you. Google My Business also allows you to update your hours for holidays using the “special hours” feature.
Add Your Practice's Website URL. The URL should direct users to the practice’s website. Do not direct users to a social media profile like Facebook or LinkedIn.
Google My Business
Listings Management
Listings Management
Managing your Google profiles can be time-consuming and tedious, particularly for larger medical practices. To ensure your profile is effective and driving quality traffic to your website, leave your Google My Business profiles in the hands of professionals. rater8 consultants are experts in Google My Business marketing for medical practices. Our qualified team will ensure each listing is unique, professional, and drives results. We offer the following services:
- Setup and configuration
- Content writing
- Keyword analysis
- Ensure profile accuracy and consistency
- Remove/merge duplicate listings
- Respond to online reviews
- Create monthly Google My Business posts
