A Medical Practitioner’s Complete Guide to Google My Business

A Medical Practitioner’s Complete Guide to Google My Business

It is every medical practitioner’s dream to fully tap into the pool of online opportunities offered by today’s digital landscape. While customers are increasingly searching for products and services online, unveiling the potential of the online world is still a challenge as competition is fiercer than ever before.

For the medical industry, this challenge is even more intense. Almost 77 percent of patients did an online search before making an appointment, indicating that medical practitioners who ignore the importance of online presence and search engine optimization (SEO) are at a disadvantage. If you are looking to increase the chances of your practice being found online, then it is worth focusing your efforts on creating quality business listings.

Although there are many options for getting your practice listed, Google My Business is one of the top influencers. A Google My Business page helps you get your medical practice added in the local pack, which is the first section of the search engine results pages that users see after paid advertisements. Creating a Google My Business page for your medical practice will have a direct impact on improving your local search rankings.

As with other online listings, the information on your Google My Business page should be consistent and up-to-date. You must pay attention to the structure of your Google My Business page. Here are some examples worth considering:

Single location and sole practitioner: If you are the only medical practitioner in your area, it is advisable to create a single Google My Business that is dedicated both to you and your practice. Through this single page, users searching for your name will find your practice information, and users searching for your practice name will get you as the primary contact.

Unique location and many practitioners: This is a typical scenario where many practitioners work in a group medical practice or a hospital. In this case, the practice should create a separate local page with a verified address, contact details and other relevant information. Individual practitioners working at this location should create individual pages that contain their contact information. However, it is important to note that the business name belongs to the practitioner and should not include the group practice or hospital’s name.

Multiple locations and many practitioners: You must be very cautious if your practice is constantly changing locations or practitioners. In such cases, setting up a Google My Business page can be a challenging task. Before you create a Google My Business page, you must consider if each practitioner has his or her separate page. You should also think about the listed address as it is not uncommon for practitioners to leave practices and move to other hospitals. You must read and follow Google’s guidelines on managing your Google My Business page in this situation.

How can Google My Business help your medical practice?

A Google My Business page will make it easy for potential patients to find your practice. Google is one of the most popular search engines, owning more than 80 percent of the total search volume globally.

Take the first step to protect your online reputation and request your Online Reputation Assessment.