Google My Business For Dentists
Looking for a simple way to boost your local search rankings? Google may have already offered you everything you need to stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Google My Business (formerly known as Google+) has ditched all attempts to become a social networking rival and has instead shifted focus to being a business discovery tool.
Every time you search on Google or Google Maps, you’re likely to notice Google My Business profiles cropping up in the SERP. These are visible on the right hand side knowledge panel and in the business listings of the map search function.
These are profiles owned and managed by the businesses. So, if you’ve ever searched for something like “Thai restaurant in Birmingham” and been swayed to choose based on the map results, you’re already familiar with how Google My Business works.
Being visible on Google My Business can do incredible things for your local search profile and allow you to become the most visible and prominent dentist in your area. When you focus on something as niche as Google My Business, you can reduce your competition to just those dentists in your immediate area. And when your competition includes fewer rival dentists, you’ll find it much easier to stand out from the crowd and make your mark.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a business tool provided by Google to help you take control of how you appear in certain search results. It allows you to provide the search engine with specific information that will enable you to appear in the right searches at the right time.
Like a social network, it can also be used to publish updates and share timely information. This could include changes to your opening times over public holidays or announcing the introduction of new treatments.
Google My Business allows you to provide the search engine with specific information that will enable you to appear in the right searches at the right time.
Who can use Google My Business?
Any business owner can start a Google My Business profile. Once verified, you own the profile and can update it as you like. Be warned that other people can make suggested changes to your GMB profile. These will be sent to you for review, but can be made live without your consent. This is why it is vital to have a verified GMB profile that is linked to an email account you check regularly.
Tips for setting up your profile
Google has a pretty intuitive onboarding process, so we’re confident we don’t need to talk you through the process of setting up your profile in too much detail. However, there are some things to keep in mind when setting up your profile that will help you to avoid common mistakes.
For multiple practice sites, you will need to create individual profiles. Make sure these profiles are consistent and descriptive. Changes to your name can take 24-48 hours to come into effect and you don’t want to be waiting for updates if you get this step wrong.
Don’t use keyword stuffing in the name, it rarely has the impact you’d want it to.
When uploading images of your dental practice, make sure you do this from the site. Images are geotagged and will have more impact if you are in the right location when you share them.
Take care when categorising your profile and this will have a huge impact on the searches you show up in.
Fill in as much information as possible and don’t leave any empty fields. Make the most of the space given to you and be descriptive in all fields.
Always verify your location. This will ensure you have ownership and authority to post. Without this step, your location could be deprioritised in search and open to abuse by spammers.
Check and respond to your reviews. Good and bad reviews should be responded to in a timely manner. This is an excellent way to weed out the spam reviews that are just there to hurt your business.
Keep your opening hours up to date and check for suggested changes. Nothing will get customers angrier than showing up when you are closed because “Google said you’re open.”
Ask for reviews. When you search on Google Maps for a business, you may notice that the average rating is shown alongside the business listings. Maintaining a high rating can help you to rise to the top by maintaining a high click through rate.
How do you know if this is working?
Google will send a report to your registered email every month outlining your performance on search. This will tell you valuable information such as how many searches you appeared in, how many clicks you received, and how many customers got in touch directly.
As your presence on Google My Business improves, you may also notice an improvement in your local rankings. This could translate into more organic website traffic and more conversions from organic website traffic.
Ready to make your dental practice stand out from the crowd? Request a callback today.
