Leveraging Google My Business for Patient Acquisition in Healthcare

Key Takeaways

• Google My Business is a free tool that allows healthcare providers to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. Optimizing a Google My Business profile can help providers attract more patients.
• Key optimization strategies for healthcare providers’ Google My Business profiles include:

1. Completing the profile with accurate business information like address, phone number, hours, and services offered.
2. Adding high-quality photos of the practice, providers, facilities, and services.
3. Encouraging patient reviews to build reputation and social proof.
4. Posting regular updates and announcements to engage patients.
5. Monitoring analytics to understand how patients interact with the profile.

• Case studies show healthcare providers who optimize their Google My Business profile can see significant increases in website traffic, phone calls, and new patient leads.
• Google My Business profiles appear prominently in Google’s local 3-pack and map listings for relevant searches like “doctor near me”. Optimizing the profile can help providers rank higher.
• Consistent and accurate business information (name, address, phone number) across directories and citations also helps Google My Business rankings.

Introduction

Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google Search and Maps. For healthcare providers like doctors, dentists, and medical practices, optimizing a Google My Business profile can be a powerful strategy to attract more patients. This article is about how Doctors can leverage Google My Business for patient acquisition by:

• Providing an overview of Google My Business and its importance for healthcare
• Outlining key optimization strategies for providers’ profiles
• Presenting case studies on the impact of Google My Business optimization
• Discussing how Google My Business profiles influence search rankings
• Offering recommendations for healthcare providers to maximize their Google My Business presence

Google My Business Overview

Google My Business allows healthcare providers to create a free business profile on Google that contains important information about their practice. This includes details like:

• Business name, address and phone number
• Hours of operation
• Services offered
• Photos and videos
• Announcements and updates Having a complete and optimized Google My Business profile makes it easy for potential patients to learn about a provider, contact them, or find directions to their office. Google My Business profiles appear prominently in Google Search and Maps results for relevant local queries like “doctor near me” or “dentist in [city]”. They typically show up in Google’s local 3-pack listing at the top of search results, as well as on the accompanying map on the right side. This means having an optimized Google My Business presence can directly influence whether potential patients find and choose a healthcare provider when searching online. Given that 59% of consumers use Google every month to find local businesses, Google My Business is an essential tool for patient acquisition.

Key Optimization Strategies

There are several key strategies healthcare providers should use to optimize their Google My Business profiles:

Complete and Accurate Business Information

The first step is to thoroughly complete the Google My Business profile with accurate details about the practice. This includes:

• Business name (use complete legal name)
• Full address with city, state and ZIP
• Phone number
• Hours of operation
• List of healthcare services provided This information should be consistent across all online directories and citations. Inaccurate or inconsistent business details can negatively impact local search rankings.

High-Quality Photos

Google My Business profiles allow providers to upload photos of their practice. Posting high-quality photos can give patients a preview of the office environment, providers, facilities, and services offered. Recommended photos include:

• Exterior and interior of office
• Providers and staff
• Patient rooms
• Equipment or technology used in services
• Before/after photos of procedures (if applicable) Photos should showcase the practice in a positive light and help patients visualize their experience.

Encourage Patient Reviews

Patient reviews on the Google My Business profile establish social proof and reputation. Providers should proactively encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews describing their experience. Positive reviews build trust and credibility with potential patients browsing the profile. Providers can enable review collection through the Google My Business dashboard.

Post Regular Updates

The updates section allows providers to post announcements, events, offers, health tips, and other news. Posting regular updates keeps the profile active and gives patients a reason to keep checking back. For example, providers can share announcements about new treatment options, staff changes, office renovations, special events, promotions, etc. Posts should provide value for patients.

Monitor Analytics

The Google My Business dashboard provides analytics and insights about how patients interact with the profile. Providers can view metrics like how many calls, requests for directions, or website visits originated from their profile. Monitoring analytics helps gauge the effectiveness of Google My Business optimization efforts. Metrics like website traffic and calls can signal increased patient interest.

Impact on Patient Acquisition

Optimizing their Google My Business profile has helped many healthcare providers acquire more patients. Here are some examples:

• A dermatology practice saw a 40% increase in new patient leads within 5 months of optimizing their Google My Business profile with more services, photos, and reviews.
• An optometrist who encouraged patient reviews on their Google My Business profile saw reviews increase from 5 to over 50 within a year. Their profile went from page 4 to page 1 for local search terms.
• A dental practice focused on getting more reviews saw their Google My Business profile climb from #4 to #1 for “dentist in [city]” once additional reviews were published, leading to more website traffic.
• A multi-location healthcare system centralized their location profiles into a single Google My Business account. This led to a 300% increase in profile views and improved local pack rankings.  These examples demonstrate the ability of an optimized Google My Business presence to drive real patient acquisition results for healthcare providers.

Influence on Search Rankings

Google My Business profiles don’t automatically guarantee top search rankings. However, they can positively influence where a healthcare provider ranks for local searches like “physical therapists near me”. Some of the ranking factors related to Google My Business include:

• Number and quality of reviews – More positive patient reviews improve prominence.
• Completeness of profile – Thorough, optimized profiles rank better.
• Engagement signals – Interactions like calls, views, and clicks tell Google the profile is helpful.
• NAP consistency – Matching business name, address, and phone number across citations and directories helps avoid penalties. So while Google uses multiple local search ranking factors, optimizing the Google My Business profile contributes to higher visibility and more patients finding the provider.

Recommendations for Healthcare Providers

To maximize their Google My Business presence, healthcare providers should:

• Claim or create a complete Google My Business profile for the practice and optimize it fully
• Maintain accurate and consistent business information across directories
• Add high-quality photos showcasing the practice and providers
• Proactively collect and publish positive patient reviews
• Post regular updates and announcements to engage visitors
• Track analytics to monitor and improve performance
• Promote the profile on the practice website and other marketing channels With a comprehensive approach to managing and optimizing their Google My Business profile, healthcare providers can increase their visibility, reputation, and ultimately patient acquisition. The competition for ranking highly in local search results is intense, so leveraging Google My Business is essential.

Conclusion

Google My Business offers healthcare providers a free yet powerful platform to manage their online presence and attract patients. By optimizing their profile with complete business details, compelling photos, patient reviews, and regular updates, providers can increase their visibility and credibility in Google Search and Maps. The result is more website traffic, phone calls, and new patient leads. With thoughtful optimization and promotion, Google My Business can become a healthcare provider’s most effective patient acquisition tool.