Google My Business is among the most important tools you have to convince prospects to choose your dental practice rather than a competitor’s. Yet many dentists know little or nothing about what Google My Business is, why it matters, or how to set it up. Here is what you should know.
Google My Business can be viewed as the core of your local SEO (search engine optimization) campaign. Until 2014, Google had quite a few options for business owners including Google Plus pages and Google Places pages. Today, Google My Business unifies all of these diverse pages into a single, streamlined, free tool that puts your business information, photos, and most importantly, reviews all in the same place.
Your Google My Business listing will show up in Google’s Local Maps. If your Google My Business page is fully optimized, you may even show up in the Local Maps 3 Pack search results. As the name suggests, this is a premium listing of the top 3 local dentists as determined by Google’s algorithms.
Setting Up Google My Business
Google My Business should always be used in conjunction with Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These three tools are designed to integrate to give you a complete picture of your overall online performance.
There are three different levels to setting up a Google My Business page. Start at the beginning and work your way through the steps as you have the time.
Beginner: The very first step is to claim and verify your Google My Business page. This lets Google check that you have a legitimate dental practice at the listed address. When verification is complete, you will gain access to the Google My Business dashboard and tools.
Next, you will need to optimize your business NAP (name, address, and phone number). Make sure that your practice name, phone number, and address are correct, and are identical to all other listings you have online.
Intermediate: Photos and videos help prospects learn what to expect. Try to provide a good mix of success stories, behind the scenes peeks, and “getting to know you” clips of yourself and your staff. Encourage satisfied patients to send in photos and videos as well, as prospects always like to hear from their peers.
Reviews are a huge part of any Google My Business page. Ask your existing patients directly to write a review, and consider offering a small incentive like a few dollars off their next cleaning. If you get any negative reviews, do not delete them, but do respond to them. Prospects like to know that if they have an issue, your practice will help them resolve it.
Expert: Use Google Posts to link up your blog. You should already be blogging regularly, as this will keep your website fresh, informative, and up to date. Use the free tools to link your blog to your Google My Business page. Include top-quality photos with each post, along with a call to action that leads readers to your full website.
Monitor your Questions and Answers section. There is no tool to alert you that a question was posted, so you will need to remain proactive. Anyone can answer questions, so it is important to make sure that user-posted answers are accurate. This is also an opportunity to engage directly with your patients and prospects, building credibility and loyalty.
Ascent Dental Solutions is a full-service agency dedicated to helping dentists build their practices and map out their careers. It is the brainchild of Dr. Kevin Coughlin, who earned his doctorate at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and currently serves as a faculty member there. While Dr. Coughlin continues to practice dentistry as the principal owner of the 14-location Baystate Dental PC, he has a strong passion for helping fellow dentists maximize their success. If you are interested in learning how to take your dental practice to the next level, please contact Ascent Dental Solutions today at 413-224-2659 to learn how Dr. Coughlin can help.
