Picture this: you’re on a road trip, and you’re looking for a place to grab a bite to eat. So what do you do? You pull out your smartphone and type “restaurants near me” into Google. Thanks to Google My Business (GMB), the search engine instantly serves up a list of potential winners in your vicinity, complete with ratings, reviews, and directions.
In the same way, GMB can help you find a restaurant near you, a fully optimized GMB profile can help your patients find your services near them. It’s one of the key pillars in our orthodontic marketing strategy for your business. Ready to learn how to harness the magic for yourself? Keep reading to learn how to increase your practice’s exposure with Google My Business.
What Is Google My Business?
Google My Business (GMB) is like your practice’s digital billboard on the information superhighway. It’s a free tool that allows you to promote your business profile and website on Google Search and Maps. With GMB, you can connect with potential patients right when they’re searching for the services you offer so that you can get them in the door faster than ever.
By taking advantage of this demand peak, this powerful tool gives your practice more direct exposure to patients interested in your services, builds credibility that your business is reliable and highly rated, and increases your online engagement through reviews or appointment bookings.
Key Features
GMB’s suite of features is designed to connect consumers with the products and services they’re looking for when they’re looking for them. Here’s how:
Business Information: GMB allows you to display essential details about your practice, such as your address, operating hours, and contact information. This increases exposure by making it easy for potential patients to find and reach out to you.
Reviews: GMB provides a platform for patients to leave reviews about their experiences, and these reviews build your credibility by showcasing the quality of your services. Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value patient feedback and are committed to improving your services.
Photos: By uploading photos of your practice to your GMB profile, you can give potential patients a glimpse into your practice, helping to build trust and set expectations.
Q&A: GMB offers a Q&A feature where potential patients can ask questions, and you can provide answers. This fosters engagement by facilitating direct communication between your practice and potential patients.
Posts: You can create posts to share updates, offers, or events. This not only keeps your profile fresh and engaging but also informs potential patients about what’s new at your practice.
Booking Button: If you use a supported scheduling provider, you can add a booking button to your GMB profile. This feature fosters engagement by making it easy for patients to book appointments directly from your profile.
By leveraging these features, you can make the most of your GMB profile and enhance your practice’s online presence.
Optimizing Your Profile
It’s not enough to simply create a profile and let it loose on the internet with no further attention – maximizing the benefits of your GMB profile takes a concerted effort. By regularly updating your profile to reflect accurate and relevant information that potential patients can use to take action, you’ll boost your online status in another key area: local SEO.
Local SEO
Local SEO helps your practice become more visible in local search results on Google. When a potential patient searches for a service you offer, Google’s algorithm considers their location to provide the most relevant results. A well-optimized GMB profile can increase your chances of appearing in these local search results, boosting your visibility to potential patients in your area.
It’s particularly important for medical practices, as patients often look for providers in their immediate area. Everything from high-quality photos to localized keywords and everything in between can work together to improve your local SEO strategy.
GMB and Your Overall Marketing Strategy
Google My Business (GMB) is a powerful tool, but it’s just one piece of the digital marketing puzzle. To truly maximize your online visibility and patient engagement, it’s crucial to integrate GMB into your broader digital marketing strategy.
Your website, social media platforms, and GMB should work together in harmony, each reinforcing and amplifying the others. Here’s how GMB fits into your digital ecosystem:
Website & GMB: Your website is your practice’s home base online, while your GMB profile is like a digital business card. Linking your GMB profile to your website can drive traffic to your site, where potential patients can learn more about your services, team, and values. Conversely, your website should also promote your GMB profile, encouraging visitors to leave reviews or book appointments through GMB.
Social Media & GMB: Your social media platforms and GMB profile serve similar purposes—they both increase your visibility, foster engagement, and build relationships with patients. Cross-promoting between these platforms can enhance these benefits. For example, you can share positive GMB reviews on your social media or encourage your social media followers to leave reviews on your GMB profile.
SEO & GMB: As we discussed earlier, GMB plays a crucial role in local SEO. By optimizing your GMB profile and coordinating it with your website’s SEO efforts, you can increase your chances of ranking high in both local and organic search results.
Online Advertising & GMB: If you’re running online ads, linking them to your GMB profile can provide potential patients with more information about your practice, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
All in all, GMB is a vital component of your digital marketing strategy, and by integrating it effectively with your other digital marketing efforts, you can create a powerful online presence that attracts more patients and fosters stronger relationships with them.
Light Up Your Brand with GMB
Since the dawn of time, marketing has always been about connecting people with services they need when they need them. Google My Business simplifies that process and supplements your overall digital marketing strategy – but it can only do that if you’re constantly optimizing your profile and creating avenues for engagement.
Trust this part to the pros. Contact our team to learn more about our comprehensive orthodontic and dental marketing services and how we can help you reach the top of the search results!