Download our FREE Guide to Google My Business for Medical Practices
We’ll show you how to optimise your Google My Business listing to improve the chances of a new patient choosing your clinic over a clinic down the road.
What is Google My Business?
Google My Business is a free business directory run by Google that allows your clinic to be found on Google. Services like Google Maps, Google Reviews and Google Ads use the information you add to Google My Business in order to operate. What appears on Google My Business is also what patients see when your practice shows up on Google (i.e. when they search for your practice or practices in your local area).
Above: All of the above information is pulled from Google My Business when a patient searches “doctor camberwell”
Setting up a Google My Business account is probably the most important move you can make in your marketing. It takes 10 minutes and can easily double your bookings, even if you don’t have a website.
Why is it important for clinics to get a Google My Business listing?
Google is slowly but surely making all directories obsolete. This is because Google itself is a directory. Google’s goal is to put people in touch with the most accurate information in the shortest possible time. This means removing all barriers. After all, why would Google want to send a patient off to another website to get information when they can display the information themselves faster and with greater accuracy?
This is most evident in the way we once searched for the cheapest flights through comparison sites like webjet or farecompare. Now, all you have to do is put your departure and arrival details into Google and the search engine giant will display the results without having to redirect you.
How is the demise of directories affecting clinics?
This trend is happening across all industries, including medical practices. Think about the way Google displays medical practices already. Five years, perhaps even 2 years ago, a list of directory sites would have appeared, but not anymore. Now, those who appear in Google Maps, which pulls information from Google My Business, are the first clinics to show up in search.
Today directories only have a small presence on Google. Mainly through pay-per-click adverts (whose cost is passed onto those who display their information on the directory) but eventually all directories will fall to the wayside.
How to set up Google My Business?
So, how do you actually set up your Google My Business account, or double check you have one set up? The good news is it is dead simple.
- Visit www.google.com/business/ and click “Start Now”.
- Search for your business by typing the name into ‘business name’.
- If you can’t see your business listed, fill in the appropriate details.
- Google will now create your Google + page with the address you added. You will need to check “I am authorised to manage this business and I agree to the Terms of Service”.
- Click “Mail me my Code” so Google can verify your business by sending you a code via snail mail. Once you receive this code you can finalise the process.
- To complete your profile be sure to add a Profile photo to the account. You can do this by clicking the “Add profile photo” under the profile % completion bar on your dashboard. While you’re here add your business hours, contact information, any additional photos, your website and finally an intro to your page. Once you’ve finished, click “Done Editing”.
Download our FREE Guide to Google My Business for Medical Practices
We’ll show you how to optimise your Google My Business listing to improve the chances of a new patient choosing your clinic over a clinic down the road.
