Why Dentist Offices Need Google Business Profiles

Claim and Verify your profile in Google Search and Google Maps with a simple and straightforward process.

Calls originating from your profile are preceded by a short message identifying the call’s origin. You can track inbound call data, view call history, and respond to missed calls with ease.

Activate the Chat function and directly correspond with potential patients in real-time.

Manage your Reviews. Similar to your GMB, you can read and reply to reviews directly from your profile.

Control read receipts and track conversations and chats directly in Google Search to stay in touch with those who have reached out to your practice.

INFO –  Directly impacting search results, make sure that your information is up to date and your Name, Address, and Phone number are listed in a consistent manner. Add Dentist as your business category and select up to three additional descriptions that provide information about the specific dental services that you offer. If you serve patients from surrounding communities, you can add these details in your Service Areas to increase search results. Hours of Operation, noting special hours for holidays, Website address, and an Appointment Link round out the basics of the information that you’ll want to include on  your Info tab.

• • Don’t skip the Menu section here – it’s not just for restaurants! When you link to your website Services pages, this heading will populate as Services on your profile.
  • Attributes – Include a Description of your practice, complete with keywords to improve your search ranking. The Virtual Care field allows you to include information about Teledentistry services, allowing you to capture the attention of those specifically looking for this service – add that appointment link here too!

REVIEWS – The Reviews tab makes it easy to view and respond to reviews on your profile. Under this section, you’ll see tabs for All, Replied, and Haven’t Replied. Writing a note to thank patients for positive reviews and replying to negative reviews adds value to your profile. We’ve provided some tips and tricks for responding to a negative review here.

MESSAGING – Allowing you to communicate in real-time, the most important thing to remember about messaging is that it’s only effective if it’s being monitored. If you choose to enable this feature, assign someone within your practice to keep an eye on and respond to chats.

PHOTOS – Add photos of your practice, both exterior and interior, to make it easy for patients to identify on their drive and gain an idea of what to expect, visually, when they arrive. Photos of your team, promotional videos, or a virtual tour, as well as regularly updated photos, signals to Google and patients that you are active and engaged.

PRODUCTS – Also accessible under the Info tab, your products section allows you to add descriptions and photos of products that you offer. While not mandatory, if you provide at-home whitening treatment, specialty toothbrushes, or mouthguards, you can promote that with this tab.

SERVICES – Optimizing this section for voice search directly impacts results for those searching with devices like Google Home, Alexa, or Siri. Create entries for each of your services with a short description that uses long-tail keywords.

WEBSITE – Here, Google has added a function that creates a basic site using information in your profile. Ignore this section if you’ve already developed your own website.

POSTS – Make updates to your profile with posts – adding photos and text to promote specials in your office, information about the practice and much more. These posts also appear on your profile in search results!

Q&A – Similar to a FAQ section, patients can ask questions, although Google allows other users to respond to provide information. Make it part of your marketing strategy to regularly monitor this section and reply as necessary. Pre-populate with some of the most commonly asked questions by using a team member’s Google account to post and respond to these FAQ.

INSIGHTS – Don’t skip out on this section! Providing a bevy of analytical information, you can gain specific data that lets you know how your profile is performing!