Take advantage of all that Google has to offer to boost local views and get more patients in the door
You’ve heard it before, and you experience it yourself: The beginning of almost all searches for a local business or service starts with Google. When it comes to finding a dental practice, depending on what a potential patient is looking for, they’ll type a few keywords and phrases into Google and receive a list of nearby dental offices that match those criteria. In the end, they’ll most likely select a practice that comes up on the first page, offers the specific service they’re seeking, has at least 4 stars, and collects the most positive reviews. To be competitive in your space, you’ll need a Google Business Profile that meets these criteria.
Claim Your Profile & Manage Reviews
First impressions matter when a potential patient finds you on Google. When you claim your Google Business Profile and keep it up to date, you provide users with a quick summary of your practice, including hours, specialties, photos, and reviews.
“One of the most important things you can do is claim your Google Business Profile,” said JP Bisilliat, lead advisor for ReviewStreams, offered exclusively through RAMP Results, a dental marketing company. “This is how Google will be given the opportunity to rank you, and it’s how patients will find you.”
According to Bisilliat, 95% of consumers read reviews before selecting a business or service, and 92% of them will select a local service only if it has at least a 4-star rating. “You’d think 4 stars is an easy rating to get,” noted Bisilliat. “But it could be totally hit or miss if you’re not protecting your reputation.”
Fortunately, you can get reviews simply by asking. “It’s honestly one of the most cost-effective ways to increase your local presence,” he said. How you request a patient review also makes a difference. You want to ask where people spend the most time, and in most cases, that’s on their phones.
“It’s really a volume game,” said Bisilliat. “If you can get a 10%, 15%, or 20% response rate on review requests, you’re crushing it.” He recommends working with a partner who can help you automate this process by prompting reviews at the right time.
However, you don’t want to just accumulate reviews. You also need to manage them, which ultimately helps you manage your reputation. A service like ReviewStreams can serve as a gatekeeper to hold back negative reviews, share them with you, and recommend how to respond.
Your response, whether to a negative or positive review, must be timely. Bisilliat noted that most people who leave a review expect a response within 7 days. And because 32% of people will read 4 to 6 reviews before making a business selection, your response provides them with some insight into your practice. “They see how you engage with patients, your professional manner, and how you reply to negative reviews,” said Bisilliat.
Make Sure You’re Heard
Reaching as many people in your local area as possible is critical to practice success. Claiming your Google profile, keeping it up to date, managing your online reviews, and populating your website with unique content relevant to your services go a long way toward increasing your local community views.
“You can yell at the top of your lungs from inside your office, but only the people within those 4 walls will hear you,” said Bisilliat. “You need everything else to communicate at a mass level.”
