Without a Google My Business listing, you’re missing out on a marketing opportunity

When it comes to Google My Business (GMB), one fact remains true. If you have a business, you should also have a GMB listing. This is especially true if you have a medical practice. GMB is Google’s online business directory. When you type in the name of a business, including your own practice, you’ll see a high-level overview of it. Not only is this informative for web users, it’s also a great way to increase your visibility.

This blog post will dive deeper to explain why having a GMB listing is important and how you can improve yours.

Why is it important to have a GMB listing?

Google is the world’s most-popular search engine, so you want to do everything you can to show up when people search for services you provide at your practice. Having a solid Google My Business listing is a great way to do so.

As it turns out, Google prefers its own platforms, including GMB. That means it places these listings at the top of its search results on page one, giving GMB listings prime real estate. By having a listing there, you’re basically guaranteeing that web users will see your practice and click on it.

Furthermore, Google strives to connect searchers with providers that are close to them. What does this mean? A web user who sees your GMB listing is more likely to live or be in your area. This makes it more likely that they’ll become a patient when compared to someone in a different city, state or country. This is important because conversion is the ultimate goal of marketing.

How can you optimize your Google My Business listing?

In addition to making sure your GMB listing is verified, you can take several steps to make the most of your listing.

• Make sure your phone number and address are correct.
• Enter a description of your practice and services.
• Update your days and hours of operation.
• Double check for duplicate listings.
• Upload pictures and videos to your listing.
• Collect legitimate, positive reviews.

Also, be sure to keep checking your listing. Because people can suggest edits for your listing and leave reviews, you’ll want to stay on top of what’s happening. When it comes to suggested edits, you can generally override them if they’re not accurate. However, while you can’t change negative reviews, you can respond to them with HIPAA-approved language.

If all this sounds like a lot of work, Catalyst Healthcare Marketing is here for you. We can handle your Google My Business listing and optimization so that you can focus on running your practice. Contact us today and learn about what we can do for you.