7 Tips to Master GMB Features for Your Medical Practice in 2024

In today’s digital age, your Google My Business (GMB) profile is a potential patient’s first marketing touchpoint with your healthcare practice. This touchpoint sets the tone for your future interactions. Getting this right is critical not only for increasing your visibility but also for setting yourself apart from competitors. Imagine providing a patient with trust and reassurance before they even walk into your practice – that is precisely what your Google Business Profile does online on your behalf.

Let’s walk through the must-have areas of focus to make your GMB profile shine in 2024.

1. Ensure Complete and Accurate Information

Your Google Business Profile is only as good as the information it provides. Essential fields such as your practice name, address, phone number, and working hours must always be up to date. Check for changes or discrepancies regularly and ensure your holiday hours are accurate.

The Impact: Nearly 88% of local searches result in a visit or call to the business within 24 hours. Inaccurate details can frustrate potential patients and harm your credibility.

2. Leverage Categories and Specialties Features

Ensure that your GMB profile reflects your practice’s speciality. Be specific in selecting the categories and services you offer, like “Paediatric Clinic,” “Dermatologist,” or “Diabetes Specialist.” Adding services like online consultations or unique treatments can further tailor your profile to the services patients need.

The Impact: Specific categories and services improve your chances of ranking for relevant local search terms. Healthcare is often a highly localised service, which can directly impact new patient acquisition.

3. Use High-Quality Images

Visuals are a huge part of any first impression. A healthcare profile with no images or low-quality ones doesn’t inspire confidence. Upload professional photos of your clinic, waiting area, and essential medical personnel. Patients want to know what to expect, and high-quality images can make a world of difference.

The Impact: Adding real photos increases patient trust and engagement. Businesses with photos receive 42% more requests for directions and a 35% higher click-through rate to their websites.

4. Leverage the Reviews Feature

Patient reviews are a powerful tool in shaping your online reputation. Actively encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews and respond to both positive and negative feedback. This interaction shows that you care about patient experience.

The Impact: 98% of people read online reviews when searching for local businesses, and healthcare is no exception. Responding to reviews creates a two-way communication channel and establishes trust.

5. Utilise Google Posts Feature

The Google Posts feature lets you share updates about your practice, promotions, health awareness events, or even new services you’re offering. Engaging posts with clear calls to action (CTAs) like “Schedule Now” or “Learn More” can drive traffic to your website, increasing patient inquiries.

The Impact: Frequent updates keep your profile dynamic and boost patient engagement. A stagnant profile will not get the same visibility or patient interaction as an actively managed one.

6. Optimise for Local SEO

Incorporating local keywords in your description, services, and posts is key to boosting local SEO. Use phrases like “Paediatrician in Hyderabad” or “Best healthcare services in Mumbai” to ensure your practice ranks for the right searches.

The Impact: Local SEO is vital for improving your practice’s visibility on Google Maps and local search results. Google prioritises businesses that are geographically relevant, giving you an edge over competitors.

7. Activate the Booking Feature

Enabling the Appointments feature on GMB can simplify patient scheduling for practices offering both online and in-person appointments. Google integrates with various scheduling tools, allowing you to accept bookings directly through your profile.

The Impact: With 75% of patients preferring to book appointments online, enabling easy booking through your GMB profile can reduce friction and increase patient conversion.

Finally, optimising your GMB profile is just one step toward a more robust online presence. You can make the best of our free Google My Business audit service to discover potential areas for improvement in your GMB profile. A comprehensive audit will help identify opportunities to increase your profile’s visibility, engagement, and patient conversion. Get your free GMB audit here!.

By implementing these steps, your practice can take advantage of the opportunities provided by Google My Business while also answering your question of “How to attract more patients?” Your Practice’s GMB profile reflects your professionalism and can make a world of difference in practice visibility and patient engagement.