How to Optimize a Google Business Profile for a Dental Office

When optimizing a Google Business Profile (GBP) for a dental office, it doesn’t have to feel like you’re pulling teeth.

Instead, if you understand the unique features and benefits you get from your My Business Profile, the process is simple and the features of managing a GMB profile can be extremely beneficial to generating more business for your dental practice.

So, what is a GMB profile, you might ask.

Google Business Profile is the platform that powers all the business listings of Google.

It allows your dental office to show on the local pack and appear in several different results and manage how the information of your dental office is displayed.

It is a platform that every local dental office owner should be aware of and use.

The information you submit to your dental office listing can appear in many different ways on search engines, including the knowledge panel, local pack, and maps.

Basics to a Google Business Profile

Achieving excellent visibility on Google as a local business, including a dental office, has never been more essential for the growth and success of your business.

If your dental practice doesn’t have a solid online presence, everyone who looks for a dental office online will instead go to a competitor that has one.

For this reason, you must put in place a solid online strategy for your dental office.

Local search results aren’t the organic search results, but they also include a local pack powered by Google Business Profile, also known as GBP.

Steps to Easily Set Up Your Google Business Profile Page

Setting up your dental office on Google Business Profile is a straightforward task that shouldn’t take a long time.

It is the first step needed to increase your dental office’s online visibility in your area of service.

Follow these simple steps to set up your page today:

Verify Your Google Business Profile Listing

Find the Google Business Profile ‘create’ page. Search for your dental office name. This is needed to see if you or a colleague have set up a GMB page previously you are unsure.

If you don’t find a listing for your dental office, you can click on the pop-up or use the ‘add your business to Google’ link.

Fill Out Your Dental Office’s Name

Fill out the name of your dental office. It would be vital to use your dental office’s real name here. It is essential to be aware that using unnecessary keywords within the title could get your listing suspended, so avoid it.

Select the Category That Best Fits Your Dental Office

You need to select the primary category that best represents your dental office. You should set “dentist” or “dental clinic” as your primary category.

You have the option of adding secondary types based on possible specialized services that you offer, such as:

• Cosmetic Dentistry
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Dental Hygiene
• Dental Radiology
• Emergency Dental Services
• Teeth Whitening Services
• Orthodontists

Decide if You’ll be Including Your Location

Now you’ll need to decide if you are including your dental office’s location.

You can also choose to list a physical office-front of your dental office for public viewers to visit that will appear on Google Maps.

Complete Your Address

You must fill out your address entirely and correctly.

Add in new lines as required to make it as easy as possible for clients to find your dental office’s location.

Review Possible Listings of Your Dental Office

You need to confirm whether one of several existing locations is your dental office if a potential close match is found. If none of these is your dental office, choose the option and proceed.

Complete Your Contact Information

You can add your phone number and website URL.

However, adding a website’s URL is optional, and you can complete this step without providing it if you haven’t set a URL up yet.

Updates and Recommendations

You need to choose whether or not you want updates and recommendations from Google on your GMB page.

Of course, we recommend that you make use of updates and recommendations, but it is your choice.

Complete and Manage Your Listing

You have finished completing all the needed information, so now you just need to click ‘finish’, and your GMB page will be completed. Now you just need to verify the listing.

Verify Your Listing

You have two options for how you can verify your listing.

You can verify instantly by an automated phone call or by a postcard to your address.

Since the postcard option can take up to 4 days, we recommend verifying by automated phone call.

Get Acquainted with Your GMB Dashboard

When you have verified your listing, you will see your GMB dashboard.

You will be able to complete your listing. This will include adding your dental office hours, photos, your dental office’s logo, description, and much more.

Different Elements to a Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile allows you to take your dental office to the next level by embracing the wonder of the internet.

By utilizing all the elements that Google Business Profile offers, you can easily optimize the web presence of your dental office, making it easy for people who want a perfect white smile to find you.

Here are the different elements that are useful for a dental office Business Profile:

Appointment Links

Appointment links add customized links that allow clients to book an appointment at your dental office by going to your site. This is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd for dental practitioners, as it makes for seamless appointment bookings.

Quote Requesting

It is possible to add a “Request a Quote” button in your dental office listing. It will allow you to quote new patients for service.

You can view messages received from clients and respond to them from the Google Business Profile app.

Potential clients will receive the notifications on their Google Maps app.

Without ever visiting your website, patients can now request quotes from your dental office, leading to more leads for your dental office.

Increase Engagement with Auto-Generated Posts

Google Business Profile creates auto-generated posts to help you engage with your potential clients online.

The platform selects these auto-generated posts based on the customer reviews on your Google Business Profile.

Organize Your Patients’ Reviews

Google Place Topics summarizes all of your patient reviews and organizes them into category tags.

This platform makes it easy for potential patients to evaluate your practice through shared experiences.

Auto-Suggest Answers for Q&A

The Q&A Auto-Suggest Answers platform uses previous answers to questions and Google Business Profile Reviews to answer new questions instantly. Then, as you start writing a query, different solutions begin to pop up to give you the best match.

Preferred Profile Cover Photo

Dental practitioners can set a preferred profile cover photo in their image carousel. They can also have a place for logos at the top-right of their profile, an additional feature to the regular NAP. It will be remarkably featured to help you shine in the area.

Google Business Profile Welcome Offers

Quality and reliability are essential in dental care, but patients are always looking for a good deal.

Google Business Profiles allows your dental office to incorporate “Welcome Offers” into your dental office’s marketing campaign so that potential clients can get a great deal.

What to Avoid with GMB

Here are a few things to avoid when it comes to your GMB profile:

Unclaiming your listing

If you leave your listing unclaimed and it’s left dormant, a user can suggest that the listing doesn’t exist, and Google will likely accept that edit and delete the listing.

Not marking a dental office that has been closed

If your business shuts down, mark your business as permanently closed. If you don’t mark your business as permanently closed it presents an awful user experience.

Not completing all information required

If your GMB listing is set up and you have not checked on it, your listing might be missing vital information. Most of the missing pieces of necessary information are hours, website URLs, and phone numbers.

Adding incorrect information

Having inaccurate information is worse than not having any information. For example, if you do not update your hours and potential clients arrive at your dental office only to find out that you are closed, that will upset them, and they will most likely never return.

Adding incorrect map pins

Map pins are frequently overlooked and often in the wrong place, leading potential clients on a wild goose chase.

Reviews that are ignored

Reviews are one area that dental offices mess up the most.

Often dental practitioners don’t reply to the reviews, whether they are positive or negative.

Clients are drawn to dental offices that are engaged with their clients because it shows that you care.

Not replying to the reviews shows potential clients that you don’t care about their views and suggestions, and they will go elsewhere.

Therefore, always make sure to reply to both positive and negative reviews.

Unanswered Q & A

Q and A often get ignored a lot by dental offices.

If you don’t answer them, they will be left unanswered or answered by somebody else, and whatever answer is provided could be wrong.

Ignoring blurry or bad-quality photos of your dental office

Photos are often neglected. There are dental offices where that only have a street view.

Sometimes the only other picture posted is from the client, and the images are often not attractive to the dental office.

Find out how People are Finding Your GMB Profile

Google Business Profile Insights focuses on how clients find your profile on Search and Maps and what they do after seeing it.

You can check how often your dental office’s profile has been viewed through your Business Profile on Google Maps.

In addition, you can use profile view insights to track how popular your dental office is with current and potential clients.

To check your profile insights, sign in to the same Google Account for your Google Business Profile.

You’ll also see simple insights on Maps and Search if you are logged in.

Hire Someone to Manage Your Listing

These days having a solid online presence is not only helpful but necessary.

GMB is an extraordinary tool that can set your dental office apart from the rest, and not just by the skin of your teeth but by incomparable measures.