Google My Business Guide for Healthcare Providers

We all know the internet, particularly Google, is one of the first places a person goes when looking for a product or service – which is why businesses need to have an online presence so they can be easily found by the people who need it. During this time with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important for essential businesses, especially healthcare providers, to provide as much information online as they can.

To help provide support, Google published a new document of guidelines on how to use Google My Business, specifically tailored for healthcare providers like doctors, therapists, and medical practitioners.

How Google My Business Displays Results

We recently talked about how Google limited local reviews in Google My Business, a choice that could be seen as both helpful and detrimental. But Google is recognizing the importance of Google My Business, which pulls in map listings for businesses in local searches. So, if someone was searching for a “doctor near me” – these local listings are going to be listed in the results, making it imperative that accurate information is provided to the end user. The information provided by a Google My Business in the search engine results page listing includes:

• Website
• Directions
• Phone number
• Customer reviews
• Photos
• Short summary of your business

Managing Your Google My Business Profile

Google’s guidelines provide a series of steps for managing your Google My Business profile that are particularly important for healthcare providers. They are as follows:

• Manage your practice’s information – provide a summary of your offerings, including your education or licenses, set specific business hours, and create booking links. That way your customers will have as much information available to them as quickly as possible.
• Set your location – many healthcare providers are located within a complex or group office. Ensure your location and suite number are listed properly and request to have any important information regarding your location displayed on your profile.
• Adding services offered – healthcare providers can add a list of services to their profile, along with descriptions and prices. You can choose from a list of suggested services or add your own custom ones. Consider things that might be important during this time like telehealth, video visits, or house calls.
• Stay engaged – it’s important to stay engaged and keep patients updated, so create posts to keep your patients up to date on news & major health events, as well as share public health and educational messages.
• Manage your practices attributes – Google has a list of attributes tied to your listing, like “has Wi-Fi” or “wheelchair accessible”. They use different sources when collecting this information, so ensure that the attributes are correct and edit when necessary.

To view Google’s full list of guidelines on Google My Business for healthcare providers, take a look at the help document here.

Keep Your Business Running During COVID-19

Atilus is trying to do our part in helping small businesses that are struggling during COVID-19. We can help you claim and manage your Google My Business listing, as well as a number of other digital services that can help you keep your business running smoothly during this difficult time. Give us a call at (239) 321-1271 to set up a complimentary marketing consultation today. Also, check out our COVID-19 resources page for more help!