As a medical professional, you know that Google is the number one search engine used by people to find information about businesses. In fact, as of August 2022, Google has a global market share of over 92% among search engines. This means that if your practice doesn’t have a presence on Google, there’s less than an 8% chance that potential patients will be able to find you online. That’s why ensuring your practice has a positive presence on Google and its trusted directories is so important. It goes without saying that reading and responding to patient reviews is an essential part of any healthcare provider office manager’s job description. Review websites are now one of the most reliable sources for checking up on businesses before visiting them. So here are some tips for how you can manage your practice’s presence on these sites from your desk.
Add Photos of Your Office and Updated Contact Information
As you’re managing your reviews, one of the first things you’ll want to do is to add photos of your office. While it’s common for some practices to include photos of the hospital and its staff, it’s important also to include images of the waiting room and front desk areas. This gives patients a better sense of what to expect when visiting your hospital and can help to alleviate some of the anxiety that comes with visiting a doctor’s office for the first time. It’s also a good idea to update your practice’s address and contact information. This can be easily done by logging in to your Google My Business account. You can also add a link to your website and other social media pages such as Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
Reply to Negative Reviews With Transparency
If your practice receives a negative review, don’t panic. Instead, take a deep breath and reply in as transparent a way as possible. Be gentle and acknowledge that you understand the reviewer’s frustrations and provide a short explanation for the incident. You can also ask the reviewer to call you directly so you can address the issue in person. Remember, you can’t delete bad reviews, so the only thing you can do is offer a brief explanation and an invitation to prospective patients to take the information into consideration when choosing a medical practice.
It is also important to respond to negative reviews with compassion and respect. Even if you disagree with the review, you need to show that you value the reader. The best way to do this is to ask questions. If you can learn from the negative review, it will go a long way toward improving your business.
Respond to Positive Reviews with Gratitude
If you receive positive reviews, be sure to respond to them and do so with gratitude. The best thing you can do is to offer a sincere “thank you” to the reviewer, and let them know that you appreciate their feedback. Remember, you’re not obligated to give out any special offers or discounts, just be sure to let patients know that they’ve been heard.
If you want to go above and beyond, you can ask if you can get in touch with them if there is something from the review that you can use as a learning experience. This will show your readers that you are grateful for the feedback and that you are always looking to improve.
Utilize Google Ads For More Visibility
Beyond responding to your reviews, you can also expand your medical practice’s visibility by using Google Ads. This will allow you to place ads that show up towards the top of the search engine results pages for common search terms related to the industry. With Google Ads, you can choose your target audience, create your own ads, and track your progress. Best of all, it is relatively inexpensive, with costs starting at less than $10 per day. And with Google Ads, you can create campaigns that allow you to show different ads to different audiences, based on their location, language, device type, and more.
Conclusion
Reviews are important for any business, including medical practices. Having positive reviews will help you to attract more patients and increase your revenue. While negative reviews will not necessarily hurt your practice, they do show up in the search engine results, which can negatively impact your business. With these tips, it’s easier than ever to manage your reviews on Google. Remember that your practice’s reviews matter and they can have a big impact on your bottom line.
