I want to talk to you today about claiming and optimizing Google My Business. It is a crucial online, digital tool service from Google that is available to local businesses, true brick and mortar businesses, or service area businesses. You have to have a business in a location to claim a profile for that location, but when you do, it does unlock some powerful tools.
What I want you to do is type into Google the name of your business, not your website, just the name of your business and maybe the city where your dental practice is located. Generally speaking, there is a really good chance that you actually have a Google My Business profile that has been created in your business’s name because Google is constantly looking for information, addresses, phone numbers, and things out there to present when people are searching.
Claim Your Business on Google My Business
If you just want to start from the very beginning, business.google.com is where you’ll go to find a Google My Business profile or to set one up. Once you find it, if you’ve already claimed it, you should be able to log in and do all the editing we’re going to talk about.
If you find your profile and it says “Is this your business?” – click yes, and you will have a number of processes you might have to go through. They may have to mail you a postcard. You may be able to do it with an email or a text.
Key Optimization Steps
- Choose the right primary and secondary categories – your primary category should be “Dentist” with secondary categories for your specialties
- Complete every section of your profile – services, hours, attributes, description
- Add high-quality photos – exterior, interior, team photos, and before/after images if appropriate
- Publish regular Google Posts – share news, promotions, events, and educational content
- Answer questions in the Q&A section – proactively add and answer common patient questions
- Generate and respond to reviews – reviews are a major ranking and trust factor
