Google Business Profile (GMB) Checklist To Follow When A New Dentist Client is Onboard!

Claiming and optimizing your client’s Google Business Profile (GMB) is crucial for improving your dental practice’s online presence. As Google continues to improve the features of Google Business Profile (GMB), it becomes important that you have a checklist to ensure that you have done the most to keep your GMB Page updated at an utmost level.

This blog covers everything that you need to do from scratch. Assuming that you have got access to your client’s GMB already, here are the first things to do:

1. Check Business Name, Address & Phone Number.

As stated in the official Google Guidelines, to avoid any hiccups in the verification process, we suggest you check whether the brand name is exactly the same as what's mentioned on the client's website, storefront, branding materials, signage, etc.?

Also, go through the address once again to ensure that it matches with the ones mentioned on the website, branding materials, and business license agreement. Double-check the location marker set for your profile.?

Phone Numbers can be tricky. If you have tracking and direct numbers, ensure that both are updated in the GMB. Usually, it's better to fix one number for citations to keep the NAP score as high as possible.?

2. Add UTM Tracking On Website Link.

Make sure that you add the correct version of your website. It can be HTTPS, with www or without www, whichever one you consider as a master domain. A bonus tip, or maybe even call it a mandatory action: Add UTM Tracking on the Website Link before posting it on GMB. It not only helps you know the exact number of clicks that you have got via GMB but also, after digging a little more in Google Search Console, you would know the exact search queries for which your GBP Page is showing up. You can then play your local SEO game around those search queries.

3. Add Business Hours.

Of course, this is the obvious one, yet many dental offices do change their working hours after months. Sometimes they decide to be available on Saturdays for half a day or maybe they recruit someone to fill up the weekends. Well, if the previous hours are not updated on the GMB then you will miss out on some of the searches such as "dentist open near me," "dentist open Saturday," etc. Hence, keeping it updated is super important.?

4. Add Nearby Neighborhoods as Service Areas.

Sometimes people do not go with the searches like "dentist near me," and they rather go for queries like "best dentist in city" or "top rated dentist in city. "This explains the search behavior of patients living in neighborhood localities or suburbs who would opt to travel a little more and visit a dentist, which is the best or top-rated in the entire city rather than just someone nearby. So if you show up on their search results from their location for searches like "best dentist in city," then having their neighborhood mentioned in the service areas will act as another trust trigger and urge them to come to your dental clinic rather than the ones in their locality.

5. Add Primary Category & Other Secondary Categories.

You must ask your client for the list of dental procedures they provide and the list of special dentists they have at their practice. Doing so will help you add more categories than just "dentist," as in the primary one. Adding secondary categories like "cosmetic dentist," "emergency dentist," and "periodontist" will help you rank for respective search queries. Add as many relevant secondary categories as possible, given the dental client is offering it in the first place. Also, adding a service description to all categories will help customers know what they can expect at your dental clinic.??

6. Add An Appealing Business Description & Opening Date.?

It's a space where you can share your dental office's unique offerings, value proposition, and history with your patients. You can add a description as long as 750 characters. Don't add promotions here. You can add them to the offers section.

Earlier this year, Google displayed opening dates in local search results. If you choose not to an opening date for your profile inside Google Business Profile (GMB), Google will often select a date based on other citations , which could easily be wrong.

Google has decided that it's up to the business owner to choose whether they use the date that the location opened or the official opening date of the business as a whole.Its advisable to go with the oldest date possible. "12+ years in business" looks much better in the search results than "1+years in business". Have a look at the below given screenshot of local pack results showing “years+ in business” plumbing businesses:-

7. Add Appointment Link.

If your client has a dedicated "schedule an appointment" page for patients, it's cheery on the cake. You can add a UTM parameter Appointment page link to your Google My Business Page. It's just another way of converting your users to new patients right from the moment they find you on search.

8. Add Services as Products under Products Section.

This feature is more suitable for e-commerce or product-based businesses. Still, as a dentist, one can add different types of dentistry as products: Emergency Dentistry, Cosmetic Dentistry, General Dentistry, etc. You can also create different segments for each type.?

After adding each service as a product, you must have also seen a space for product description and Website Link: you can add a service page link and help users navigate to the specific page just like that!

9. Add Photos, Videos & 360 Virtual Tours.

Adding quality photos & videos of your dentistry will develop consumer trust. Setting up a logo and cover image will improve your brand identity.Apart from that, there are other types of photos which can make your profile complete i.e Interior photos, exterior photos, Dental staff at work photos, team pictures and much more.?

Additionally, adding a 360-degree view, i.e. a virtual tour of your dental clinic, will give you an extra edge. Not many of your competitors would be having it yet. It's the perfect time to upgrade your online identity.?

10. Add Google Posts, Offers & Events.

You can use the Google Updates section to stay active and communicate with your patients, informing them about holidays, new recruitment, and other announcements. Apart from that, do use the Offers section to post dental promotions if in case your client is offering any. You can also recommend your dentist client to set up a Dental Camp, and then you can promote it in the Google Event section.?

11. Add Attributes:

Imperative in every step of GMB listing optimization is providing all the information a potential patient needs to decide on choosing your practice. Marking all applicable attributes to ensure you land in every relevant search is another way. As local searches target specific queries, leverage proper attributes that allow your practice to stand out. The more detailed your listing, the better it will rank, and your ideal patients will likely discover you.

12. Add Health Insurance Providers.

Google recently introduced a new feature for the dental vertical, highlighting which insurance plans medical and dental practices accept. This helps users who search "dentist near me that accept ppo insurance," "dentist accepting Medicaid," etc. find the dentists who really accept Medicaid. So if you haven't added the names of the health insurance providers accepted at your client's dental office, then you are missing out on such transactional queries.

Summing up

That's pretty much it. Yes, there can be other advance steps that you need to take on your website as well to improve your local search results. However, this checklist contains the most vital ones that one must ensure are in place as soon as you get access to your client's GMB profile!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author Bio:

Vinit Shah is a search strategist by day, budding sports writer by night. With over 5 years of experience in Search Engine Optimization, he has helped multiple businesses gain organic visibility and leads through well curated SEO strategies. He loves writing case studies on local search as well. You can connect with him on Linkedin: Vinit Shah & Twitter @vinitshah5884