How to Increase Your Practice’s Online Visibility

When someone searches for your practice on Google, what do they see? Do you show up on the list when they search “dentists near me”? 

Improving your online search visibility helps your practice rise to the top of Google’s results so you can put your best foot forward and win over local prospects.

Online Visibility & Why it Matters for Dentists

When a patient searches for a new dentist, they often start looking online. A BrightLocal survey showed that 93% of consumers used Google to find a business in the past year. 

Once they search “dentist near me,” 2 out of 3 searchers will click on one of the top five options that come up in their search results (Impact Plus). 

Dental practices that show up near the top of the list simply get more clicks, website visits, calls, and ultimately more new patients. It pays to be near the top of the first page.

Why Is My Practice Not Showing Up on Google?

If your practice isn’t showing up on Google at all, the first thing you should check is whether you’ve set up your Google Business Profile.

Having a complete profile makes it more likely for Google to list you near the top of search results.

To claim or set up your profile, sign in to Google Business Profile Manager at https://www.google.com/business/. 

From there, fill in every field – including your location, hours, and contact information. If you have professional-quality photos of your practice, add them here. And finally, fill out your description with details about your practice and the services you offer.

Completing your profile is the best way to make sure you show up on Google and improve your online visibility.

Improve Your Local Search Results

Now that your practice is showing up in Google results, you can work on improving your local ranking. 

One of the biggest factors in determining your local ranking is your Google reviews. When patients submit reviews, it works as social proof to show prospects how great your practice is. Google sees reviews the same way, so it gives a boost to practices with more reviews.

Here are a few things Google looks for and how to meet the mark:

1. Number of reviews. Ask every patient for a review and send a follow-up after your original request in order to earn more reviews.
2. Recency of reviews. Keep the reviews coming in. Once you see your numbers increase, don’t become complacent and stop asking. The more reviews you have in the past few weeks, the better.
3. Quality of reviews. Ask your patients to leave detailed reviews by sharing what they specifically liked about your practice or their visit.
4. Review responses. Responding to reviews wins with patients (according to Review Trackers, 53% of reviewers expect a reply within at least 1 week) and with Google. Replying to every review with at least a quick “thank you!” can help improve your search visibility.

Review Management Tools Help With Visibility

Review management software can help you send out automatic review requests via text message to patients after their visits. It takes the heavy lifting off your plate so you can focus on providing amazing patient care while you rise to the top of Google’s search results. 

See Swell’s review management in action in a demo today!