How to set up Google My Business
Google My Business profiles are easy to set up. We’ll cover the basic steps to creating an effective and eye-catching GMB listing in this article.
Creating your GMB Account
To claim your listing, you need to set up a Google account to manage your Google apps. The first step is to set up an email specifically for these management tasks. We recommend something like marketing@*yourdomain*.com. You want to use your domain email so you can maintain ownership in the event of an employee leaving or you discontinue working with your marketing company.
This dedicated email account will allow you to access the Google suite of products. You can set up the account at google.com/accounts.
Don’t allow employees or marketing companies to verify the practice with their personal emails and cell phone numbers. It can be time-consuming and difficult to reclaim the listing if they don’t cooperate with Google’s request to transfer ownership.
Verifying your Practice
Find your Business
After setting up your Gmail account, find your practice listing at: gybo.com/business.
If your practice is listed in Google Maps you’ll be able to claim or add your business there.
You can also search in Google for your business name and if the business listing comes up, click on “Own this business?” and claim your listing.
Name Address Place (NAP) data
You’ll be prompted to add or correct your dental practices business information. You must ensure this information is correct because you will be using the NAP across numerous online listings. Consistency is essential to assist with local search engine optimization.
Dentist office categories
You’ll be selecting a business category. Select your primary category (like dentist or orthodontist) and several secondary categories.
Mail or phone verification
After completing your listing, you’ll be offered a verification option. Some practices can verify by phone or some must verify by mail.
Make sure you keep an eye out for your postcard code or answer the phone to get the code. It can take a while to get the code and you want to get optimizing as quickly as possible. It’s easy to lose the card or accidentally throw it out with the junk mail.
How to Optimize your Practice Listing
Name
Use your practice’s legal name and use it consistently for all of your listings across the internet. There are two types of listings, practitioner listings, and business listings.
Do not add any types of search keywords to your listing; doing so will only harm your listing in the long run. For example, do not use “Jones Dentistry & Dental Implants Perth.” Just use “Jones Dentistry of Perth” if that is the legal business name. Google monitors for listing spam and penalizes practices that abuse the system. It’s also essential that all of your business citations across the internet match and if you add keywords the citations will not match. We see this tactic abused often and it only causes problems.
Address
Use your practice’s physical address, the same listing you use on your website. If you have several offices, create different listings for each office. Confirm your address on the map that will appear.
Phone Number
Use your real practice phone number. Use that number on your website and your GMB listing.
Website Address
Make sure that you use the correct version of your website, and if you haven’t upgraded to an HTTPS secure website connection, consider doing it right away. As of October 2017, websites will mark as insecure by most major web browsers and Google. Make sure you are consistent and use the actual website address across your listings.
Photos and Images
High-quality photographs of the practice, dentist, and staff are all very important elements of a great GMB listing. According to a Google study in July 2015 by an independent market research firm, “listings with photos and a virtual tour are twice as likely to generate interest.“
Hire a professional photographer to take pictures of the dentist, staff, and office, and post these on your listing and your website. Make the featured picture a picture of the most photogenic dentist in the practice. People are naturally drawn to faces over pictures of offices and buildings. Never use stock photos. Most people can spot stock photos a mile away, and today’s patients are looking for authenticity.
You should upload the following types of photos to your profile:
- Practice brand assets like logos
- Doctor profile photos
- Team photos
- Action photos
- Interior practice showcase photos
- Exterior practice showcase photos
Google has a reference page that provides you with information about the image formats you will need.
A virtual office tour is also a great thing to put on your Google listing. You can contact a Google-approved photographer to come to your business and create the tour. Any interactive features help to sell prospective patients. Find a Google Street View photographer here.
A virtual office tour is also a great thing to put on your Google listing. You can contact a Google-approved photographer to come to your business and create the tour. Any interactive features help to sell prospective patients. Find a Google Street View photographer here.
Need Assistance?
We can also assist you with setting up your GMB account as well as optimising your listing with images and any additional information to your Listing. Simply email us or you can schedule a Zoom call with us here: