The Complete Guide to Google My Business for Your Dental Clinic in Austin

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What is Google My Business?

Google My Business (GMB) is a tool that helps businesses maintain their presence online on Google Search, Maps, and Display Network. It lets you manage your business profile, add photos and videos, creates reviews, etc.

Google calls your business's listing your "business profile," It appears in Google Maps and the local search results. Business profiles can help boost your business's presence on Google maps, and they are also used to determine what businesses are near your location.

It also comes with easy integration with the Google Suite of services, a huge plus point for businesses. Let's look at the tips on how dentists in Austin can benefit from their GMB profiles. 

10 Tips for Austin Dentists to Optimize their Google My Business Profile

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1. Create Or Claim Your Business Profile

The first step to GMB optimization is to create a business profile for your dentist's clinic. You can go to the official GMB website and register. If you already have an account, there is an option of claiming it. You have to follow a few steps they tell you, and you will be able to do so.

Strategies To Create And Claim Your GMB

A lot of people confuse a business profile with the actual account. The thing is that both of them are separate entities. The account is what has all your details, and you create your profile on this account. Then you connect both through Google. 

It is easy to do, and anyone with a Gmail account can get it done. This is an important step mandatory for starting up your own GMB profile. Don't let third-party agencies create this for you, as it could be compromised later. 

Things To Remember When Creating Your GMB Profile

• All creating a GMB needs is a Gmail account at your end. 
• Ensure that you log on to the correct address, linked here again - Google My Business.
• Claiming your profile is easy, and you should do it. Don't create another new profile if there is an existing one. 

Here’s a screenshot of a business you can claim:

2. Choose The Right Keywords For Content

The way you optimize your GMB page for Google search is very important. We find that more than 75% of the searches that come to our site are based on keywords. If you want your business to show up on Google, you must know those keywords. So first, you need to set your keyword goals for your business profile. 

Choosing And Optimizing The Right Keywords 

When it comes to keywords, you have a lot of options. You can use broad, general terms and then create sub-categories around those broad terms to get more specific. You can also try using longer phrases that match your brand and the message you want to convey.

The important thing to remember is that search engines have become increasingly sophisticated. They can identify keywords that aren't necessarily on the surface of your pages. 

• Moz Keyword Explorer can help you identify niche keywords related to dentistry.
• Google Keyword Planner is another powerful utility that is also free.
• Keyword Surfer can help highlight SEO suggestions through an extension.

Here’s a screenshot of Keyword Surfer:

3. Ensure That You Fill In All Sections

The GMB profile has a lot of sections that you need to complete. This can give both Google and your audience a better idea about your dentistry practice. Fill in all necessary details and check to verify if it is correct. 

Verify That You Complete All GMB Sections

Many people wonder how to get started with GMB optimization. A good starting point is to complete all the profile sections, including a description and photo. Sharing complete information is key to the optimization of your GMB. 

You can then edit the information you have there. Once you've made any edits, you should save the changes. This signals to Google that you're the owner of the page. 

• Ensure you add in all the requisite details.
• Check and verify that you have the right information added. You can make edits, but they can be a hassle. 
• You can also add new sections, which gives you more flexibility. 

Here’s a screenshot of a GMB business with a description:

Read: What are the Benefits of a Google My Business Listing?

4. Check For Consistent NAP On All Platforms

This is probably the most important thing that you need to do. NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is a critical part of the GMB validation process. NAP details also need to be consistent over a variety of platforms. Only if it is consistent will you be able to rank higher. 

How NAP Affects Rankings And SEO

Not many people know that NAP details need to be added correctly. It is not just about accurate data but also how well you rank across your niche. Search engines validate NAP information across several platforms you post on. 

This means you need to ensure that you have the right NAP data across all listings. Take adequate steps to verify your information about the business. 

• The name of your business needs to match with all instances online. 
• Typos are the most common errors here. Check for abbreviations like street and lane. 
• Indicate your working hours correctly and consistently so people can visit your clinic. 

Here’s a screenshot of important NAP information in a business:

5. Choose The Right Categories

Another thing to remember about your GMB profile is to create categories relevant to your business. Categories have a lot to do with the way Google shows your listing. It's not uncommon to see small businesses use completely out-of-place categories. 

The problem is that putting them in the wrong categories can affect your online ranking. 

Opting For The Right GMB Categories

To ensure that your GMB performs well, make it a point to choose your categories correctly. What you have to consider when creating a GMB account is how many of the same categories will be linked together. 

All links that point to the same category appear as one entry in Google. To avoid this, create a few unique categories and keep them separate.

• Read online about what the most common business categories are for dentists. 
• Editing this later can be a problem, so make sure you get it right the first time. 
• Look for more specific industries rather than opt for generic ones like health and wellness.

Here’s a screenshot of where you can select the right GMB category:

6. Check Off The Relevant Business Attributes

As a dentist's clinic, there are several attributes that your business might have. This can be parking facilities, wheelchair access, accepting new patients, and other amenities. These give your audience a good idea of your clinic before visiting you.

Sharing More Information With Attributes

Business attributes are the most common things associated with your workplace. It gives people information about your clinic and the various amenities present. People can also use this to compare you with your competitors in the Austin area. 

It is in your interest to have checked off the most common attributes in your niche. It can increase footfall in your clinic. 

• The more green checks you have on your attributes on GMB, the better.
• Research the best attributes for your niche and add them accordingly. 
• Sometimes you also need to factor in "hidden" attributes, which you should check. 

Here’s a screenshot of a GMB attribute:

7. Set Up Your Messaging

As a dental clinic, communication is a big part of the business. GMB also offers you several tools to communicate with your audience. These are important tools from a business standpoint. They can improve business perception and increase traffic. 

Improving Your GMB Messaging

A huge number of people are using smartphones today. More than 97% of people use smartphones to search for services online. As a dental clinic, you need to adapt to this mode of getting people interested. 

This adapts messaging a critical evolution to your dental clinic. It can help you communicate easier with your patients. It increases the chances of them leaving a good review on your GMB when you're being communicative. 

• Messaging is easy to access and simple for anyone who visits your GMB.
• Messaging fosters a better doctor-to-patient relationship and improves morale. 
• Your patients can easily contact you, prompting more positive reviews. 

Here’s an example of the messaging feature on GMB:

8. Respond To Customer Reviews

Reviews are a huge part of the modern marketing trend. People tend to believe more in reviews than other sources. This is normally referred to as word-of-mouth marketing, and you need to ensure that it works for you.

How Reviews Can Help Marketing

Many dentists may be wondering if you should respond to your customers' reviews. After all, negative reviews can damage your reputation. The answer is simple - yes, you should respond to reviews. 

But only respond if you think your response will make the customer feel heard, respected, and appreciated. If the review is about something you can fix or something you don't need to take personally, it's probably best to ignore it. 

• Encourage people who visit your clinic to leave reviews on your GMB.
• Never take negative reviews to heart - there's always a solution that can help.
• Engage with people understanding that this is a reflection of your business.

Here’s an screenshot of a dental business’s response to a customer review:

9. Upload Images Periodically

One of the most important things you can do is make sure your business profile is up-to-date. If you don't upload images periodically, Google could potentially start showing old pictures of your business. Or even worse - your competitors' business which can impact your own.

Advantages Of Images For GMB

There are several things you can do to help optimize your site. One of the easiest things to do is regularly upload images to your website. The more images you have, the more attractive your GMB profile will be.

You can also use your Google My Business account to link your Facebook page to your business listing. This will automatically show up on your business page on Facebook and keep images fresh.

• Include behind-the-scenes images to get more engagement from your audience. 
• Ensure that your photos are high-quality but optimized. 
• Tools like Adobe Photoshop and Imgur can help optimize images. 

Here’s a screenshot of a dental business’s images for GMB:

10. Publish Relevant Posts Weekly

Posting content is not just important for your website; and it boosts your GMB profile as well. Showcase new posts and quality content on your GMB to engage more people. Doing this consistently ensures that you become an authority in the niche. 

Read: Post-high-quality content

As a dental clinic, posting informative content is important for your audience. People are always looking to learn more about dental techniques. As you keep publishing more content, they will look towards your practice.

Consistently doing this can give your business the boost it needs. Eventually, clicks on articles will turn into requests for appointments. 

• Find the right keywords to be added to the content with SEMrush and Ahrefs.
• Research topics that are talked about and relevant to your niche. 
• Produce high-quality copy with tools like Grammarly and Pro Writing Aid.

Here’s a screenshot of Grammarly:

Key Takeaways

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• Listing your clinic on the GMB is the most important step for more exposure.
• Research and implement the right keywords for your niche. 
• Engage your audience through reviews as much as possible. 
• Create informative content that is actionable for people. 
• Use social media platforms to connect with your audience. 
• Reach out for collaboration with niche-related influencers. 
• Focus on creating 'buzz' around your clinic through local events and content.