Looking to improve local search engine rankings for your optometry business? Don’t overlook the power of customer reviews in setting your business apart and making it easier for prospective patients to find.
If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to using eye doctor reviews to your advantage, there are some tips and tricks worth keeping in mind as you navigate this complex but important aspect of local marketing.
First Things First: Set Up Your Google Business Profile
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to set up your optometry office’s free Google Business Profile (previously known as Google My Business). This profile allows you to “claim” your business listing on Google, ensuring that it shows up on Google Maps when potential customers are looking for eye doctors in the area.
Having a Google Business Profile also allows you to post your business hours, address, and other essential information that prospective patients will want to know before scheduling an appointment. This profile is also where your customers will have the opportunity to leave public reviews for others to read.
Setting up your Google Business Profile is relatively simple, and you can get started here. However, verification is required — so you’ll need to complete this process before your profile can go public. The purpose of verification is to ensure that you are the actual business owner and that nobody is trying to claim your business fraudulently.
As you’re waiting for verification, you can still fill out your profile so that it’s ready to go when your profile is published. You might consider, for example, adding photos of your optometry office, as well as a description of the specific services that you offer.
The Benefits of Online Optometrist Reviews
As soon as your Google Business Profile is live, your customers/patients can start leaving reviews right away. These reviews are essential to building your brand awareness, as well as improving your search engine rankings and establishing your credibility as a trusted optometry office in the area.
Better Brand Awareness
As customers begin leaving reviews for your business, this can help to improve overall awareness of your brand. If you’ve ever been hesitant to try a new business due to lack of online reviews, then you can understand how this is the case. More reviews mean better brand recognition — and when those reviews are mostly positive, this can spread the word about your optometry office in all the best ways.
Improved Search Engine Rankings
It’s also worth noting that having more reviews published on your Google Business Profile can significantly improve your local search engine rankings. Google and other search engines take reviews into account when ranking them for search engine results — so having a lot of positive reviews could help your optometry office be listed closer to the top of the results. A higher search engine ranking can, in turn, make it easier for potential patients to find your business and increase the likelihood of them scheduling an appointment with you.
Competitive Advantage
More than likely, your optometry office isn’t the only one in town. How can you set yourself apart from your competitors? One of the best ways is to encourage your patients to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile page. The more positive reviews you have compared to your competition, the more of an advantage you’ll gain over other eye doctors in the area. This is especially true if other optometry offices aren’t leveraging their Google Business Profiles for reviews.
An Opportunity to Improve
While not every review will be a five-star review, the good news is that all reviews can give your optometry business an opportunity to improve based on genuine patient feedback. Without honest reviews, for example, you might not know that your office waiting room could use a television — or that some patients have been frustrated with the lack of evening hours. As you gather more reviews, your team may be able to pinpoint some much-needed areas of improvement that can drastically enhance the customer experience.
Using Eye Doctor Reviews to Your Advantage: Tips and Best Practices
So, your Google Business Profile is set up and ready to go. You’re ready to start seeing your first online reviews, but you’re not sure where to start. How can you encourage patients to leave reviews — and how should you respond to them? Here are a few practical tips worth keeping in mind as you prepare for this next stage of your local marketing strategy.
Ask Patients to Leave Reviews After Appointments
First and foremost, don’t assume that your patients will automatically start leaving reviews once your Google Business Profile is published. More than likely, they’ll need a little encouragement from you.
One of the best ways to get reviews from your patients is to simply ask. You might consider, for example, asking the front-desk receptionist at your optometry office to provide all patients checking out with a business card that includes a QR code. This QR code should link directly to your Google Business Profile, giving users the opportunity to leave a review quickly and easily.
Another option to consider is sending patients a follow-up email after their appointments that includes a link to your review page. However you decide to do it, it’s important to make it as easy and convenient as possible for users to leave a review. At the same time, keep in mind that Google (and other search engines) have strict rules against offering incentives in exchange for reviews — so if a patient chooses not to leave a review, you’ll need to accept it and move on.
Check Your Google Business Profile Regularly
Typically, you should receive a notification directly to your email when somebody leaves a review on your Google Business Profile. Still, it’s a good idea to visit your Google Business Profile regularly to monitor for reviews that have come in. This will ensure that you don’t miss any reviews while giving you a chance to make any other necessary updates to your profile.
Respond Directly to Customer Reviews
Ideally, you’ll want to set aside some time to respond to every single customer review. This includes both positive and negative reviews, although we’ll get into more detail on negative reviews in the following section.
When responding to customer reviews, it’s important to keep things as professional as possible. If a patient left a five-star review, thank them for taking the time to review your business and let them know that you look forward to serving them with their eye care needs in the future. Although it may seem somewhat silly to respond to a positive review, potential customers will see that you’ve taken the time to respond — which can demonstrate to them that you care about your patients and their experiences.
When responding to reviews, it’s also important to avoid generic or cut-and-paste responses. By taking the time to craft a unique response to each review, you can show your customers that you’ve fully read each review and cared enough to type a response.
Address Negative Reviews Appropriately
Unfortunately, negative reviews do happen. The most important thing to remember is that a negative review, on its own, is not the end of the world. What matters most is how you respond to a negative review.
Always remain professional and respectful when handling negative reviews online. Take time to apologize for the negative experience, explain your side of what happened (without being defensive), and offer a solution to resolve the issue in the future. For example, if a patient leaves a negative review because their afternoon appointment ran 30 minutes late and they were late to pick up their kiddo from soccer practice, you might consider offering them an earlier morning appointment in the future that’s more likely to stay on schedule.
Ready to Become a Top-Rated Optometrist in Your Area?
Online reviews can have a powerful impact on your optometry office’s online presence, especially when it comes to local search. By claiming and setting up your Google Business Profile and finding ways to encourage patients to leave reviews, you can improve your office’s reputation while boosting your search engine results in the process. At the same time, online reviews can provide your business with the genuine and honest feedback needed to improve operations and become a top-rated optometry office in your area.
Looking for more assistance when it comes to tackling your optometry office’s local marketing? Surefire Local is here to help you increase your visibility and get more traffic. Get in touch to learn more or schedule a demo today!