How Dermatologists Can Use Google Reviews to Boost Visibility and Patient Trust
- Google Reviews are a key trust signal that help dermatologists attract new patients by showcasing real experiences, improving online reputation, and increasing visibility in local search and the Google Map Pack.
- A complete and regularly updated Google Business Profile is the foundation, enabling patients to find you when they search “dermatologist near me” and giving them immediate access to your ratings, contact info, and business hours.
- Surefire Local helps dermatology practices automate review requests, manage responses, and improve SEO, so you can turn patient feedback into a powerful growth engine.
As a healthcare service, dermatologists provide a very important service to their community. Yet, in most larger communities, there is more than one provider, each competing for the same patient. On top of this, many patients will travel to reach a qualified professional. That is why it is so important to rank well in the search engines and to build a strong reputation. Google Reviews and SEO work together to help you achieve these goals.
Why Google Reviews Matter to Dermatologists
Google Reviews is a non-paid rating service that consumers trust to provide authentic testimonials for the service providers they turn to for care. Whether it is a dermatologist or a cancer doctor, patients want to know as much as possible about the provider and why they are the best choice for their needs before they book a consultation. Google Reviews provides a window into who the provider is, what they can do, and what type of experience the patient will have.
Google Reviews matter to dermatologist practices for several key reasons:
- Good reviews encourage patients to book your services
- Reviews help you gain traction in the search engines, putting your practice closer to the top of the search engine results pages
- Reviews also give your business an opportunity to engage with patients and welcome them back
Google reviews for dermatologists are a must-have tool. However, they are not easily obtained without a significant amount of effort. That’s especially true as you seek to have 5-star reviews.
How to Use Google Reviews as a Dermatologist
To benefit from Google Reviews, it is critical to build a strong foundation and request that your current patients contribute.
To get started, establish your Google Business Profile, a free service that lets the search engine know that your business is in operation, what you do, and where you are located. Your GBP enables the search engine to help searchers find you when they seek a “dermatologist near me” within close proximity to your location.
Your GBP is a stepping stone, not just for reviews but also to get into the Map Pack, a listing of three locations that provide the services that the customer is looking for close to their physical location. For example, if the customer is looking for a dermatologist in Rhode Island, and they type that into the search engine, they will find your practice if they are within close proximity to your office’s location.
Once your office pops up in the Map Pack, it provides a description of your business, your hours of service, and your contact information. It also displays your Google reviews, which enable potential customers to immediately determine whether they want to connect with you and schedule an appointment.
Your first task, then, is to fill out your GBP comprehensively and ensure that it is accurate and up to date. You also want to be sure that your business is consistently updating this profile to ensure it is accurate.
How to Get Google Reviews as a Dermatologist
Now that you have a place for people to leave reviews, it is time to get them coming in. As a dermatologist, your best resource for your initial reviews is your current client base. Asking your clients for reviews is one of the most important steps you can take. Here are several strategies to help you encourage your current patients to provide reviews to you:
- Send them a follow-up email after their appointment. Thank them for their visit and provide follow-up information about their next appointment. Then, include a link to your Google Business Profile and request that they leave a review. That direct link encourages engagement.
- Send a text message to your patient after they leave the appointment. Include a link to your review page and ask them to rate the service they received from you.
- Create an email follow-up string that encourages your patients to connect with you about any concerns they have and to gain knowledge about their condition or needs. Ask them to leave a positive review. An educational series like this could be a great way to build your brand.
When a patient visits, ask them for a review. Doing this provides you with an opportunity to consistently build your reviews, but it also gives the patient an opportunity to directly ask you questions or, even more importantly, to handle any less-than-desirable experiences before they leave a poor review.
How to Improve Google Reviews
What happens if all of the reviews you get are not ideal? That isn’t a bad thing. Though the Google algorithm favors businesses, including dermatologists, who have higher ratings, there are some advantages to having a rating that is not perfect. First, it gives your ratings more credibility. Do you believe in a company that has nothing but 5 star ratings or one that has a few less-than-perfect ratings?
Of course, you will find that some people leave poor reviews for unfair reasons. Google has a process in place that allows you to have inaccurate or abusive reviews removed, especially if you have not worked with that patient before. However, what you do with negative reviews is very important to building your presence online. Consider these strategies for handling bad Google reviews as a dermatologist.
- Respond to the review on your GBP. Simply state that you are sorry that they were not happy with their experience. Ask them to contact you.
- Never answer negatively or review any patient information. Avoid outing them for being unfair or rude to you.
By taking those steps, you are showing other patients that you care about a poor experience and want to make it right. You are also demonstrating your professionalism.
How Can Google Reviews Help with SEO?
Reviews in general can help improve search engine optimization. SEO is the focus on getting your website, blog, and other pages to rank in the search engine results page as high as possible. There are several ways that reviews can play a role in that ranking:
- They increase your visibility. Good reviews help you demonstrate to Google that your business is a reputable one and that it is relevant to searchers who are looking for dermatologists within your community. That little boost helps the search engines know that it’s worth ranking your business.
- Local map pack boost. Reviews are an important factor in local search engine rankings. You want to be in the Map Pack, and reviews help you to get there.
- User-generated content. Did you know that the content, from the phrases and keywords to the photos of their services, provided by your patients can actually help you rank in the search engines? That is valuable content, often featuring critical insights that help search engines rank your website higher.
- Better click-through rates. Google places a higher value on a business that has more clicks from its landing page or search engine results page to its website. When you have better views, your potential customers are more likely to click through to your website.
- Long-tail keyword traffic. Google reviews can also give you a nice boost for long-tail keywords. Consumers often use the names of services they obtain, and may even include the names of products they use. This, along with city and state information, can help you with capturing some of those critical keywords.
Using Google reviews alongside your search engine strategy can help improve your ranking and enable you to reach more of the patients you want to serve. Reviews are one component of the bigger picture. You still need great content, and you need to draw customers to your website through social media marketing. Yet, with reviews, you are putting highly valuable content in front of the people most likely to need your services.
Do Not Make These Mistakes with Google Reviews
Google Reviews and SEO go hand in hand, but if you are making these mistakes, then that could lead to less than desirable outcomes:
- Don’t believe that you can ignore reviews. Both good and bad reviews deserve acknowledgment, and doing so is critical to showing the search engine that you’re taking action.
- People want to write reviews. Don’t make the mistake of believing that consumers do not know what they are or how to create them. Make it as easy as possible for them to leave a review for you.
- Don’t be aggressive in reviews. Even when you know the customer is not telling the truth about being unfair, do not respond negatively in public.
With all of that said, it’s time to start working to build reviews for your company. As a dermatologist, that means seeking out patients who want to share their opinion and offer an authentic experience.
Surefire Local can help you make that possible. Set up a free demo to learn how our automation tools can dramatically increase your reviews.