Having a Google My Business profile is definitely in the must-have category for any physician who wants to rank online. However, not everything in your profile will impact rankings.
Here are the ones to focus on.
Your Business Name
Surprisingly enough, the business name actually seems to be a significant ranking factor when it comes to local searches.
Now, you can’t just stuff keywords into your business name; that goes against Google’s policy. However, this is where having a personal brand comes in as a big advantage because you can add your primary keyword to your name.
For example, a pediatrician could name their Google My Business: Dr. John Doe, Pediatrician
Your Business Categories
Currently, Google has about 4,000 business categories, and they allow you to add up to ten categories to your profile.
For example, an Ob/Gyn can add the following categories:
- Obstetrician-gynecologist
- Gynecologist
- Women’s health clinic
- Fertility physician
- Doctor
- Surgeon
Google continues to expand the list of business categories you can select, so it’s worth it to check once a month or so to see if Google has added any other categories for your specialty.
Your Website and Appointment Fields
Linking to your personal physician website in the Google My Business Profile fields for both websites and appointments is a big win, which will also help you in local searches.
Google My Business is such a great tool for physicians. Even today, most doctors and health systems haven’t optimized their profiles, creating a great opportunity for those wanting to rank well locally.