Being found in Google search results and being chosen by potential patients depends on how well your Google Business Profile, also known as your Google Maps listing, is optimized. Here are some of the most recent changes to your Google Business Profile and how you can optimize your listing higher rankings on the Google map.
What’s changed about your Google business listing?
A few days earlier, Google has sent out a notification that the Google My Business (GMB) app is being retired (Illustration 1). We use the GMB app to update our Google business profiles. We knew this change was on the way, but we hoped it wouldn’t be true. Now when you open the GMB app you will see a message saying the GMB app is no longer available and to update your google listing you will need to use search or google maps.
If you’re signed in to a Google Account that owns or manages your Google Listing, now called your Google Business Profile, and you search for your practice name, you can edit your listing directly in the search results. Here is a screenshot of my search (Figure 2) when I log in to my personal Google account, which is a manager in the My Social Practice Google business profile. It’s pretty simple, and it’s one less app to remember to use.
Are you signed into the correct Google account?
How to find out if you are in the right account. Go to Google and search for the name of your dental office. Does the search result show the editing area, as in Figure 2? If not, you are not signed in to a Google Account that owns or manages your practice listing. You have two options: have the Google Business Profile owner add you to your practice as a manager, or sign in with a different Google account.
How to add a manager to your Google business profile
By phone
Ask a Google Business Profile owner to do the following:
- Open Google Maps
- Search for your practice name and open the profile.
- Click on the three dots in the top right.
- > Company Profile Settings > Manager > Add Manager
- This will send a notification invite.
About desktop
Ask an owner of your Google business profile to do the following:
- Search your practice on Google.
- Select the three dots in the top right corner of the editing area.
- > Company Profile Settings > Manager > Add Manager
Need a little more guidance?
If you’re like me and would rather watch a video than read an article, I’ve recorded one dental SEO training video explaining the changes. Also, you may not have control over your listing. Maybe someone else set it up for you, or you lost the login for the Google Account email address. If you are in this situation, that Video tutorial on how to claim your Google profile will help you solve some of the problems and regain control of your Google Listing.
How does this affect dental SEO?
One of the most effective ways to attract new patients is to rank higher on Google Maps. This is where more than half of all potential patients go when looking for a new dentist in their area. You can Improve your listing rankings if you update it regularly with new photos, videos, posts, services, promotions, products, review answers, a list of accepted insurance, answers to questions and answers and many other articles.
Hopefully now that you can do this directly from search results on a desktop or from Google Maps on your phone it will be quite easy. If you would like more information on how to improve your Google ranking, check it out above dental SEO tips 2022.
