According to one recent study, about 90% of all online experiences still begin with a search engine. Not only that, but Google has about 91.04% of the global search market share as of 2024. This means that if someone is going to find your plastic surgery business for the first time, they’re likely turning to the Internet – and specifically to Google – to do it.
Since Google still makes the majority of its money from advertising revenue, they have a vested interest in keeping you on its search engine results pages as long as possible. That’s why you’ve seen Google Business Profiles become more and more prominent over the last few years. If you need contact information for a local business, or just want to find out more basic information about their services, you now no longer have to leave Google to get it – thus increasing the amount of money they’re able to generate.
But especially when it comes to something like a plastic surgery business, your Google Business Profile is so much more than just a virtual calling card. For many, it will be the most important factor they use when deciding whether to pick up the phone and give you a call at all. Because of that, you want to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward and are creating the strongest Google Business Profile you can.
This isn’t necessarily difficult, but it will require you to keep a number of important things in mind along the way.
Claim and Verify Your Profile
Even if you don’t plan on taking any additional steps when it comes to your Google Business Profile, the number one thing you still need to do is claim it.
That profile likely exists whether you want it to or not. If you don’t claim it, someone else might. The last thing you need is something that doesn’t actually represent your plastic surgery practice having the ability to post whatever they want on the world’s most powerful search engine.
Likewise, verification lets people know that updates through the Google Business Profile are actually coming from you. They put more stock into them, and it makes you appear more trustworthy, which can help convince people to pick up the phone and give you a call.
Writing Complete and Accurate Business Information
When you include information on your Google Business Profile (and any other business directory for that matter), you always need to make sure that your name, address, and phone number information are accurate.
Make sure that your name looks the same on every platform, down to the title case. If you have multiple addresses, choose one as your “primary” one. Make sure that everything is accurate and consistent to avoid confusion later on. The last thing you want is to send someone into the arms of a competitor because they’re not sure if two entries are for the same business due to a different address and they don’t want to bother to verify for themselves.
Engaging Business Descriptions
The key to crafting compelling business descriptions is to make yours sound like the type of plastic surgery practice that you would want to be a client of. Make your services sound as exciting as possible and incorporate as many relevant keywords as you can for local SEO purposes.
Note that this is one of those situations where the old saying of “brevity is the soul of wit” very much applies. Keep your description concise, but informative. Short, sweet, and to the point is always crucial.
Utilize High-Quality Visual Content
It must also be noted that high-quality photos, videos, and other types of visual content are essential for service-oriented businesses like plastic surgeons. There is a lot of nuances that might get lost in terms of what you do and why it’s important if you’re relying on text alone. Photos and videos can help tell that story in a far more compelling and engaging way.
Always follow the guidelines for adding engaging visuals to your Google Business Profile. Use this as a visual opportunity to show off not just your business, but the members of your team, your services, and anything else that you think would be relevant to someone looking for a plastic surgeon via a Google search.
Managing and Responding to Customer Reviews
In the modern era, social proof is hugely important so whenever you can, ask your satisfied clients to leave reviews on Google. This will go a long way towards improving your local reputation. According to another recent study, 87% of customers say they read online reviews for local businesses before choosing one to go with.
Encourage your patients to be as specific as possible in your reviews. For the best results, they should not only mention your location, but also other local lingo whenever they can.
Implementing Local SEO Strategies
Speaking of local SEO, always integrate local keywords into your business description whenever you can naturally do so. Even if it’s as simple as adding relevant service areas and location-specific information, it will go a long way when someone conducts a “near me” search in one of those areas.
Local SEO has a major impact on your ability to generate leads. An optimized profile will help you appear in the Google Map Pack, which dramatically increases the chances that someone will pay you a visit in-person.
Utilizing Google Posts for Updates
As time goes on, remember that your Google Business Profile doesn’t have to be something you “set up once and forget about.” The vast majority of new patients to your plastic surgery business will still find you this way.
Therefore, what better way to take advantage of that than to use Google posts for location-specific promotions and announcements? Hold a contest in particular areas and post about it on Google. It will certainly help you continue to rise through the search engine results pages.
Again, make sure that you update posts consistently to keep customers informed. You don’t want to send someone from Google to your website only to have it feel like two totally different places.
Implementing Attributes and Services
In order to separate yourself from your competitors, you’ll want to utilize attributes in your Google Business Profile to highlight any unique features that you offer. Yes, to a certain extent, plastic surgery is very similar from one practice to the next. But nobody does what you do quite like how you do it, and this is your chance to show that off.
Likewise, you should add as much detailed information about your services offered as possible. Don’t just focus on what you do – focus on why it matters. This is a great way to establish yourself as an authority in the area and to again separate yourself from your competitors who may not go into quite as much detail as you do.
Encouraging Customer Interaction
Finally, you should always encourage customer interactions whenever possible – even if that just means answering straightforward questions. Plastic surgery is a complicated topic to many people. There are things that may seem easy to comprehend to you that folks are having a difficult time wrapping their head around.
Use this as an opportunity to solicit those questions and provide easy answers that everyone can understand. Offer your own unique take on certain topics. It’s the perfect way to slowly but surely start building a sense of community through customer engagement. The more engaged they are, the more likely they are to tell friends, family members, and other loved ones about you – which is how repeat business is born.
With Surefire Local, Your Google Business Profile is Only the Beginning
As an all-in-one marketing platform, we designed Surefire Local to be the single most valuable asset in your quest to bring your plastic surgery business to the widest audience possible.
We want to make it easy for you to reach the right type of audience – meaning, the one that is made up of people most likely to become one of your patients in the first place. That’s why we’ve created one tool that you can use to manage all areas of your online marketing. When it comes to your Google Business Profile, not only can you effortlessly use Surefire Local to post updates that people need to know about. You can also:
- Manage your business information and make important changes in seconds.
- Upload high quality photos to help with local SEO.
- Request new reviews to empower your business through social proof.
- Respond to the reviews you’re already getting.
- Post and answer Q&As to keep your audience members informed.
- Monitor engagement and customer interactions so that you can make sure all important metrics are always headed in the right direction.
Our intention is that once you use Surefire Local, it quickly becomes the tool you start to wonder how you were ever able to survive without. So if you’d like to find out more information about how your Google Business Profile can be one of your most powerful weapons for exposing your plastic surgery business to a new audience, contact us today. You can also click here to attend a Surefire Local demo to see exactly what our industry-leading all-in-one marketing platform is capable of.