Are you a physical therapist looking to keep up on social media and marketing for your business online? Doing so can be overwhelming with all the tools out there that aimed at helping physical therapists build and maintain their digital footprint. Google alone offers a full suite of marketing tools to help you grow your practice. From Google Ads to Google Analytics and Google Search Console, it’s a lot to get a handle on.
Let’s start with the most important of all Google tools, one that can really skyrocket your physical therapy practice: Google My Business (GMB). It’s one of the most underrated online marketing tools that can benefit your business because Google My Business was specifically created to connect local businesses with local customers. And the best part? It is a completely free and easy-to-use tool that you can use to manage your online presence across all Google products.
Let’s talk through the major benefits of using Google My Business for physical therapists. Firstly, using Google My Business will make it easier for your physical therapy practice to be found on Google. When patients are searching for a new physical therapist in your area, you want them to be able to find you first. And as physical therapists who work in a specific local area, you probably realize that to pull in new patients, you need to be able to be found easily and regularly in Google’s search function. You can encourage your ranking position in the Google algorithm findings with great SEO techniques and ensure your practice ranks high enough to be seen by potential clients in your area. Use keywords that future patients would use to find a service like yours, especially if you have a specific specialty or focus. Target your potential clients by using these specific terms they might be searching for. Then Google will prioritize the search results for businesses that claimed, verified and optimized their GMB profile to match the terms being searched.
With Google My Business, you can build the odds of your physical therapy practice appearing on the list when a Google search is performed—also on Google Maps. Be mindful that you do have to complete your Google My Business profile completely. Include exact details of your location and address, all of your contact details and accurate opening hours. At the very least, this includes the following: your business name, address, website address, phone number, and your business category. It’s also recommended that you upload a minimum of 10 photographs of your physical therapy practice to fully optimize your rankings on the search page. The more data you can provide as the practitioner, the higher you raise your chances of getting those all-important rankings on Google.
The key administrations that Google My Business covers are: Google Places, Google Maps, and Google Analytics and Insights. We also suggest using the specifically powerful aspects of Google My Business physical therapists: Google Business Profile, Google Reviews, Google Questions & Answers, and Google Posts.
Let’s break down how they help you here:
Google Business Profile
Your free Google Business Profile does more than you think. You’ve likely noticed whenever you do a Google search yourself, that a panel appears near the top of the page that lists local businesses. These listings are optimized for anyone with a Google Business Profile and businesses will often rank higher when they use the other tools in the Google My Business suite.
The top 3 local services show up—for free—right beneath the ads. Google refers to this grouping as, “the local 3 pack,” and being in that 3-pack can greatly influence your business. Not only will it list the imperative information about your business, but you can optimize your listing to showcase the best features of your physical therapy practice and make it easy for patients to discover, learn about and contact your business. Optimize your rankings in search by using relevant keywords in your profile and description. Then fill out your Business Profile fully with lots of attractive information because Google is known to rank Business Profiles according to their quality.
Google Reviews
Once you have completely filled out your Google Business Profile for your physical therapy practice, you will be able to reply to any Google Reviews. Reviews on Google provide you and your customers with valuable information about your business. Business reviews appear next to your Business Profile in Maps and Search, which helps your business stand out on Google and builds your authority in the physical therapy space. You can request reviews, encouraging your customers to spread the word about your business. Once you’ve verified your business with your Google Business Profile, you’ll also be able to respond to reviews to build your customers’ trust. When future patients see that you are actively responding to reviews, they will see that your business values their input. It builds trust with your patients, which we all know is essential for medical and personal service professionals.
Google Question & Answer
Another way to build trust with your clients is to use the all-powerful Google Question & Answer feature. Just like the Google My Business reviews, Questions & Answers are crowdsourced by your current and future patients. This gives the opportunity for you or your current patients to answer anything asked by potential customers. There might even be questions asked by potential patients on your Business Profile right now! So be sure to check the Question & Answer function and build trust with your customers by answering anything posted. You can also clarify or correct any answers given by others and point patients toward your business’s resources like a blog or YouTube channel.
Google Posts
Google Posts are another powerful tool you can use to increase your visibility. Use them to share current information and updates about your physical therapy practice. You can list your business’s COVID-19 protocols, current offers, new services, news in your community, successes of your clients, upcoming events, holidays, and hours. The Google Posts you create for your physical therapy practice could be similar to posts you share on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram, and they can help you rank higher in search, as well.
As you can see, there are certainly key advantages to using Google My Business for physical therapists looking to increase their reach in their community. You can potentially attract more local patients when using Google Search and Maps. You can find insights into how people search for your business, where they come from, and what questions they may have. You can also nourish the relationship and position yourself as an authority figure by answering any questions posted. Furthermore, you can see how many people call your business directly from your Business Profile or listing in Search or Maps. And if you’re interested in ads, you can spread the word about what you offer, create Smart Campaigns, and track their performance — all within the Google My Business platform.
If you’re a physical therapist looking to attract more local clients and rank higher in Google Search and Maps, we highly recommend signing up and verifying your business on Google My Business. And if you’re looking to amp up your entire online presence and business marketing efforts, we also suggest attending a Surefire Local Marketing Platform demo. Together we’ll help you discover a local marketing strategy that can help you become easily accessible on Google and anywhere else potential patients are looking for you. We know your time is precious, so we make the process as simple as possible to help you reap the best rewards for your investment.
Ready to become more accessible online to your ideal patients and use an all-in-one marketing intelligence platform to grow your practice profitably? Schedule a demo with Surefire Local today and see how we can get you found on Google and beyond. We can’t wait to hear from you!