Brian Dooreck, MD

Dr. Dooreck is a gastroenterologist in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

The way I see it, you have three options in today’s practice environment, the first two of which are suboptimal: Do nothing or pay someone a lot of money to do something for you. Or you can become engaged in your digital “reputation.” That reputation is now the most important factor that determines the success of your medical practice—as a business, a source of income, and a financial reward for the years invested and work that you do.

Let’s quickly review the key facts:

  • 75% of respondents are influenced by the online rating and review sites when selecting a provider.1
  • 91% of patients will choose one doctor over another based on positive reviews.2

Let’s talk about one of the cornerstones of where reviews come from: your local online presence or local search engine optimization (SEO). I am not going into details on SEO; that’s not what I do. I am a gastroenterologist and physician, like you, but I do know very well how to optimize your website and online presence in a local search environment.

Why does this matter? It’s important because reviews are looked at with greater weight in the health care industry than any other industry now—and that is the industry you and I are in. NRC Health’s research found that 92.4% of consumers use online reviews to guide most of their ordinary purchasing decisions. Similarly, more than one-third (34.7%) of patients say their doctors’ online reputation is very important—a higher percentage than in any other industry.3

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Here are a few more facts:

  • 60% of consumers check the ratings and reviews of a provider, even when referred by another provider, which is up 44% since 2018.
  • Only 9% of respondents in 2019 selected they “do not use any websites or online platforms” when choosing a provider, showing an 80% increase in Americans using some form of online resource to choose a provider.

To reiterate, the number of Americans who say they use some form of online website or platform to choose a provider has risen by 80% in recent years.

Yes, you need a website and SEO behind it. But the critical element, in my opinion, is people finding you online first. Google My Business is the force that drives patients to you more and more in the current world we are in.

Think: How far will your patients drive to see you? Most will drive less than 30 minutes, and most will be in a 10- to 20-mile radius of your office. So, you need to think local. You need to position yourself, your practice, your website, in essence your online digital presence to target a local search environment.

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Google My Business Page Key Information Fields
Business Name×
Website Url×
Tags/Keywords×
Description×
Street Address×
City, State and Zip code×
Owner Name
Phone×
Business Email
Fax
Social Links
Logo/Images
Hours

From my experience and from the documented industry trends, it has become clear that Google My Business is vital to your success. It may be more important than your website, the links to it, even your online reviews.

Ask yourself: Do you have a Google My Business page for your practice? For yourself? For your group? For your surgery or endoscopy center? Have you ever looked at it? Do you or someone you trust have ownership of it? Do you update it? Do you post weekly updates to it? Do you post COVID-19 updates to it? Do you manage your reviews on it?

If you answered no or are vague on any of these questions, go back to the options I suggested before: Do nothing, pass it off on someone else, or get engaged in managing your digital reputation.

I chose the latter course many years ago and embrace that choice more and more every day. I suggest you join me on that path. It works.

Here are some basic first steps to take charge now of your Google My Business page and how to be optimizing it for your digital presence:

Google yourself and find your Google My Business page.

  • Claim it as the owner.
  • Get verified by Google.
  • Make sure your business name is correct.
  • Make sure your business website URL address is correct.

Add the tags /keywords that should be specific to what you do.

  • The “Primary category” for me is “Gastroenterologist.”
  • “Additional categories” are Doctor, Endoscopies, Medical office, etc.

Create a business description that shares with the viewer who you are, what you do, and where you do it. Add why they should feel confidence in you.

Add your social media links (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc.).

Add your logo with clean and professional images (photos).

Add your hours of operation.

I love Simon Sinek’s approach to this addressing your “Why” when looking how to describe what you do to your online profile. Watch his TED talk on this point: https://www.ted.com/ talks/ simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.

Your location and contact details need to match your website. You want everything to match your Google My Business information. Why? It’s because discrepancies and differences decrease your validity of a business in the eyes of the Google algorithm. That is another conversation on local citations, but think YellowPages.com and the hundreds of other sites online that list you and your business. Hundreds of them at a minimum are now active on the internet. All of those sites need the same information as your Google My Business page. It adds validity and helps your website rank higher.

There is only one way to get control of this, and you have control over this. I suggest you start now. Your Google My Business page is there for you and there to share with your patients, and potential patients. It is there for them to review you publicly and share their experiences with you and your practice—openly and with Google.

Don’t look at this as something overwhelming or hard to do. Seeing patients who found you on Google—based on the steps above—is rewarding. Need help? Ask me. If we are not helping one another now, then when? #DoctorsForDoctors

You can connect with Dr. Dooreck on LinkedIn at http://linkedin.com/ in/ drdooreck, and on Twitter @drdooreck. Need help now? Email anytime at help@browardgi.com.

Originally published by our sister publication, Gastroenterology Endoscopy News.

References

  1. https://www.binaryfountain.com/ news/ binary-fountain-unveils-results-of-third-annual- healthcare-consumer-insight-digital-engagement-survey/
  2. Software Advice. How patients use online reviews. https://www.softwareadvice.com/ resources/ how-patients-use-online-reviews/
  3. https://nrchealth.com/ patients-trust-online-reviews/