With this latest update, Google My Business is emerging as an essential CRM tool for medical practices. Here’s how medical marketers can make the most of the new features.
Today’s patients are looking for new and convenient ways to reach their healthcare providers, from patient portals to social media. With recent updates geared toward consumer engagement, Google My Business is poised to emerge as a dominant customer relationship management (CRM) tool for medical practices.
Medical marketers can post relevant news, respond to patient messages, and monitor online reviews with the revamped Google My Business mobile application. This update for iOS and Android includes tools to view customer information and share content with followers.
GMB’s enhanced capabilities will allow healthcare providers to better manage interactions with patients. As an added benefit, staying active with Google posts and patient Q&As is factored into Search rankings. By utilizing GMB’s new functions, medical practices have the chance to increase their SEO rankings and ultimately boost patient conversions.
The most recent GMB updates include new ways for businesses to interact with customers. For medical marketers, the Customers tab shows information about the patients who follow the practice and enables healthcare providers to track their reviews. The Messages tab also allows medical practices to view patient messages from Maps and Search and respond to them from within the app.
Consumers are prompted to reach local businesses by clicking on the Message button on Google Maps or Google Search. In some cases, they may even be able to use GMB to book appointments. Marketers then receive notifications about reviews, messages, and followers so that they can respond to patients in a timely manner.
Finally, the new Post button enables businesses to upload photos and create Google Posts. For medical marketers, these content updates are added to a medical practice’s business profile, and made visible to followers as well as anyone else who visits that page. These posts can include news, promotions, or any other kind of content that would normally go on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. In this way, GMB has the potential to centralize business reviews and social posts within one convenient platform.
GMB offers a convenient way for medical practices to answer logistical questions about hours, insurance, or other details. While it’s never advisable to address medical questions or provide a diagnosis on this type of platform, providers can respond to patients’ messages and encourage them to make an appointment for a professional consultation.
By dedicating time to moderating this channel, medical marketers can effectively manage their online reputations and engage with patients. GMB’s more simplified, easy-to-locate analytics tools can also help providers make sense of how their business profiles are performing in order to fine-tune their strategies.
Ultimately, responding to patients on Maps and Search can help medical marketers improve their SEO rankings. When combined with strategies like careful keyword usage and condition-specific landing pages, GMB can help practices increase patient conversions. As patients have more opportunities to ask questions, share their feedback, and locate relevant practices, providers will likely see a steady rise in booked appointments.