Google Business Profile checklist for medical and dental practices

For a local practice, the map results at the top of Google are some of the most valuable places to appear. Your Google Business Profile controls what patients see there: your name, location, hours, reviews, photos and how to book. It is free, and most profiles are only partly filled in.

1. Get the basics exactly right

• Name: use your real practice name as it appears on your signage. Adding keywords to the name breaks Google’s guidelines and can get a profile suspended.
• Primary category: choose the most specific option, such as “Dentist”, “Dermatologist” or “Medical spa”, then add a few accurate secondary categories.
• Address and service area: match your website and other listings exactly.
• Hours: include holiday hours, and keep them current.

2. Make booking easy

Add your appointment or booking link, a phone number that is answered during business hours, and your website. If you have several locations, each one should have its own profile and link to its own location page on your website.

3. Fill in services and the description

List the services you most want to grow, with short plain-language descriptions. Use the business description to explain who you treat, what you specialize in and where you are. Avoid medical claims you would not make in your other advertising.

4. Add real photos and keep adding them

Upload photos of your exterior (so patients can find you), reception, treatment rooms and team. Real photos build trust far better than stock images. Add a few new ones every month.

5. Build a steady review habit

• Ask every satisfied patient for a review, using a short link from your profile.
• Respond to reviews politely and briefly, and never confirm that a reviewer is a patient or discuss their care. Privacy rules apply to review responses too.
• Do not offer incentives for reviews, which Google’s policies prohibit.

6. Use posts and Q&A

Google Business Profile posts let you share updates, new services and seasonal reminders. Check the questions section regularly and answer common questions yourself so patients see accurate information.

7. Measure what it brings in

Your profile shows calls, website clicks and direction requests. Add tracking parameters to the website link and, where possible, a tracking number for calls, so you can see how many appointment requests come from the profile and compare it with your paid advertising.

A quick checklist

• Accurate name, categories, address and hours
• Booking link, phone and website added
• Services and description completed
• At least 10 real photos, with new ones monthly
• A simple, consistent way to ask for reviews
• Monthly review of calls, clicks and bookings