Do you know how to find your dental practice’s link for patients to post Google Reviews? Do you how to use that link in marketing?

In this article, we’ll cover:

  1. How to find the link to your dental office’s Google Reviews page;
  2. How to leverage that link in marketing, on your website, in print, and in your office;
  3. Why sub-par Google Reviews shouldn’t make you squirm;
  4. And how to compose responses to online patient reviews.

Find Your Google Review Link

Patient reviews, AKA testimonials, are super important in a dentist’s internet marketing strategy. For the most SEO value, you’ll need to focus on Google Reviews. Why? Because Google Search holds most of the search market, which means your Google Reviews can indirectly impact your rankings in Google Search.

How do you get patients to post Google Reviews? (We’ll cover that in a bit.)

First, you need to know the web address (AKA URL) for your practice’s Google Reviews page. That’s the page where patients can type their testimonial and grade your service by giving it one to five stars.

The following link will provide you with instructions on how to acquire your own Google Reviews link.

TIP: If you have not claimed your free Google Business account, you’ll need to do that first.

https://support.google.com/business/answer/7035772?hl=en

How to Use Your Google Reviews Link

Now that you know your link, here are three secrets for leveraging it in your marketing strategy.

  1. Put it on your website.

On your practice website’s testimonial page, and also on your homepage, you can say something like: To tell Google about your visit with Dr. Smith, GO HERE. Place the hyperlink on GO HERE and set it to open in a new window. (If you can’t do this, your web company should be able to do it for you. Identiwrite Creative clients can ask for this as a no-fee, completely complimentary service.)

  1. Put it on your appointment card.

In addition to printing the link on your appointment card, make sure that whomever checks patients out in your office knows to say, “I’m putting your next appointment date on this card. A link to our Google Reviews page is on the front of the card. We’d appreciate it if you’d leave us a review. Thank you!” (Obviously, do not say this to a disgruntled patient.)

  1. Post it in your office.

In the lobby, restroom, and operatories, post a framed page that says: Share your experience on Google by going to: (your link here). Thank you! (You might add the Google Reviews icon and five gold stars.)

Don’t Be Scared

If you’re worried about bad patient reviews, step back a moment and take a breath. The internet is not your enemy. It may seem so sometimes, but I promise, it can be your ally.

Consider the patient experience in your office. If you’ve trained your team to provide excellent service from a patient’s first call through booking his next visit, then you should have little to worry about. If you’ve not instituted guidelines for a five-star patient experience, make that priority. (I know a great consultant.)

Everyone gets a bad review sometimes. If a doctor doesn’t have a bad review, give it time. It’s coming. People, namely your future patients, know that. They’re smart.

When a dentist has a 5.0, the highest possible score on Google Reviews, the public is suspicious. Some businesses aren’t above buying reviews. They pay people to leave 5-star reviews. This is unethical and unscrupulous. In other words, don’t even think about it!

The public has good respect for a dentist’s office that earns less than 5.0 stars. Anything in the 4 range is great. Many times, bad reviews about good dentists have to do with a patient not understanding a payment policy or having insurance problems. In other words, it’s all about the money.

Taking Respond-ability (Bad pun.)

Responding to patient reviews on Google is not only cordial, but it’s also good for SEO. Every single patient review needs a response from you – or at least attributed to you.

How to Respond to a Review: Log into your Google Business profile, go to the review, and type your response. DO NOT BE EMOTIONAL. In fact, I suggest you use a third party, like Identiwrite Creative or your dental consultant, for phrasing your responses.

What to Say: It’s easy for you to respond to a five-star review. “Thanks! We enjoyed helping Junior with his chipped tooth. Here’s to many years of great smiles!” However, it’s not as easy to respond cheerfully to a review that berates you personally or slanders your practice. It’s best to tell your version of the event to a third party who can leave emotion out of the equation. (By the way, we can do this for you.)

RULE: Always be positive and graceful in your reviews.

Next Steps

At Identiwrite Creative, we help dentists with online marketing. From writing educational blog posts to composing great website copy to thoughtfully crafting responses for Google Reviews, our services will help your practice project friendliness and professionalism online. I’m Shauna Duty, the owner of Identiwrite Creative, and I’d like to chat with you about your online marketing strategy. Give me a call or text me at 940-395-5115 or email shauna@identiwrite.com.

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