Statistically speaking, about 97% of people with access to a smartphone use search engines to locate businesses near them, and each month, about 1.5 billion locations are visited by people after the location appears in their search results. 

Google’s reach is undeniable: its search engine platform has altered the way we make decisions and interact with businesses, helping to shape consumer habits in a lasting manner.

With a global reach and unparalleled power, Google provides businesses and business owners with an effortless way to get noticed. Through its search engine platform and Maps, Google ensures that users can easily access the desired information. This feature provided by Google is known as GBP or Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business). 

Why Use GBP for Diagnostic Centres/Medical Clinics/Healthcare Providers?

There are several reasons why businesses in the healthcare industry need to list themselves on Google Business Profile. 

For diagnostic labs, the Covid pandemic and increased use of smartphones have led to ‘search’ emerging as a key channel for customer acquisition. 

Majority of smartphone users rely on ‘search’ to find diagnostic labs and services offered by them today. Google, with over 90% market share, is their preferred search platform. Nearly half of such searches on Google are ‘hyperlocal’ in nature – consumers look for information in a specific geographic area. 

Moreover, 76% of consumers doing ‘hyperlocal’ searches take decisive action (call, schedule an appointment, walk-in, etc.) within 24 hours.  

In other words, hyperlocal search is a key source of high-intent inbound leads and customers for diagnostic labs. Most large diagnostic labs have multiple offline touchpoints – A nodal lab and a cluster of collection centers associated with the nodal lab. Hyperlocal digital discovery of each touchpoint in a lab’s network is key to maximizing inbound leads and conversions from hyperlocal search. 

An optimized Google Business Profile (GBP) is vital to enhance hyperlocal digital discovery for diagnostic labs, helping maximize inbound leads and conversions at every touchpoint. 

A Google business profile for diagnostic centers or clinics provides them with the following key points to help businesses gain the aforementioned trust and credibility:

• Visibility: A well-maintained healthcare provider business profile offers a variety of perks. It attracts patients to your clinics/diagnostic centre based on your google search appearance.
• Growth: Your healthcare facility can benefit immensely from the growth opportunities that come with a GBP. By utilizing positive customer reviews, answering queries promptly and effectively, more clients will be driven to your medical institution due to firsthand experiences provided by past customers. Moreover, the option of “Add Booking” in GBP also makes the process of booking an appointment more accessible to the patients, and the facilities, therefore seeing an increase in clients.
• Better Patient Experience: The showcase of facilities provided by the healthcare owner via description and photos enhance a patient’s experience as they know what to expect while visiting the centre. The “Chat” feature on the business profile provides consumers an easy way to reach your business, offering better experience.

How To Set Up a GBP Profile for Your Diagnostic Centre

1) Claim Your Business Listing

To set up a Google Business Profile for your healthcare facility, 

• Sign in to GBP manager with your Gmail account, and select get started.
• Enter the name and category of your healthcare facility; add your contact number and website links.

• There is also an option to “Claim Your Business” via Google Maps in case your business already shows up on the maps. To do that, you have to enter your business name in the Google maps search bar, choose your business, click on “Claim this business,” and then “Manage now.” There you may select the verification option and follow the necessary steps.

Good Read: How Does a Multi-Speciality Hospital Create Practitioner Listing for Maximum Visibility

2) Add Photos and Videos

Give potential customers an unparalleled look into your healthcare facility by adding images of the interior and exterior to GBP! Showcase diagnostic equipment, facilities, and more so that patients can have a deeper trust in you. Get creative – let users get familiar with who they’re entrusting their care to.

3) Complete the Profile

Healthcare facility owners have the opportunity to showcase their business and make a positive impression on potential customers. By customizing, editing, and engaging with patients through reviews and dialogue, they create an inviting atmosphere that inspires confidence in both current customers as well as those searching for services online. An appealing profile lends itself to increased visits – highlighting why developing your digital footprint is essential for success!

4) Verify Your Ownership

Verification Process of GBP: A profile cannot be visible on listings if the business is not verified. The verification process can take upto a couple of weeks. It also sorts out fake or duplicate profiles of your business. 

You need to click on the Verify now option and select your verification option:

1. Single location listings get the option to verify through the mail, wherein owners need to enter their postal addresses and request postcards. After receiving the postcard, click on verify now, enter the 5-digit code you received through postal mail, and submit; this confirms your Healthcare Facility. It is important to note that the verification code expires after 30 days.
2. Business listings that are hybrid or own a service area get a variety of options like email, phone, video recording, or through Google Search Console. 

Benefits of Using Google Business Profile for Diagnostic Centres/Medical Clinics/Healthcare Providers

The following are some of the benefits provided to healthcare facilities with a Google Business Profile:

1) Optimizes Your Online Presence

Healthcare businesses must stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive in the ever-changing digital world. Suppose a company does not possess its own Google Business Page (GBP) or have an online presence. In that case, people searching for medical services may completely overlook you, resulting in significant internet visibility issues and lost opportunities. Therefore having a GBP is essential in order to increase your search engine ranking on SERPs like google and maintain relevance within this modern age.

Pro Tip: Google Business Profile Optimizes Your Online Presence By Enabling You to Appear in Local Pack Search Results

When searching for a ‘diagnostic centre near me’, Google provides comprehensive information about the business in a ‘Local 3 Pack’ result. This includes Business Name, Category, Functioning Hours, Reviews, and more. Additionally, the map provided shows users where to find the business location mentioned in GBP results. This makes it easy for searchers to quickly access essential information and find their way to the diagnostic centre.

2) Easier to Locate

As previously mentioned, Google Business Profile can provide a life-saving asset for those in need of urgent medical care. Health service providers featured on GBP are easy to locate and navigate thanks to the turn-by-turn directions offered by integrated Google Maps technology – helping people find the closest healthcare option with speed and precision.

3) Builds Credibility

A GBP goes beyond the traditional approach to gaining customer trust. It provides a platform for businesses to showcase their strengths with interactive features like pictures, descriptions, and reviews, helping customers make informed decisions while empowering business owners to tell their story in an authentic way.

4) Provides Insights 

A GBP provides its users with a unique feature called ‘Performance’, enabling them to view their business profiles’ engagement. 

It offers insights overview such as:

• Business Profile Interactions – Interactions are when people call, message, make bookings, ask for directions, and click on the website link from your Business Profile on Google.
• How People Discovered You – This insight showcases how many people saw your Business Profile on Google Searches or Maps. Searches show the terms people used that returned your profile in the results. Comparisons are only available for completed months.

Analyze the success of your Business Profile over time! Set a custom date range and gain insights on how people are engaging with you through Google to identify growth opportunities.

5) It is Free and Accessible to All

Google provides healthcare owners with a powerful and accessible way to promote their facilities without breaking the bank. With its free services, businesses can expect an increase in popularity if they use it strategically, giving them unparalleled value for no cost!

BONUS: Maximize Leads & Conversions for Your Diagnostic Centre with Zceppa

We are the official partner of Google’s Business Messages and have enabled Business Messaging for 40+ Nodal Diagnostic Centers.

Zceppa’s Discovery, Engagement, and Experience Products have ensured ‘Near Me’ search dominance with:

• 300% increase in traffic and engagement, 
• 115% increase in month-on-month leads
• 400X ROI delivered to our customers

We maximize inbound leads and conversions at every offline touchpoint (be it collection centres or lab) in 3 actionable steps:

Interact: Enabled diagnostic chains with 2-way communication by connecting Google and WhatsApp for seamless interaction between the medical facility and customers.

Review Manager: By enabling diagnostic centres to be managed from a single platform, businesses now have the ability to conduct reviews at scale easily. Real-time automated alerts and intelligence responses provide an enhanced customer experience by quickly addressing any issues that may arise.

Multi-Location Management: Simplifying the complexity of multi-specialty hospitals has never been easier! Consolidate all your healthcare centres into a single intuitive interface, no matter if you oversee 5 or 100+ locations.

Conclusion

Establishing a Google Business Profile (GBP) is a must for healthcare providers to capitalize on its features. From providing location details and patient interaction, GBP can give your facility the trustworthiness it needs in today’s digital-driven world. Whether you have a small clinic or a large diagnostics centre, having an officially verified online profile gives patients confidence when they are at their most vulnerable state – creating peace of mind that only credible care can bring.

Eager to win every mobile-first consumer interaction for your diagnostic centre? Sign-up for a free trial today.