Google Business For Therapists In 2024: The Ultimate Guide

Are you a therapist seeking to grow your therapy practice’s online reach for free? You came to the right place. Today we will find out about the most valuable yet underrated tool in the online market—Google Business, a hidden gem that will help you attract better leads with no cost involved. Yes! Totally free.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about optimizing your Google Business profile for therapists in 2024. From creating a compelling listing to attracting new patients, we've got you covered.

What is Google Business?

Google Business (also known as Google Business Profile) is a free marketing tool that enables you to reach more potential clients through Google Search and Maps. Using this tool, you can establish a strong online presence with your competitors.

In simple words, it’s like an online business card but with a lot more power.

Why should therapists use Google Business? In 2024, having a Google Business profile is more important than ever. It helps you show up in local search results, making it easier for your customers to find you.

For example, when someone searches for “therapists near me" or something like Dental SEO Mississauga etc, business profiles of various agencies and businesses will appear on top of the search results, helping your clients to get access to your contact information and website easily.

Plus, you can also add positive reviews on your GMB which is great for building trust and credibility, key factors in attracting new clients.

Benefits of Google Business for Therapists in 2024

Increased Online Visibility

You Get More Exposure

When you look up a business on Google, you have likely observed a map and a list of nearby businesses that directly show up below the search bar. This feature is called “Google Map Pack” or “Google 3-Pack” (as it shows the top three local business listings in Google SERPs). 

This local pack pops up for searches that are location-specific or have the phrase “near me”.

If your business profile is well-optimised, then you have a big chance of winning one of the top three spots.

Better Client Interaction

Your Clients Can Quickly Engage with You

Using Google Business, you and your customers can interact with each other in many ways. One of the best things is that they can directly send you a message right from Google, which is great for getting the conversation started.

Engage with your clients by replying to reviews, queries regarding consultation, and field questions. You can also publish posts to your business profile, which is quite similar to the way you post on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Marketing That Fits Your Budget

It’s a completely free tool that gives you an opportunity to market your services without spending a single penny. A lot of therapists have utilised this tool to generate organic leads, making the most out of this free platform for growing their practices.

How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile From Scratch

Creating Your Business Account

Create your Google Business Profile by going to Google’s Sign In page and clicking on the “Create Account” button. It will ask you for the type of account you want to create. Select the one which says “For work or my business.”

If you already have one, just log into your account and move to the next step.

Profile Information

Fill out the details of your business correctly. Type your business’ name, preferred username, etc. and click the “Next” button. 

Also, keep this one thing in mind: Only use your actual business name. A lot of guys make this mistake of stuffing keywords in it for better visibility, but it does not take them anywhere besides getting their account suspended permanently.

Business Category

Select the category that best describes your business. This helps Google understand your services and improves your visibility in relevant searches.

Verification Process

Then it will ask you to verify your identity with a phone number to see if your business is legit. Once you have gone through the whole process, you can log in to your Google Business Profile dashboard and add more details like Business Hours, Business Description, Photos and Services.

3 Best Tips For Optimising Your Google Business Profile

Make Your Profile Up-To-Date

A complete, up-to-date profile is more likely to attract clients. Fill out every section, including business hours, service areas, contact info, and your website.

The more information you provide, the easier it is for potential customers to find and trust you.

Add Compelling Pictures of Your Practice

It is easier to engage clients with compelling photos. Share clear, high-quality images of your office, staff, and other important things about your practice.

Add Positive Reviews on Your Business Profile

Indeed, positive reviews are the best promoters of your business, because they help build trust and drive more traffic.

Tell your clients to leave reviews, and be sure to respond to positive and negative reviews to show that you value client feedback and are engaged with your community.

How To Rank On Google Business with SEO?

Local SEO

Local SEO is the best way to rank on local searches by using relevant keywords in your business description, services, and posts. For example, if you're a dentist in Toronto, use phrases like "Toronto dentist" or "dental services in Toronto." This will help you gain more visibility on the local search results.

Read this blog, Benefits of Local SEO, to learn more about how it can attract more customers.

Off-Page SEO

The goal of off-page SEO is to establish your business site as authoritative in the eyes of search engines and users. This SEO technique helps build your business's credibility outside your Google Business profile.

To do so, get backlinks from other websites that people trust. This shows Google that your business is reliable and relevant, and you will get better rankings.

Build citations of your Business Name

Have you seen those little mentions of businesses on various websites? These are citations that help Google in confirming they have the correct details about you.

The best way to get more citations is to list your business on popular websites like Yelp and Yellow Pages. Just make sure that you provide the same information everywhere. Otherwise, it can confuse Google and will have an impact on your local search rankings.

Ending Note

To learn more about how to optimise your brand presence for local searches, contact RUN marketing specialists. We are the #1 Digital Marketing Agency in Mississauga!