Google Business Profiles (formerly “Google My Business”) is a core component of digital marketing for local businesses, especially those in healthcare. Built into the Google search engine experience, Google Business Profiles is an interactive business directory that puts local establishments “on the map,” and greatly boosts search visibility. This article details how to get the full benefit of this free digital marketing tool through Google Business Profile location management.
Changing Your Business Address on Google to Keep Your Listing Up to Date
Google Business Profile (GBP) listings display for consumers the most important details about a business. Along with hiring a moving company or having mail forwarded to a new location, updating Google profiles also belongs on your to-do list. Timely updates to your GBP location prevent confusion for current or future patients.
Google has a specific verification process for adding, editing, or removing addresses on your Google Business Profile. Consistently updating your business profile on Google not only improves the user experience, but it also bolsters your practice’s online visibility and credibility within the local search landscape.
When updating your Google Business Profile to add a location, the fine details matter with relocations, changing suite numbers, or even correcting typos on your GBP listing. To edit your business location on your Google listing:
- Log in to your GPB dashboard.
- Navigate to the “Info” section within the dashboard.
- Locate the “Address” field and click the edit pencil icon next to it.
- Make the necessary changes and then click “Apply” to save the edits.
Re-verification is part of the Google My Business change location process and will need to be initiated in advance so that the changes take effect across Google’s platforms once services at the new location begin.
Expanding Your Reach: Managing Multiple Locations
Why would a medical practice have multiple Google Business Profiles to manage? Some medical practices are split between offices–in separate locations or split between suite numbers in the same building. Some medical offices may have Google listings for individual providers. Key considerations for managing multiple locations on GBP include:
- Individual, optimized listings: Each medical practice location should have its own dedicated GPB. By creating individual, optimized listings for each location, medical practices can optimize search visibility to connect with potential patients in precise geographic areas.
- Location data consistency: Ensure that contact information, addresses, and hours of operation are accurate and standardized across all listings. This consistency not only eliminates confusion for the best user experience, but also keeps information consistent to support your overall search engine optimization (SEO) goals.
By implementing these maintenance strategies, medical practices can effectively manage multiple locations on Google that propels digital targeting of patients on a local level.
Google Business Profile Service Areas: Targeting Search Results without an Address
Why would a business listed on Google not have a physical address? Service area businesses (SABs) such as plumbers, mobile clinics, cleaning services, and similar other entities do not usually operate out of customer-facing establishment. In fact, some businesses may need to omit an address to prevent patrons from visiting. Instead, these businesses can indicate coverage area by listing the communities within their territory.
Some businesses are hybrid operations, offering services at a physical location but also serving a larger territory. To make it clear to potential customers that services are not limited to a physical location, they can also add specific service areas to their Google Business Profiles.
If a healthcare business is an SAB, should the Google Business Profile hide the address? While a medical practice may have a legitimate reason to keep an address hidden, this can negatively impact SEO. Businesses categorized as healthcare are held to a higher standard, so Google looks for a verified address as a “trust” signal. It is best that all medical providers–even mobile services–have an accurate address for Google Business Profiles but this can be set to hidden from public view.
Summary: Google Business Profile Location
For businesses serving geographical territory, local search visibility is an indispensable part of search engine optimization (SEO). Google is always listening for hints in search terms for user intent, so when a potential patient’s search indicates a need for medical services, healthcare businesses who show up first in the Google search and Maps business listings feature have the competitive advantage. Management of Google Business Profile locations is the responsibility of the business owners.
To keep your listing updated, including a Google Business profile location change, you must first establish ownership. Listings for your business may already exist, so first do a preliminary search for those not yet claimed. Some healthcare businesses will have multiple listings to manage due to multiple locations, departments, or providers who were added to the listings.
All profiles will go through a verification process–or sometimes a reverification process. Through verification by phone, email, text message, postcard, or video, owners will gain control of their listings. For owners who have 10 or more listings to manage, bulk verification is offered by Google Business Profiles. How to change address and update other key information includes:
- Log in to your Google Business Profile dashboard.
- Navigate to the “Info” section within the dashboard.
- Locate the “Address” field and click the edit pencil icon next to it.
- Make the necessary changes and then click “Apply” to save the edits.
Is it possible for service area businesses (SABs) to create a Google Business Profile without an address? You can designate a coverage area in place of a physical address. Due to Google’s higher standards for healthcare businesses, it is recommended that an accurate physical address be registered for all such listings on Google Business Profiles to maintain local SEO health. For healthcare businesses that do not serve the public at a physical location, there is a setting to hide an address in Google Business Profiles.
Optimize Your Medical Practice’s Google Business Profile Locations with Confidence
With so much change to keep up with in your healthcare business, finding the time to update your Google Business Profile information can be daunting. In addition to our healthcare business reputation management services, iHealthSpot also offers listings management and local search engine optimization (SEO) so events like address changes will have minimal impact on your ability to target potential patients. Reach out today to learn more about getting Google Business Profiles management crossed off your to-do list.
