How to Improve Google Reviews: 5 Tips for Healthcare Facilities
Healthcare is a highly competitive industry that warrants strong marketing strategies and consistent reputation management. Google reviews in particular are one of the most publicly accessible ways for patients to learn about your facility. Positive reviews can help you attract and retain patients, while negative reviews may drive patients away to nearby competitors.
If you want to enhance your brand image, you may be wondering how to improve Google reviews for your facility. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of these reviews and outline strategies that you can use to garner more positive feedback.
What Are Google Reviews?
In order to figure out how to improve your Google review rating, it’s helpful to understand how the platform works. Google reviews are online, public ratings written by individuals who have previously interacted with or received services from a given business.
Users can rate their experiences using a star rating between one and five, with one star being the lowest and five stars being the highest. They then have the option to leave a written comment that explains their rating. When people search for a business on Google, they can see the average rating, how many reviews have been left, and all the comments.
Why Are Google Reviews Important in Healthcare?
Google reviews have become a routine part of the provider vetting and selection process. According to a 2022 Healthcare Trends Report, 72% of patients read online reviews when considering booking with a provider and prefer four-star ratings or higher. This means facilities that aren’t actively figuring out how to improve Google review rating averages may be deterring patients, even if they offer high quality services.
If there’s only one mediocre or negative review of your facility (even if it’s fake), users who see this will be less likely to book your services. So, garnering more positive, trustworthy reviews is an important way to boost your brand image and ensure people give your facility a chance.
How Do You Set Up a Google Review Page?
You won’t know how to improve your Google reviews until your facility starts getting reviews. So, make sure your facility is verified with Google, or claim your business if it’s already showing up on Google maps. This will ensure you have more control over how your information is shown and enable you to respond directly to reviews as the business owner.
How to Improve Google Reviews for Business in Healthcare
Now that we’ve gone over the logistics, you may be wondering how to improve reviews on Google. It’s important to align your strategy with the quality of your services and ensure your reputation grows authentically. Here are five tips to help you do this.
1. Prioritize the Patient Experience
Healthcare is built on trust, so focusing on the patient experience is key to garnering more positive reviews. Avoid shortcuts like planting fake comments or using a 5-star Google review generator. This may initially make you appear trustworthy, but will end up ruining your reputation down the line. Plus, having a perfect five-star rating from a high volume of users can actually look suspicious to prospective patients.
Instead, focus on giving your patients the best services possible and allow your reputation to naturally improve by word-of-mouth. You can start by conducting patient experience surveys and figuring out what aspects of your services need improvement. This can be particularly beneficial for newer facilities that have yet to build an online reputation.
2. Give Gentle Reminders for Patients to Leave Reviews
You should also find ways to make the review process easier for your patients. Studies have shown that individuals are more likely to leave reviews after particularly positive or negative experiences. So, giving gentle reminders can help capture feedback that falls in-between and build a more accurate representation of your facility.
Consider asking patients to leave a review once they’re ready to go home. You can hand out a paper QR code or follow-up with an email or text that provides a convenient Google review link. Just remember to be polite when asking, and read the room.
3. Utilize Patient Reviews as Real-Time Insights
Online reviews serve as data that can be used to improve the quality of your services, along with valuable insights on how to improve Google reviews in the future. But, to make the most of this data, it’s essential to understand how to analyze and manage it efficiently.
Consider partnering with a customer experience company that can monitor your reviews in real-time and send alerts when reviews are posted or need attention. This ensures that you’re not overlooking concerns that could escalate into larger issues, while giving you timely insights.
4. Address Patient Concerns in a Respectful Manner
Negative reviews are often unavoidable, but how you respond to them can say a lot about your facility. If you do receive a negative comment, address it promptly. Publicly responding to the comment in a professional and respectful manner shows that you value feedback and are committed to making improvements.
Once you’ve acknowledged the patient’s concerns and outlined what your facility will do to resolve them, take action. Following through on your words will ensure that the same issue doesn’t happen again and demonstrates your accountability.
5. Engage With Patients Who Have Left Positive Reviews
Staying engaged with patients who have left positive reviews is just as important to responding to negative ones. Take a moment to thank and express your appreciation for patients who have written positive comments. This shows your patients that you value their time and can help build long-term brand loyalty.
Take Your Marketing Strategy to the Next Level
Now that you know how to improve Google reviews, it’s important to sustain the brand image that you’ve worked so hard to build. Interested in learning more practical and actionable tips? Get dozens of other healthcare management insights delivered straight to your inbox.