When people are trying to find a local business number or address, looking for a local hair salon to go to, or searching for the nearest gas station, Google is the search tool that most of us use.  

The same is true for patients looking for a new doctor, dentist or healthcare provider.  

In 2017, 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, with 12% looking every day.  Below are three reasons why you want your medical practice to be one of those businesses that patients find online reviews for.

People trust online reviews

Online reviews wouldn’t be important if people didn’t rely on them, but they do.  Studies have shown that 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation from a friend.  

In fact, people tend to look at businesses without Google reviews as less trustworthy. Positive reviews make 73% of consumers trust a local business more.

Google is also the search engine of choice for most people. Google controls 77.98% of desktop search traffic, with its closest competitor Bing, trailing far behind at just 7.81%

As a result, Google reviews can often be the deciding factor when a patient is choosing between two different medical practices. When choosing between two medical practices, one with hundreds of positive Google reviews versus one with a handful of reviews, it is easy to see which one a patient would choose.

Google reviews help with SEO

Have you ever searched for a local business and saw a map pop-up at the top of your results with a list of local businesses? That “local pack” or business listings result is a huge source of traffic for any business.

Reviews are one of the most powerful ranking factors for Google’s local pack.  

Being ranked in local searches is hugely important for any local business, but it can be especially important for medical practices who are often competing with other very similar businesses.  

74% of people who see customer reviews on a business website, say they would contact the business. The greater visibility from being ranked higher in local searches can help attract new patients and drive more traffic to your business.  

You need positive reviews to combat any negative ones

60% of consumers say negative reviews have turned them away from a business. While some negative reviews may be impossible to ignore, it’s important that your medical practice has a way to identify happy patients and encourage positive reviews to negate any bad ones. 

Being better reviewed on Google can have a big impact on your business. Studies have shown going from a Three-Star to a Five-Star rating, delivers to businesses 25% more clicks from Google. 

Curogram is a powerful front desk suite for medical practices that can help your medical practice maximize practice efficiency. Curogram is also a great tool that can be used to increase your positive Google reviews. 

Curogram’s HIPAA compliant texting can also be used to send text surveys to identify happy, patients and then send Google ratings requests to those patients so they can rate you with 5 stars. 

With Curogram’s simple survey and rating system, medical providers have been generating hundreds of five-star reviews in a matter of months.

Click here to see a demo about how Curogram can help your medical practice with your Google reviews.