When someone nearby searches for a chiropractor, physical therapist, acupuncturist, or medspa, your Google Business Profile is often the very first thing they see. Before your website. Before your About page. Before you ever say hello.

YOUR patients are already looking for YOU on Google. So let’s help ’em out!

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to claim, verify, and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP) so it works as hard as you do.

Quick note: if you still call it Google My Business (GMB), you’re not alone. Google renamed it Google Business Profile back in 2021, and any listing you’d already verified carried right over.

One ground rule before we dive in: Google only allows a Business Profile for businesses that have a physical location patients can visit, or that travel to patients where they are. You can read Google’s full guidelines here.

 

What Is Google Business Profile?

Google Business Profile is a free tool from our friends at Google.

A verified profile lets you manage how your clinic shows up on Google Search and Google Maps, including your:

  • Clinic name
  • Address and location
  • Phone number
  • Website and appointment link
  • Clinic description
  • Hours
  • Services
  • Photos
  • Reviews (and your replies to them)
  • Performance data showing how patients find and interact with your profile

 

Here’s why that matters. For a lot of patients, your profile is their first impression of your clinic. Sometimes they’ll get everything they need, like your hours, phone number, and directions, without ever clicking through to your website.

So let’s make that first impression a great one!

 

Step 1: Claim and Verify Your Profile

First things first: you need to claim your profile. Until you do, you can’t manage or optimize it, and you may not show up on Google Maps at all.

Head to google.com/business to get started. If a listing for your clinic already exists, claim it. If not, you can create one and submit it for verification.

 

Verify It

Verification shows Google you’re the real deal. It also protects your clinic from anyone trying to pose as you, and you can’t edit your profile until it’s done.

Google will tell you which verification options are available for your clinic. These days, that’s often a short video recording. Google will walk you through what to show, which typically includes your signage, your clinic, and proof that you manage the space. Plan it out before you hit record so it goes smoothly the first time.

Heads up: Verification isn’t always a one-and-done thing. Google may ask you to verify again, especially after you change core details like your clinic name, address, or categories. Make sure someone is watching your Google notifications so a re-verification request doesn’t slip by.

 

Clean Up Duplicate Listings

Duplicate listings confuse Google and your patients. A former employee or marketing company may have created an extra profile for your clinic at some point.

Search Google Maps for your clinic name, past addresses, and old phone numbers. If you find a duplicate you manage, remove it from your account. If you don’t have access to it, report it as a duplicate through Google Maps or reach out to Google Business Profile support.

Once everything’s cleaned up, keep a note of your official profile so you always know which one is yours.

 

Step 2: Optimize Your Profile (Don’t Stop at “Claimed”!)

Here’s the mistake we see all the time: a clinic claims its profile, adds the bare minimum, and never touches it again. Claiming is just the starting line. The real wins come from filling out everything Google asks for.

 

Keep Your Name, Address, and Phone Number Consistent

Your name, address, and phone number (often called NAP) should match everywhere your clinic appears online. That means your website, your profile, and your other directory listings. If you use “Main St.” in one place, don’t use “Main Street” in another.

Your website matters most here. Google checks it to confirm your clinic’s details, so make sure your contact page, footer, and location pages all match your profile.

A few more tips:

  • Use your real clinic name. Adding extra keywords to your name (like “Best Chiropractor in Town”) can get your profile flagged or suspended.
  • Using a tracking number? Make it your primary phone number and list your local number as the secondary. Tracking numbers show you who’s calling and how they found you, and they help weed out spam calls too.

 

Write a Helpful Description

Your description is your chance to tell patients what makes your clinic special.

  • Use the words patients actually search for, in a natural, conversational way (no keyword stuffing!)
  • Share what sets you apart from other clinics nearby
  • Describe the services you offer
  • Skip links and promotional fluff, since Google doesn’t allow them in descriptions

 

Choose the Right Categories

Your categories are one of the ways Google figures out what your clinic does and which searches to show you for. Your primary category carries the most weight, so make sure it matches your main service. Then add extra categories only for services you really offer.

Not sure which category to pick? We made a tool for that! Our free Google Business Profile Category Finder for Clinics lets you search Google’s full list of over 4,000 categories, updated weekly. Click any category to copy it, then paste it right into your profile. You’ll also find category tips for chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncturists, medspas, and more, plus the category mistakes we see most in clinic audits.

 

Add As Much Information As You Can

The more complete your profile, the easier it is for Google (and patients) to understand your clinic.

 

Fill in:

  • Logo (a small square image)
  • Cover photo
  • Hours, including holiday hours
  • Opening date
  • Phone number
  • Website
  • Appointment link
  • Social media profiles
  • Services
  • Products, if you sell them
  • Service areas, if you travel to patients

 

Pro tip: Log in every so often and give your profile a quick once-over to make sure everything is still correct.

 

Step 3: Keep Your Profile Accurate

Your Google Business Profile isn’t a “set it and forget it” kind of thing. Here’s what to keep an eye on.

 

Set Your Service Areas (If You Travel to Patients)

If you visit patients at their homes or workplaces, like a mobile chiropractor or in-home physical therapist, list your clinic as a service-area business. You can add up to 20 service areas, so choose them wisely and put your main area first.

 

Check Your Map Pin

Search for your clinic on Google Maps and make sure your pin is in the right spot. If it’s off, edit your profile from Google Search or Maps and update your location.

 

Update Your Hours

Changing your hours for the season or closing for a holiday? Update your profile so patients don’t show up to a locked door. Holiday hours are a quick win here.

 

Watch for Suggested Edits

Anyone can suggest an edit to your profile, and Google can update your info based on what it finds elsewhere online. When a suggested edit needs your review, you may only have four days to accept or reject it. If you don’t respond, Google may publish the change anyway.

Make sure the email connected to your profile is actively monitored. Learn more in our post: Google Business Profile’s New 4-Day Deadline: What Clinics Need to Know.

 

Not Showing Up on Google Maps?

A few common reasons:

  • Your profile isn’t verified yet
  • Your profile has been suspended
  • You share an office space with another business
  • Your clinic is far from where patients are searching

 

Step 4: Grow (and Respond to) Your Google Reviews

Reviews can influence how visible your clinic is in local search. They’re also a big part of how patients decide who to call. Reviews that mention specific services can even help your clinic show up for those services.

 

How to Get More Google Reviews

  1. Ask for them. Make asking for reviews a regular part of your patient experience, not something you only do with your favorite patients. Here are some tips for asking for reviews.
  2. Make it easy. Not everyone knows how to leave a Google review, and if it feels like a hassle, they’ll give up. Share your review link directly, or create a QR code that takes patients straight to your review page. To grab your link, search for your clinic on Google, find the option to ask for reviews, and copy the link. (Patients will need to be signed in to a Google account to leave a review.)
  3. Send a friendly reminder. Life gets busy! A quick follow-up text or email goes a long way.
  4. Respond to your reviews. Thank patients for the kind words and respond calmly and professionally to the negative ones.

 

Want reviews that are more helpful to future patients? You can invite patients to mention which service they came in for or which location they visited. Just keep it an invitation, not a script, and never offer anything in exchange for a review.

 

A Big One for Clinics: Protect Patient Privacy

When you respond to a review, never confirm that the reviewer is a patient or mention anything about their care, even if they shared those details first. Keep replies general, like “Thank you so much for the kind words!” For a negative review, invite them to contact your office directly so you can talk it through privately.

If your reviews aren’t showing up, check out Why Your Google Reviews Aren’t Showing Up (and what to do about it). And for more review dos and don’ts, read 5 Google Review Mistakes That Could Be Costing Your Clinic Patients.

 

Step 5: Add Great Photos

Photos help patients get a feel for your clinic before they ever walk in. They’re one of the first things people notice on your profile, so make them count!

 

Not sure what to share? Here are some ideas:

  • Exterior photos, so patients can spot your building and entrance
  • Interior photos of your waiting area and treatment rooms
  • Your team (friendly faces build trust!)
  • Photos of your services and equipment
  • Clinic events and community involvement

 

Use your own photos, not stock images. If you’re brand new and need stock photos to start, that’s okay. Just swap in real photos of your clinic and team as soon as you can.

Also check how your photos look on both desktop and mobile. Google crops images on its own, so a photo that’s too large could leave patients looking at half of your adjusting table.

For more tips, read How to Optimize Photos for Your Google Business Profile.

 

Step 6: Make It Easy to Book

If your scheduling software integrates with Google, patients can book an appointment right from your profile. No searching, no phone tag. If it doesn’t, add your online booking page as your appointment link so patients can still get there in one tap.

 

Step 7: Share Google Posts

Google Posts let you share updates right on your profile. They’re a great way to show patients your clinic is active and give them a reason to take the next step.

 

You can share:

  • Updates, like a new service, a new team member, or helpful tips
  • Offers, like a new patient special
  • Events, like a workshop or community event

 

Each post can include a button, such as Book, Call now, Learn more, or Sign up.

 

A few tips for posts that work:

  • Put the most important info first, since only the beginning of your post shows in the preview
  • Use your own clear, high-quality photos, and check how they look before you publish
  • Use the Call now button instead of typing your phone number into the post (posts with phone numbers in the text can get rejected)
  • Keep it helpful and accurate, and skip any promises about results

 

Step 8: Track Your Performance

What used to be called Insights is now called Performance in your Google Business Profile. It’s where you can see how patients are finding and interacting with your clinic.

 

Your Performance data can show you:

  • How many people viewed your profile
  • Whether they found you on Google Search or Google Maps, and on mobile or desktop
  • The search terms people used to find your profile
  • How many people called your clinic, clicked to your website, or asked for directions
  • Messages and bookings, if you use those features

 

Google no longer shows photo views or post views here, so don’t worry if you can’t find those anymore.

Pro tip: Compare your numbers month over month instead of day to day. Small daily swings are normal. The bigger trends tell the real story.

 

More patients are getting answers from AI tools, including Google’s own AI results. The details on your profile, like your categories, services, hours, and reviews, help Google understand what your clinic offers. An accurate, complete profile that matches your website gives AI tools clear information to work with.

Want to dig deeper? Check out our free webinar, Fix Your Clinic’s AI Visibility.

 

Ready to Help YOUR Patients Find YOU?

Your Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful (and free!) tools your clinic has. Keep it complete, keep it accurate, and keep showing up.

Want a second set of eyes on your profile? Our Google Business Profile Audit reviews your categories, info, photos, reviews, and more, so you know exactly what to fix.

Or if you’d like to talk about your clinic’s bigger marketing picture, book a Discovery Call. No pressure, just a friendly chat!