Your Google Business Profile is one of the most important pieces of your clinic’s online presence. It helps potential patients find your clinic in Google Search and Google Maps, check your hours, call your office, visit your website, get directions, read reviews, and more.

But there’s something many clinic owners don’t realize:

You aren’t the only one who can suggest changes to the information displayed on your Google Business Profile.

Google users can suggest edits to business listings, and Google may also update information based on data it finds from other sources.

Google has now clarified how quickly you may need to act when certain suggested edits require your review.

In some cases, you may have only four days to accept or reject a suggested change to your Google Business Profile.

And if you don’t respond? Google may publish the change if it can verify the information through other publicly available sources.

For clinics relying on Google to generate calls, website visits, appointment requests, and new patients, this is another reason you should be actively monitoring your Google Business Profile.


Listen: What Clinic Owners Need to Know About Google's 4-Day Window

Prefer to listen? In this episode of The Clinic Marketing Podcast, we break down Google's four-day window for certain Google Business Profile edits, what can potentially change, and what clinic owners should be checking regularly.


What Changed With Google Business Profile Suggested Edits?

The ability for Google users to suggest edits to Business Profiles isn't new.

What is important is Google's clarification about what can happen after one of those suggestions is submitted.

According to Google's Business Profile documentation, when a suggested edit requires your review, Google may notify you by email or through a notification in your Business Profile.

You then have four days to accept or reject the suggestion.

If you don't respond within that window, Google says it may automatically publish the update when the suggested information can be corroborated by other publicly available sources, such as your website.

There's another important detail.

Google says that some suggested user edits may be applied without giving the business an opportunity to review them first.

In other words, don't assume Google will always wait for your permission before changing information displayed on your clinic's profile.


What Information Could Change on Your Google Business Profile?

Your Google Business Profile contains a lot of information that can influence whether someone decides to contact your clinic.

That includes things like:

  • Clinic name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Business hours
  • Website
  • Business categories
  • Services
  • Appointment information
  • Other details about your clinic

Imagine a potential patient searching for a chiropractor, physical therapist, acupuncturist, dentist, med spa, or another healthcare provider nearby.

If Google incorrectly shows your clinic as closed, they may move on to another option.

If your phone number is wrong, a patient may try to call and never reach your office.

If your address is incorrect, someone may have trouble finding you.

These aren't simply minor listing issues. They can affect the patient experience and potentially cost your clinic new patient opportunities.


Where Does Google Get Information About Your Clinic?

Your Google Business Profile isn't an isolated marketing asset.

Google gathers information from multiple sources to try to keep Business Profiles accurate and up to date.

That can include user-submitted information and information Google finds elsewhere online.

This is why consistency across your online presence matters.

Let's say your Google Business Profile says your clinic is open until 6:00 p.m., but your website says you close at 5:00 p.m.

Which one is correct?

You know. Google may not.

Or perhaps you moved your clinic and updated your Google Business Profile, but your old address is still sitting in your website footer or on other prominent online listings.

Now Google is finding conflicting information about your business.


Your Website Can Help Google Verify Your Clinic Information

One particularly important detail in Google's documentation is its reference to publicly available information, including information on your website.

Your website should be one of the clearest and most authoritative sources of information about your clinic.

Make sure the information on your website matches your Google Business Profile, particularly your:

  • Clinic name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Business hours
  • Website and location information
  • Services

Don't just check your homepage.

Look at your contact page, location pages, website footer, appointment page, and other places where your business information appears.

If your clinic has multiple locations, review each location individually.


Why You Shouldn't Treat Your Google Business Profile as "Set It and Forget It"

One of the biggest mistakes we see clinics make with their Google Business Profile is optimizing it once and then rarely looking at it again.

Your profile is dynamic.

Google changes its features. Users can suggest edits. Information about your business can change. Google may gather information from other online sources.

That means information that was accurate six months ago isn't guaranteed to be accurate today.

Regularly reviewing your profile also gives you an opportunity to catch other issues, such as an outdated appointment link, incorrect hours, an unexpected category change, or information that no longer accurately reflects your clinic.


5 Things Clinic Owners Should Do Now


1. Check Who Has Access to Your Google Business Profile

Your clinic should maintain ownership of its Google Business Profile.

Marketing companies, employees, and other partners can be given appropriate access when needed, but your clinic shouldn't lose control of its own listing.

Review who currently has access and remove former employees, outdated vendors, or anyone who no longer needs it.


2. Make Sure Someone Is Monitoring Google Notifications

If Google sends a notification about a suggested edit, four days isn't much time.

Make sure the email account connected to your Business Profile is actively monitored.

Don't blindly click links in emails claiming to be from Google, since phishing emails are common. When you're unsure, access your Business Profile directly through Google and check for notifications there.


3. Review Your Profile Regularly

Search for your clinic on Google and look at the listing from a patient's perspective.

Check the basic information.

Is your address correct?

Are your hours accurate?

Does the phone number work?

Does your website link go to the right page?

Are your categories still appropriate?

Do your appointment links work?

Someone on your team should be responsible for periodically checking this information.


4. Compare Your Google Business Profile With Your Website

Check for discrepancies between the information Google displays and what's published on your website.

Pay particular attention after changing your hours, phone number, address, clinic name, or other important business information.


5. Review Other Important Online Listings

Your website and Google Business Profile aren't the only places where your business information appears.

Check other major listings and directories to make sure outdated information isn't still circulating online.

The goal is to give Google clear and consistent information about your clinic wherever possible.


Be Extra Careful When Your Clinic Makes a Major Change

Monitoring your online information becomes especially important when your clinic:

  • Moves to a new location
  • Opens or closes a location
  • Changes its phone number
  • Changes its business name
  • Adjusts its regular business hours
  • Adds or changes major services
  • Changes its website
  • Goes through a rebrand

When something changes, create a list of all the places that need to be updated.

Don't update Google and forget your website, or update your website and assume Google will figure everything else out automatically.


Your Google Business Profile Deserves Ongoing Attention

The big takeaway from Google's clarification isn't simply that you have four days.

It's that your Google Business Profile needs to be monitored.

For many local clinics, a Google Business Profile is one of the first things a potential patient encounters when searching for care.

They may use it to decide whether you're nearby, whether you're open, what services you provide, whether other patients recommend you, and how to contact you.

Incorrect information can create friction before that potential patient ever reaches your website.

Take a few minutes today to search for your clinic on Google.

Look at your profile as if you're a potential patient.

Then compare what you see with the information on your website.

If you haven't reviewed your Google Business Profile in a while, now is a great time to give it a thorough check.

Want to Improve Your Clinic's Visibility on Google?

Keeping your Google Business Profile accurate is only one piece of a strong local SEO strategy.

If you're wondering how well your clinic is showing up in Google Search, Google Maps, and AI-driven search results, we can help you identify what's working, what may be holding you back, and what to focus on next.

Book a Discovery Call!


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