1 Very Important Local SEO Dental Practice Tip

In this age of instant answers, immediate access to detailed, accurate information about products and services is essential to our buying decisions.

The Google My Business app which is tied to your Google My Business account allows you to receive and reply to prospective patients’ questions anywhere, anytime — instantly. Doing this simple step will improve your local dental SEO conversion.

There are few things more frustrating to me than when I can’t easily find the information I want about a product, service or business I’m interested in. So, when the specific details I need aren’t readily available on a company’s website, I go to the “Contact Us” page — and what I find on that page has a huge impact on whether I eventually decide to buy or not.

When I land on the contact us page, if my only option is to send an email, you’ve probably lost me. I need to be able to call, or better yet, get immediate support via chat. And I’m not alone in thinking that: Americans vastly prefer texting to calling. It’s simply a quicker, easier way to get just the information we need.

Speaking personally, if I can get answers to my questions instantly via chat, it greatly increases the likelihood that I will buy from that company — and bonus points if chat support is available outside of regular business hours.

Now, Google is rolling out a feature that allows you to chat directly with prospective patients who find your practice listing on Google Search. Responding promptly can help you answer their questions, tell your practice’s story, and attract more people to your location.

Here’s how to enable it:

Log into your Google My Business account. If you’re not familiar with Google My Business we have a fantastic webinar that introduces the app and functionality to you.

Scroll down to find the “Message with customers” section and click the “Turn on Messaging” button.

Enter a phone number that can receive text messages. This number will not be publicized by the chat feature.

That’s it! You can now receive text messages from people who find your practice listing on Google! Here’s how it looks on iOS:

Adrian Lefler is the CEO and Co-Founder of My Social Practice and a recognized dental marketing expert with nearly two decades of experience. He is a trusted voice in dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and emerging technology, and he hosts BYTE SIZED, a podcast focused on dental AI, innovation, and technology.