Did you know that 97% of consumers will learn about a local company online? This includes your potential patients, which means that having an online presence is critical. Learn how to optimize your searchability and build your online reputation as an excellent provider with the following steps:

Update Your Google Knowledge Panel

First things first, in order to receive Google Reviews, you need to have a verified business in Google’s Knowledge Panel.

Google’s Knowledge Panel is that big block of information that appears on the right-hand side of your desktop screen after entering a search term. Google your practice name to be sure your data is complete, including contact information, website, email, office hours, and treatment specialties. Google allows photos to be uploaded, so be sure to include your professional photo and your office logo.

To create a new Google profile for your business, first, go to Google My Business (GMB). From there, you’ll add your business information and photos. Next, Google will need to verify your account. This can happen in 2 ways: 

1. GMB will call your business phone number with the verification code. 
2. You can opt for GMB to send you a verification code by mail in 3-5 business days.

*Note that if you are verifying your account via phone call, you will need to have a direct phone number. Be sure to submit your business phone number that you added to your profile upon creation.

Once your account is verified, anyone with a Gmail account (i.e. Gmail address) will be able to rate you online.

To update basic information on your current knowledge panel, first, make sure that you are signed in with a Google account that is an administrator for your site. Next, perform a Google search for your practice name. Your knowledge graph should appear on the right side of your screen. Click on “Edit your business information”, located below your address and phone number. From there you should be able to edit the primary components. If you need to change additional items, follow these instructions from Google.

Confirm Your Google Link in ChiroUp

Within 48 hours from your initial ChiroUp sign-up, a support specialist will automatically create and upload a unique link that will direct patients to your clinic’s Google review page. If you are the admin for your ChiroUp account, please confirm that the link is correct. You can test your practice link by creating a condition report for yourself, sending it to your personal email address, then clicking the Google link at the bottom of the last page.

Relax - You are now enjoying automated web reviews as part of your membership. Unless you opt out of Outcome Tracker® your patients will automatically have the opportunity to rate your practice on Google, 30-days after delivery of your condition report.

Maximizing delivery and completion of this 30-day survey is critical since it provides the data for your patient satisfaction and clinical outcome tracking. 

Ask for Reviews

One of the keys to getting patients to submit online reviews is to ask for the review promptly. People are most likely to give you feedback at the time of service - the more time between the service and the request, the likelihood of getting reviews drops precipitously.

This opportunity to request a Google review may be after the initial visit, upon release from care, or sometime in between when your patients say “I’m feeling much better.”

Whenever it occurs, make sure you and your staff are prepared to translate the patient’s enthusiasm into a tangible online review.

Your request should sound something like: “Mary, I’m very happy that you’re pleased with your results. I’d be ecstatic if you would consider sharing your positive experience with others – because that’s how my practice grows. If I send you a link, would you be willing to provide a quick Google review?”

To manually send a request at any point, navigate to Patient data, select the patient name, and click on “send Google review link” in the bottom line. Your request will immediately be emailed to your patient.

Click here‍ for a tutorial on the manual Google review request process.

Motivate Your Staff

At your next staff meeting, make sure all team members know how to send a manual request for a Google review via ChiroUp.

Your office staff should be trained to request online reviews from patients while they are waiting for treatment or therapy. This interaction might sound like this: “Thank you so much for trusting us to care for you, we know you have lots of other options. We hope you are happy with your experience in our office. We always appreciate feedback and it helps our office grow. Would you consider taking a moment to fill out an online review of your experience today?”

Consider hosting a contest with a reward for the staff member who collects the highest number of 5-star reviews. Make sure any contest is long enough so that reviews come in over an extended period of time, i.e. 2-3 months. Having a large group of reviews within one very short time frame screams “artificial.”

Thank Your Patients

Reply to all online reviews immediately, and also consider a hand-written thank you note. Be careful not to violate the Google policy for reviews which prohibits the use of money, discounts, gifts, or other rewards for reviews. For Google's review policies, the exact wording is quite simple; “Don't offer or accept money in exchange for reviews.”

*Additionally, be certain that you are aware of, and do not violate, State or Federal “anti-kickback” (AKS) and Federal Stark laws that regulate healthcare gifting and prohibit any form of remuneration that could be construed as payment in exchange for referrals of business. Anti-kickback laws prohibit giving anything more than “nominal” gifts. Unfortunately, “nominal” is undefined by AKS law; however, the OIG has defined “nominal as gifts that are not cash or cash equivalents, and they have a retail value of less than $15 individually or an aggregate value of $75 per year per patient. This advice is for informational purposes only- to alert subscribers of potential pitfalls. Providers should consult with a healthcare attorney for legal advice.

Reply to Reviews

By monitoring your profiles on online review sites, you can note new reviews and follow up with patients. Thanking patients the next time they are in your office with a simple word or handwritten note is a nice gesture to acknowledge your appreciation. If you don’t have time to monitor your own reviews, consider training a staff member to do so. Make sure they understand the importance of not disclosing Protected Health Information and are trained to identify and forward any concerns directly to the provider.

Regularly monitoring what patients say about your business will give you an idea of how people perceive your office, and remember; you may not receive glowing reviews each time. Providers can sometimes learn from negative reviews, although they rarely come in the form of constructive criticism. Take the time to read these reviews and reach out to the patient that left the review, trying to correct the issue, if possible. If a review is completely false, contact the online review site’s customer service. Unfortunately, patients wishing to share a bad experience are more motivated to post comments than your satisfied supporters. Conversely, abundant positive feedback will make your practice stand out.