How to Create a Google My Business Listing for a Chiropractic Practice

Getting found by potential patients in your local area is essential for your chiropractic practice. You do not need to waste efforts and advertising money to reach out to people living too far away from your practice. And one of the best ways of ensuring that you are found by people who are likely to come to your practice is by claiming and verifying your Google My Business listing.

What Is Google My Business?

Google My Business is a sort of online business directory kept by Google – like Yellow Pages, for instance. However, it has deeper and more ramified roles in the way Google displays search results for local queries.

For one, the Google My Business listing is the first place where Google searches for a match between a user’s location and businesses in their area. Also, a Google My Business listing also puts a pin on Google Maps on the exact location of your chiropractic practice.

Other Benefits of Having a Google My Business Listing

Google My Business helps potential patients decide whether you run a reliable practice because you can collect reviews and ratings from 1 to 5 stars. Some patients will post a review simply because they really were happy with the outcome of the treatment.

But for most of the cases, you can encourage them to do so, by including links to you GMB listing in your progress reports and email newsletters.

Why does this matter? When your chiropractic practice appears in local search results, Google will display, among other relevant data (address, business hours) your average rating and the number of reviews you have on your Google My Business listing.

Let’s Create Your Google My Business Listing!

First of all, like all services Google offers, Google My Business is free to use. However, you must adhere to the Guidelines, otherwise your listing will be deactivated (Google is proactive in weeding out inaccurate or spammy listings).

Go to this link and log in with your Google account.

1. Set Up Your Business Name and Category

In the first step, you have to type in your business name and select a business category. Make sure that you spell your business name correctly and you DO NOT use keywords in it – such as “The Best Chiropractic Practice in Seattle”. This is a reason for listing suspension.

As for the business category, you will find “chiropractor” among the pre-defined industries available on Google My Business.

2. Add a Location for Your Business

In the next step, you will be asked whether you want to add a physical location for your business. Select “Yes” and click on Next.

Once you reach the page where you have to type in your chiropractic practice address, be very careful. Make no spelling mistake, and use a consistent address format for every online directory, including your own website.

Google will differentiate between 123 Central Street, Suite 15 and 123 Central Street, Apartment 15. If you use different address formats, you may end up competing against your own practice.

In the next step of creating your Google My Business listing, you will have to specify whether you serve customers outside your business location. This option is mostly useful for restaurants that also do home deliveries, so you will select “No”.

3. Add Your Phone and Website

Add the phone numbers patients can call for appointments and your website. All these data, along with other NAP citations (name, address, phone number) on other business directories will be used by Google in deciding to display your chiropractic practice in local searches.

4. Add Business Hours

Finally, set up the hours when you are open for appointments. They will be displayed under your business name in Google searches. Users will also see a specific message whether you are open or about to close the practice at the end of the day in a short time.

5. Get Your Listing Verified

Google will use one of the several ways for verifying that you really own the business and control the location you specified:
•    By phone call
•    By postcard
•    By email.

Once your Google My Business listing is verified, you are in full control of it and can start adding photos, short posts (on topics of interests for readers, not marketing or promotions) and respond to reviews.

If you need help with creating or managing your Google My Business listing, do not hesitate to ask our SEO specialists for help!