Healthcare marketing Q&A · ICG Editorial

Should each doctor have a Google Business Profile separate from the clinic's?

Only if the clinic has more than one public-facing doctor. If one doctor is the only public-facing practitioner, Google's guidelines say to use a single profile for the clinic and doctor together. If several doctors see patients there, the clinic keeps its own profile and each public-facing doctor may have a separate one. Separate profiles help patients searching a doctor's name, but they need managing, and duplicates can hurt.

What do Google's rules say about doctors and clinics?

Google treats doctors as "individual practitioners". Its guidelines for representing a business on Google allow a practitioner to have a profile separate from the practice, as long as they are public-facing and can be contacted at that location. A solo practitioner should share one profile with the practice instead.

Clinic set-up	What Google's guidelines suggest	How to name it
One doctor, one clinic	A single profile for both	Clinic name and doctor, in the format "[Clinic name]: Dr [Name]" if both names are used on signage and documents
Several doctors, one clinic	A clinic profile, plus optional profiles for each public-facing doctor	Clinic under its real name; each doctor under their own name
Doctor consulting at several clinics	A profile at each location where they see patients regularly, if they are public-facing there	Doctor's name, without adding keywords or the city
Hospital with departments	A hospital profile; departments may have their own if they are distinct and public-facing	Department name as shown on signage

Google's policies change, so check the current guidelines in the Google Business Profile help centre before creating new profiles.

What are the pros and cons of separate doctor profiles?

A separate profile helps when patients search a doctor by name, or when a senior consultant has a reputation of their own. It can also show the doctor's specialty category alongside the clinic's. The cost is more profiles to maintain, reviews split across listings, and confusion if someone leaves.

When it helps

Patients often search for the doctor's name rather than the clinic's.
Doctors have different specialties, such as a dermatologist and a dentist in one centre.
A consultant also practises at other locations.

When it hurts

A solo clinic creates two profiles for the same place and splits its reviews.
Visiting doctors who are not regularly available get profiles that mislead patients.
Nobody owns the doctor profiles, so hours and phone numbers go out of date.
A doctor leaves and the profile, with the clinic's phone number, stays live.

How do I add a clinic on Google, and then add doctors?

Create or claim the clinic's profile first, verify it, and set the primary category accurately. Add doctors only after that. Each doctor profile needs the doctor's own name, a relevant category and a contact route, and should be managed by the clinic with the doctor's agreement.

Search Google Maps for the clinic to make sure no profile already exists; claim it if one does.
Create or claim the clinic profile, verify it, and complete categories, services, hours, photos and the booking link.
Decide which doctors are public-facing and regularly available.
Create their profiles with the doctor as an owner or manager, so the clinic does not lose access.
Keep the clinic's main number on the clinic profile and use direct or extension numbers on doctor profiles where possible.
Agree in writing what happens to a doctor's profile if they leave.

A new profile takes time to appear for competitive searches; see how long a new clinic takes to rank on Google Maps.

What is local SEO for doctors, and how do profiles fit in?

Local SEO for doctors is the work that makes a clinic and its doctors appear in Google Maps for nearby searches. Profiles are the core of it. Accurate categories, consistent contact details, genuine reviews and matching pages on the clinic website help each profile rank for the searches it should.

Link each doctor's profile to that doctor's page on the clinic website, not to the homepage. The page should show qualifications, registration number, specialty and timings. Ask patients for reviews without offering anything in return; read whether clinics can offer incentives for reviews before running any review drive.

Are doctors allowed to use Google Business Profile under NMC rules?

Yes, for factual listing information. As of October 2026, under the NMC guidelines of 6 October 2026, hospitals and clinics may publish factual, verifiable details, and individual doctors are limited to genuinely educational content in their own name with qualifications and registration number. Name, address, hours, specialty and contact details fit that.

What does not fit is promotion such as "best cardiologist in Pune", testimonials posted as updates, before/after photos or discount offers. Responding to reviews must never reveal a patient's details, which also matters under the DPDP Act 2023. Confirm specifics with your counsel. An NMC compliance audit reviews profiles alongside your website. ICG's Google Business Profile management handles clinic and doctor profiles together, with clear ownership.

Detailed answers

Google's guidelines say no when the doctor is the only public-facing practitioner at that location. Use one profile, named with the clinic and the doctor where both appear on signage. Two profiles for the same place usually split reviews and can be flagged as duplicates. A doctor practising at another clinic can have a profile there.

If the doctor moves elsewhere, the profile can be updated to the new location or marked as moved, depending on Google's current options. Agree this in writing when the profile is created. Never leave the clinic's phone number on a departed doctor's profile, and remove the doctor from the clinic's website and profile services.

Yes. Reviews on a doctor's profile belong to that profile and are separate from the clinic's. That is useful for well-known consultants but splits reviews in solo clinics. Ask patients to review whichever profile matches their visit, and never offer incentives or write reviews on their behalf.

Google's guidelines allow departments within hospitals and similar institutions to have their own profiles when they are distinct and public-facing, usually with their own category and entrance or contact. Smaller units without separate public access are better listed as services on the main profile. Check the current guidelines before creating department profiles.

Use the real-world name only. For a doctor's profile, that is the doctor's name; for a solo practice, the combined clinic and doctor name as used on signage. Adding keywords such as specialty or city to the name breaches Google's guidelines and can get the profile suspended. Show the specialty through categories instead.

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