Healthcare marketing Q&A · ICG Editorial

What is GMB optimisation for clinics?

GMB optimisation is the work of setting up and maintaining a clinic's Google Business Profile, formerly called Google My Business, so it appears higher on Google Maps and local search and turns those views into calls, direction requests and bookings. It covers correct categories and services, accurate address and timings, real photos, regular posts, a steady and ethical flow of reviews with replies, and consistent details across the web. For most clinics it is the cheapest source of local enquiries.

Why it matters for clinics

When someone searches for a dentist, dermatologist or physiotherapist near them, Google usually shows a map with three listings before the regular results. Those three spots get a large share of attention. Clinics outside them rarely get the call. GMB optimisation is how a clinic earns and keeps a place in that local pack.

Google says local ranking depends on three things: relevance (how well the profile matches the search), distance (how close the clinic is to the searcher) and prominence (how well known and well reviewed it is). You cannot change distance. Optimisation works on relevance and prominence.

The main parts of GMB optimisation

Element	What good looks like for a clinic
Business name	Your real clinic name, exactly as on signage. Adding keywords breaks Google's guidelines and risks suspension
Primary and secondary categories	The most specific primary category, such as "Dental clinic" or "Dermatologist", plus relevant secondary ones
Services	Each service you offer, described factually, matching your website service pages
Address, map pin and service area	Exact address and correctly placed pin; consistent with your website and other listings
Hours	Accurate regular hours, plus special hours for holidays and festivals
Phone and website links	A number that is answered; links to the right service or location page
Photos and videos	Real images of the entrance, reception, rooms, equipment and team; no stock photos or before-and-after images
Posts	Regular updates on services, new doctors, health awareness days and timings
Reviews and replies	A steady flow of genuine reviews and a calm, private-information-free reply to each

Our article on common Google Business Profile mistakes lists what most often holds clinics back, and photo optimisation for healthcare covers images in detail.

Reviews: the part clinics get wrong most

Reviews affect both ranking and whether people call. Ask every patient the same neutral way, for example with a printed QR code at reception or a message after the visit. Never offer discounts, free services or gifts for reviews; Google's policies prohibit this and the NMC's 2026 guidelines bar inducements. Do not filter by asking only happy patients. Reply to every review without confirming the person is a patient or discussing their treatment. Read ethical ways to generate Google reviews for a working process.

Healthcare-specific rules to keep in mind

Practitioner profiles: Google allows separate profiles for individual doctors in some cases. In a single-doctor clinic, Google generally expects one profile. Duplicate profiles can be removed.
Content in posts: posts count as promotion, so keep them factual. Avoid "best clinic" claims, testimonials and offers under the NMC's 6 October 2026 guidelines.
Patient privacy: never post patient photos or reply with treatment details. Protect personal data as the DPDP Act, 2023 requires.

Why a clinic profile underperforms

When a clinic with good doctors gets few calls from Google, the cause is usually one of a handful of issues:

Wrong primary category. A skin clinic listed as "Medical clinic" competes poorly for dermatology searches.
Unverified or duplicate profiles. Two listings for the same address split reviews and confuse Google.
Mismatched details. A different phone number or clinic name on your website and directories weakens trust signals.
Few or old reviews. A profile whose last review was a year ago looks inactive to people and to Google.
Thin website. If the linked website has no page for the service someone searched, relevance drops.
Unanswered calls. Ranking well does not help if the phone rings out during busy hours.

Fixing these basics often matters more than any advanced tactic.

Ongoing work, not a one-time setup

A profile that is set up once and left alone slowly loses ground. Hours change, doctors join and leave, competitors add photos and reviews, and anyone can suggest edits to your listing. A simple monthly routine keeps it healthy:

Check for unwanted edits to name, category, phone or hours.
Add new photos and two to four posts.
Reply to all new reviews.
Review insights: calls, direction requests and website clicks.
Update services and special hours before holidays.

Multi-location clinics need this for every branch. Platforms like ICG's Angryturtle help manage profiles, posts and reviews across many locations from one place.

How to judge results

Track calls, direction requests and website clicks from the profile month on month, and ask the front desk how many new patients say they found you on Google. Also check where you appear for your main service searches from different parts of your area, since local rank varies street by street. If you want to estimate what better visibility could be worth, try the GMB ROI calculator.

Detailed answers

GMB stands for Google My Business, the earlier name of Google Business Profile. Google renamed it in 2021, but many people still say GMB. It is the free listing that shows a clinic on Google Maps and local search, with its address, hours, phone number, photos and reviews.

Basic fixes, such as correct categories, hours and phone number, can show effects within weeks. Gains from reviews, photos and posts build over several months. Results depend on competition, distance from searchers and how consistently the profile is maintained, so treat it as ongoing work.

No. Google's guidelines require the real business name as used on signage and stationery. Adding words like "best skin clinic" or a city name can lead to suspension. Relevance should come from accurate categories, a full services list, matching website content and a steady flow of genuine reviews instead.

No. Google's policies prohibit incentives for reviews, and the NMC's 2026 guidelines bar inducements in healthcare promotion. Ask every patient in the same neutral way, for example with a QR code at reception or a message after the visit, and reply to each review politely.

A monthly routine works for most clinics: check for unwanted edits, add photos and a few posts, reply to every new review, update services and holiday hours, and review calls and direction requests. Reviews should be answered within a few days of being posted.

Ready to move?

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