Google Business Profile Checklist for Dentists
Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing a patient sees: your name, rating, phone number and photos, right in the search results. This checklist takes about 15 minutes and covers what Google itself recommends.
Why it matters
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. A complete, accurate profile helps with relevance, and reviews and links to your website help with prominence. Google also states that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking, so the work below is what you can control.
The checklist
- Verify the profile. Google asks you to verify so it knows you are authorized to represent the business. An unverified profile will not show its full information to the public.
- Check the name. Use your real practice name as it appears on your signage and website. Do not add keywords or locations to the name.
- Choose the right category. Use Dentist as the primary category. Add secondary categories only for services you really offer, such as Cosmetic dentist or Emergency dental service.
- Confirm address and phone. Keep them exactly the same as on your website and directories.
- Set accurate hours. Add holiday hours and update them when they change. Wrong hours lead to frustrated patients and bad reviews.
- Add services. List each treatment you offer with a short description.
- Add a website link. Link to the page that fits the profile, such as your home page or location page.
- Upload real photos. Add photos of the front of the office, the waiting room, treatment rooms and your team. Google recommends photos and videos.
- Write a clear description. Explain who you serve, what you offer and what makes your practice different. Avoid claims you cannot support.
- Reply to reviews. Google says replying shows you value feedback. Thank people, stay calm with critical comments and never share patient health details in a reply.
Reviews: what is allowed
Google lets you ask customers for reviews, for example with a link or a QR code. Customers need to be signed in to a Google Account. Google prohibits offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews, and it does not want review replies used to offer deals. Honest, mixed feedback often looks more trustworthy than perfect scores.
Keep it fresh
- Add new photos every month.
- Post news, offers and patient education updates.
- Review hours before holidays.
- Check the profile for edits you did not make.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the profile unverified.
- Stuffing keywords into the business name.
- Using a different phone number from the website.
- Ignoring reviews.
- Using stock photos.
What to do next
Once your profile is complete, make sure your website supports it with a page for each service and location. Our local SEO service handles both, or you can contact us for a free review of your profile and site.
A weekly and monthly routine for your profile
A Google Business Profile is not a one-time setup. Patients see it first, so a few minutes each week keeps it accurate and active. Here is a routine a front desk team can follow.
Every week (about 15 minutes)
- Answer new reviews politely and without sharing any patient details.
- Check for questions and messages and reply the same day.
- Add one or two recent photos of the office, the team or the waiting area.
- Look at the profile on your phone and confirm the phone number and hours are right.
Every month (about 30 minutes)
- Review your categories and services and add any new treatments you now offer.
- Update holiday or special hours before they happen, not after.
- Check the profile insights for calls, direction requests and website clicks, and note the numbers.
- Search your own practice name and look for duplicate or incorrect listings.
Follow the name rule
Google asks that your business name match what you use in the real world, such as on your sign and website. Adding keywords like “Best Dentist Frisco” to the name can lead to edits or suspension, so keep it plain.
Keep a record of changes
Write down what you change and when, for example a new phone number, a new category or a new photo set. If your results change later, this log helps you see what might have caused it. It also helps a new team member take over without guessing what was already done.
Protect the profile
Limit who has owner access, use a business email that more than one trusted person can reach, and keep the recovery options up to date. A lost login or an unexpected ownership request can take weeks to fix, so it is worth setting this up before there is a problem. If Google ever suspends a profile, read the notice carefully, fix what it names, and submit the appeal with proof of your business such as a license and photos of the sign.
Common profile problems and quick fixes
- Wrong or missing hours: patients arrive at a closed door and leave a bad review. Set special hours for every holiday in advance.
- Old photos: a profile with pictures from years ago looks inactive. Replace them with recent, real photos of the team and the office.
- Too many categories: choose the main category that best describes the practice and add only secondary ones that are true.
- Unanswered reviews: reply to every review, positive or negative, in a calm and professional way.
- Missing services: list the treatments you actually provide so patients searching for them can see a match.
- Broken website link: check that the link opens the right page and not an old address.
If you fix only the items above, you will already be ahead of many practices in your area. Check them again at the start of every month, and ask a patient or family member to look at the profile on their own phone for a fresh view.