State of the Industry, Digital Marketing Part Three: Google Business Pages

This is Part Three of our in-depth analysis into the veterinary industry’s digital marketing. To benchmark the industry and its use of best practices, we analyzed the digital presences of 1,000 accredited veterinary hospitals around the country. We chose to look at accredited hospitals because their hospitals range in size and because we believe they are the best veterinary hospitals in the country. All hospitals reviewed serve companion animals; we did not include equine, emergency or specialty hospitals. Our study is the largest, most comprehensive and most in-depth study ever completed in the veterinary field. All checkpoints were based on yes or no questions. We used only fact to build this study—no judgments. We also broke this data down by the marketing provider, so we could see how veterinary service companies score when it comes to getting their veterinary hospitals up to speed in the digital space. We’re presenting it here to show all veterinary hospitals where they can look to improve their digital game. Our four-part series will cover veterinary websites, Facebook, Google, and Yelp. In this third part, we’re looking at Google Business pages.

Veterinary Google Business Pages

After taking an in-depth look at websites and Facebook pages, we looked at these hospitals’ Google Business pages. Google is far and away the world’s largest search engine, and when clients are looking for a hospital on Google Search or Maps, having yours show up correctly and professionally is imperative to the visibility of your hospital. Your Google listing is not your website—rather it complements your existing website to lend credibility to your business.

90.8%

908/1000

Had Verified Their Google Business Listing 100% of iVET360’s tested clients met this requirement.

Verified Google Business Listing

The power of Google lies beyond search capabilities—it has become a phenomenon for businesses looking to grow and stand out. Your hospital’s identity needs to include a verified Google My Business profile, which will allow you (and not a random person or competitor) to control your business listing and update crucial information such as your hours, contact information and a link to your correct website. Along with being able to manage this data, you can also add appointment links and updated holiday hours—all of which are important for those clients who rely on your Google listing for accurate information. Verification is simple—depending on your eligibility you can be instantly verified, or your options include through postcard, phone or email. Once verified, you will be able to completely manage your business information on Google Maps, Search and other Google properties. You will also be able to use Google Posts (see below) to share fresh, relevant content with people who search for your hospital.

3%

30/1000

Had Google Business Indoor Street View 66% of iVET360’s tested clients met this requirement.

Google Business Indoor Street View

Google Business Indoor Street View is a tool that gives searchers a virtual look inside of your business through a series of 360-degree photos. This allows people to get an inside look at your hospital and acts as a tour of your facility—think of it as Google Street View but for the interior of your company. Business View does more than just show off your hospital—online viewers are 115 percent more likely to book a location after a virtual tour or video. Since such a small percentage of hospitals currently use Business View, this virtual tool can give you a strong edge over the competition. Having a convenient visual tour inside of your hospital is not only informative and convenient, it also increases traffic, which will make you more relevant in local searches.

1.7%

17/1000

Utilized Google Business Posts 84% of iVET360’s tested clients met this requirement.

Google Posts

Google Posts is a new feature that was rolled out in mid 2017 (and is separate from Google+ Posts). With Google Posts, you can share content with people who are searching for your hospital—these posts will then show up on your Knowledge Panel (the box of information that appears on the right of Google Search results). You can make posts of up to 300 words in length that can also include a photo. Posts are ideal for promoting an event with a date range or if you wish to post a link with a call to action. Google Posts have a limited lifespan of one week of display on the Knowledge Panel—event posts will last as long as the event timeframe, and up to 10 posts will show simultaneously via a carousel-type display which users can scroll through to see them all.

40.14

Average Number Of Reviews On Google

54.10

Average Number Of Reviews On Google For Businesses That Also Had Google Business Indoor Street View

iVET360’s tested hospitals average 61.14 reviews.

Google Reviews

Google reviews offer a real-world example of how your hospital functions. When a client leaves a review, it will show up next to your listing in Google Search and Maps and can help your business stand out. By reminding loyal clients to leave reviews, you can increase your business rating, and replying to these reviews helps build trust among your client base. The more Google reviews your business has, the more prominent your position is in the search results.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][minti_divider margin=”40px 0 40px 0″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]To receive your veterinary hospital’s score, contact iVET360 utilizing the form below and tell us your hospital name, website, and email address, and we’ll provide an all-inclusive digital report for your hospital for free within 24 hours. Stay tuned for Part Four, where we look at the usage of Yelp, coming soon.