We’ve been harping on the importance of reputation management and patient ratings on doctor review sites for some time now.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” you say, “we get it, reviews and gold stars are important.”
Thanks to BrightLocal, a search marketing toolset for local businesses, we have some additional definitive proof to back up these claims.
In their article, Impact of Reviews and Ratings on Search Click-Through Rates, they outline some compelling stats:
Raising Your Rating by 2 Stars = 25% More Clicks
Going from a 3-star rating to a 5-star rating gets a business 25% more clicks from Google Local Pack
5-Star Ratings = 39% More Clicks
Having a 5-star rating earns a business 39% more clicks from Google Local than having a 1-star rating
Over 50% of Consumers Select a Business With Positive Reviews
56% of consumers select a business if it has positive ratings/reviews displayed in Google Local Pack
Star Ratings > Organic Search Results
Star Ratings displayed in Local Pack results generate higher CTR than organic search results
Your Reputation Matters
A positive reputation can boost search ranking, drive more clicks and build trust among consumers
Why Reputation Management Matters
In the internet era, the health of your medical practice relies on your online reputation. Like it or not, what patients are typing up online can be either helpful or hurtful to your business.
You still need to practice great medicine to get patients through the door. Word of mouth will continue to spread the way that it always has.
Only now, regardless of whether a patient was referred by another provider or a family member, chances are they’re going to check-up on you online.
Patients have a lot more choice and many more tools than ever at their disposal.
It’s your job to ensure that the offline realities of your practice match the online reality these potential patients see.
Negative Reviews Will Reduce Clicks While Positive Reviews Will Increase Clicks
Brightlocal explains the details of their research methodology of their study but the key takeaway is that negative reviews will reduce the number of clicks to your website while positive reviews will increase the number of patients clicking on your site.
Sounds simple, right? At the core it is simple because reading online reviews about medical practices and individual doctors is not only important to modern-day patients but, it’s a reflex – it’s one of the first things that they’ll do when they are weighing their options.
Positive reviews serve two key functions:
- Positive reviews influence buying decisions
- Positive reviews impact search engine results
In our infographic, 10 Heart Stopping Facts About Your Healthcare Practice’s Online Reputation, you can review all of the ways that reviews influence a patient’s decision including this interesting stat:
93% of patients said that online reviews were either somewhat useful or very useful in helping them make a decision about a doctor.
The Brightlocal study explains the “why” behind numbers like this, such as the impact of reviews on the Google Local Pack and search engine results pages (SERPs).
Consider these compelling findings:
How patients pick a medical practice from Google’s Local Pack
Impact of reviews on patient click-through rate to your website
How 5-star ratings impact click-through rates
Get More Patients With a Positive Reputation
You don’t have to be an expert in all things Google to understand that reputation management for doctors plays a vital role in the health of your practice.
Positive reviews make you stand out above your competition. When you take a little time to understand the review process, the great work that you do in your office will translate into a positive reputation online which will make you more visible in the crowded digital space where patients are just looking for someone that they can trust.