Google Business Profile is often the first means by which potential clients interact with your practice. Sometimes, it’s the only way potential clients interact with your practice, and that’s why it’s important to have a fully developed and optimized Google Business Profile (GBP).
Part of that optimization is ensuring that your booking link is featured in your profile. Recent SEO analyses have shown that businesses with appointment links are more likely to be contacted.
And that’s why we put together this post: to show you to add a booking link to your Google Business Profile.
The Right Scheduling Tool For You
But before we get started… what if you don’t have scheduling software integrated with your site? Well, we recommend fixing that. Whereas you could simply link a Contact Form under your Bookings tab, doing so may not encourage clients to book with you.
We’ve already written a list of the best scheduling tools for therapists. Without clicking in, we can definitely recommend Calendly, especially since it has a free trial so you can decide whether it not works for you and your practice. The one tip to keep in mind is you want to choose a scheduling tool that makes life easier for you.
And please, make sure to test your link! Make an appointment with yourself so you know potential clients can also make appointments.
Once you have a scheduling tool and a Booking link it’s time to learn how to integrate it with your GBP.
How To Add The Booking Link
Adding a booking link is fairly simple, and for the sake of simplicity we’re walking you through exactly what to do.
Start by logging into your Google Business Profile account. If it’s associated with your email then you’re already logged in. Just head to https://www.google.com/business/ and click the “Manage Now” button at the top right of your screen.
From here, find the “Bookings” option and click it:
But… you may not see a Bookings tab.
Know that the Bookings tab is not available in every single region. (It’s also not available for some business categories.) That doesn’t mean it never will be, just that it’s not there yet. Google tends to roll out features on a region-by-region basis.
And from here simply add your booking link, whether it be a Calendly link or some other tool.
Know that if you have multiple locations, you’ll need to add the Booking link to each location’s profile.
Adding Multiple Booking Links
As a group practice you may have multiple booking links. There may be one for each clinician in your Private Practice. The question then becomes… should you add all of them?
Hypothetically, if you’re a group practice with over 100 practitioners, you have over 100 booking links. Adding all of those to your GBP might be overwhelming for potential clients, who will then, likely, default to the very first link they see.
So if you’re a very large group practice, consider adding one appointment link and then filtering potential clients to the practitioner who can help them best through your appointment tool.
If you’re a small practice (say 5 therapists) then you may be OK with an appointment link. Though, again, potential clients are likely to default to the first link. They’re unlikely to understand the differences between therapists in your group practice by just looking at the Google Business Profile.
Why The Google Business Profile Booking Feature Matters
In a report about ranking factors for Google Business Profile, the GBP Booking Feature was the 7th most important conversion factor, just below Completeness of GBP. (Which makes sense since you need to have the booking feature added to be GBP Complete.)
Potential clients see the booking link right there on the search results page and they click and connect.
Remember, Google wants Business Profiles to function as a compliment to your website. And in the same way that websites which are optimized rank more highly on search engines, Google Business Profiles that are optimized rank more highly in local results.
When the pair work in tandem, Private Practices are far more likely to stand out and connect with potential clients.