The internet is the place to be if you want your business to be seen and recognized. When it comes to online search, there is no competition. Google dominates. We’ve all turned to Google to find businesses and read reviews; in fact nearly one-third of U.S. consumers search online for local businesses daily. Google controls more than 92 percent of worldwide search-engine market share. Therefore, optimizing your presence on Google’s platform is essential. You definitely want pharmacy search results to work in your favor.
Claim Your Listing
If you haven’t already, claim your Google My Business listing. Simply search for your pharmacy on Google and click “claim this business.” You’ll need a Gmail account or a phone number associated with the business to verify ownership. You’ll want to make sure there is only one listing appearing for your pharmacy. If there are any duplicates, claim them. After you’ve claimed your listing, fill out all of the information as accurately as possible, including a business description, hours of operation, photos, and website URL.
Make sure your business address is current, especially if you’ve moved recently. It’s also a good idea to let people know in your profile if your pharmacy is located inside of a medical building or shopping center.
The profile you provide on Google should also include all of the patient care services you offer (drive-thru, curbside pickup, etc.) so Google can match your business with appropriate searches. For instance, if an individual inputs “pharmacy with curbside” into the search bar, the pharmacies that rank highly for curbside service will be the most relevant results. Is your pharmacy website up to date with all of the services you offer and corresponding keywords? This is important because Google integrates that information into its search results.
Optimize Your Listing
If you’d like to fully optimize your listing, have some professional photos taken of your pharmacy. By adding quality photos to your listing, your pharmacy will be twice as likely to be considered reputable. It’ll also get 35% more clicks.
Post Relevant Content
Create high-quality content on your website that’s relevant to your business. You can include a blog, articles, or videos. Remember to insert keywords that people are most likely to search for when looking for a pharmacy like yours. Be sure to use those same keywords throughout your website’s copy as well as in your titles and meta descriptions. These are the keywords Google will use to rank your listing and determine whether or not to show your pharmacy to searchers.
Does your website already have a high-quality blog that’s regularly updated? If so, add the Google My Business (GMB) badge to it. This gives people an easy way to find and connect with your business.
Ask for Reviews
Don’t be afraid to ask your patients to review your pharmacy. Try offering an incentive (free product or service) for writing a review. If you’re on other social media outlets, do the same by asking your customers to leave a review. The better-reviewed businesses are showcased higher on GMB, and businesses with a lot of reviews receive priority ranking.
Google also determines prominence based on how well-trafficked the business is and whether it’s near any landmarks or other high-interest areas. Prominence is also based on information from links, articles, directories, and customer reviews. A pharmacy with a positive overall rating will receive a favorable prominence score from Google.
Respond to Customer Questions and Complaints
Don’t ignore them. Respond. This shows potential customers you’re engaged with customers and care about providing great service. It will also improve your GMB ranking because it shows that you have a high-quality website with up-to-date information.
If you don’t have email alerts set up for new comments or reviews on your listing, now is the time to do it. This will allow you to get notifications when people leave comments so you can respond promptly.
If you follow all of these tips, you’ll be well on your way to ranking higher on Google My Business and having more customers walk through your doors.
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and owned by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited secondary wholesaler with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
