For healthcare facility leaders, learning how to improve Google reviews involves engaging with a comprehensive strategy of analysis and action. Google reviews give leadership important information about where their organization shines or struggles, and how these traits impact the patient experience. Earning higher reviews may involve fine-tuning your feedback-solicitation process or perhaps addressing bigger flaws in your facility's operations.
Healthcare is a competitive industry warranting strong marketing strategies and consistent reputation management. Google reviews are one of the most publicly accessible ways for patients to learn about your facility. Positive reviews can help you attract and retain patients, while negative reviews may drive patients away. In this article, we'll discuss the importance of these reviews and outline strategies that can help you garner more positive feedback.
What Are Google Reviews?
In order to figure out how to improve your Google review rating, it's helpful to understand how the platform works. Google reviews are online, public ratings written by individuals who have previously interacted with or received services from a given business.
Users can rate their experiences using a star rating between one and five, with one star being the lowest and five stars being the highest. They then have the option to leave a written comment and/or photographs to elaborate on their rating. When people search for a business on Google, they can see the average rating, how many reviews have been left, and all the comments.
Why Are Google Reviews Important in Healthcare?
Google reviews have become a routine part of the provider vetting and selection process. According to a 2025 survey, 73% of patients read online reviews when considering booking with a provider and prefer four-star ratings or higher. This means facilities that aren't actively figuring out how to improve Google review rating averages may be deterring patients, even if they offer high-quality services.
Garnering more positive reviews is an important way to boost your brand image and ensure people give your facility a chance. Improving Google star rating averages by earning a high volume of four-star and above reviews could also signal to Google's algorithms that your facility is valuable and trustworthy, which may improve your website's local search visibility and ranking in Google Maps.
Keep in mind that Google business reviews and complaints are weighed alongside other information, and improving a Google star rating average alone (without managing other quality indicators) won't improve your credibility. For example, some top hospitals have mediocre review averages despite being trusted care providers and placing well in Google Search and Maps.
How Do You Set Up a Google Review Page?
You won't know how to improve your Google reviews until your facility starts getting reviews. So, make sure your facility is verified with Google, or claim your business if it's already showing up on Google Maps. This will ensure you have more control over how your information is shown and enable you to respond directly to reviews as the business owner.
How Are Google Reviews Viewed and Managed?
You may be wondering: How do I see my Google reviews, and do I need to actively manage them? To see your facility's reviews, perform a Google search and take a look at the profile that populates for your business. Your reviews are visible as a collection that presents an average. Click through to the list to see individual reviews.
If you're wondering, Do I need to view my Google reviews in detail, even if there's a high volume? The answer is no. Large healthcare systems often have thousands of reviews, and some are simply related to a patient's stress and discomfort in general. No one likes to be ill or injured, which may be why the median hospital rating on Google is three stars. While giving thoughtful attention to each review may not be feasible or productive, putting a system in place to monitor and analyze trends in reviews can be helpful. Google review management tools can be used to search Google reviews, consolidate feedback, and generate actionable insights.
How To Reply to Google Reviews in Healthcare
Deciding how to reply to Google reviews is often related to broader reputation management strategies. While some organizations choose not to engage, others respond to all reviews, both positive and negative. Google review management tools can be used to generate automated responses, such as appreciation for positive reviews. When responding to negative reviews, it's helpful to "take the high road" and simply thank the patient for their feedback, while providing assurance that their input will be shared with leadership or a patient experience team.
It's important to note that whatever your strategy is, you can't violate HIPAA privacy rules. While a patient may mention a clinician by name in their review, the facility staff must respect the patient's confidentiality when responding.
Can You Remove Reviews On Google?
Yes. You can instigate the removal of a review on Google if it fails to adhere to Google's reviewer policies. This is done through your Google Business Profile. Document your reasons for requesting the removal of the review, such as the use of hateful or profane language, or your suspicion that the reviewer never actually received services from your facility. Google will look into the issue and if they feel your grounds for the request are valid the review will be removed. It may take a few weeks, or up to two months, for Google to take action.
When deciding whether to flag a review for investigation, keep in mind that not all anonymous Google reviews are fake or bot-generated. Patients can decide to alter their profile information so that their review will present under an anonymous name to protect their identity. To spot fake Google reviews that should be flagged for removal, look for multiple reviews with the same language, vague and short comments, and odd phrasing.
How to Improve Google Reviews for Business in Healthcare
Now that we've gone over the logistics, you may be wondering how to improve reviews on Google. It's important to align your strategy with the quality of your services and ensure your reputation grows authentically. Here are five tips to help you do this.
1. Prioritize the Patient Experience
Healthcare is built on trust, so focusing on the patient experience is key to garnering more positive reviews. Avoid shortcuts like planting fake comments or using a 5-star Google review generator. This may initially make you appear trustworthy, but will end up ruining your reputation down the line. Plus, having a perfect five-star rating from a high volume of users can actually look suspicious to prospective patients.
Instead, focus on giving your patients the best services possible and allow your reputation to naturally improve. You can start by conducting patient experience surveys and figuring out what aspects of your services need improvement. Or, search Google reviews for your facility to look for patterns, such as complaints about excessive wait times or the poor parking situation. Taking action to remedy these root causes of patient dissatisfaction can prevent negative reviews and help your facility's average star rating trend upward.
2. Give Gentle Reminders for Patients to Leave Reviews
You should also find ways to make the review process easier for your patients. Studies have shown that individuals are more likely to leave reviews after particularly positive or negative experiences. So, giving gentle reminders can help capture feedback that falls in between and build a more accurate representation of your facility.
Consider asking patients to leave a review once they're ready to go home. You can hand out a paper QR code or follow-up with an email or text that provides a convenient Google review link. Just remember to be polite when asking, and read the room.
3. Utilize Patient Reviews as Real-Time Insights
Online reviews serve as data that can be used to improve the quality of your services, providing valuable insights on how to improve Google reviews in the future. But, to make the most of this data, it's essential to understand how to analyze and manage it efficiently.
Consider partnering with a customer experience company that can monitor your reviews in real-time and send alerts when reviews are posted or need attention. This ensures that you're not overlooking concerns that could escalate into larger issues, while giving you timely insights.
4. Address Patient Concerns in a Respectful Manner
Negative reviews are often unavoidable, but how you respond to them can say a lot about your facility. If you do receive a negative comment, follow your broader reputation management plan. If this involves addressing the patient's concern, be polite and genuine. Publicly responding to the comment in a professional and respectful manner shows that you value feedback and are committed to making improvements.
Once you've acknowledged the patient's concerns and outlined what your facility will do to resolve them, take action. Following through on your words will ensure that the same issue doesn't happen again and demonstrates your accountability.
5. Engage With Patients Who Have Left Positive Reviews
Staying engaged with patients who have left positive reviews is just as important as responding to negative ones. Take a moment to express your appreciation for patients who have written positive comments, or create an automated workflow to warmly acknowledge each positive review. This shows your patients that you value their time and can help build long-term brand loyalty.
Take Your Marketing Strategy to the Next Level
Now that you know how to improve Google reviews, it's important to sustain the brand image that you've worked so hard to build. Interested in learning more practical and actionable tips? Get dozens of other healthcare management insights from your trusted healthcare partner.