Your Reputation Is Your First Impression
Before a patient ever walks through your door, they've already formed an opinion about your practice. That opinion comes from your online reviews. In 2026, 94% of patients read online reviews before choosing a healthcare provider, and 84% trust them as much as a personal recommendation.
After managing reputation for 200+ healthcare practices, we see the same five mistakes over and over. Each one silently erodes trust and sends potential patients to your competitors.
Mistake #1: Ignoring Negative Reviews
The problem: Many practices either don't respond to negative reviews or respond defensively. Both approaches are damaging.
The data: Practices that don't respond to negative reviews see a 37% lower conversion rate from their Google Business Profile compared to those that respond professionally.
The fix:
Respond to every negative review within 24 hours. Use this framework:
- 1Acknowledge — "Thank you for taking the time to share your experience."
- 2Empathise — "We understand how frustrating [specific issue] can be."
- 3Take it offline — "We'd love to discuss this further. Please contact our office manager at [phone/email]."
- 4Show improvement — "We take feedback seriously and have [specific action taken]."
Critical HIPAA note: Never confirm or deny that someone is a patient. Never reference any treatment details, even if the reviewer mentions them. Keep responses professional and general.
Mistake #2: Not Actively Requesting Reviews
The problem: Hoping patients will leave reviews on their own. They won't — at least not the happy ones.
The data: Without a systematic approach, only 1 in 10 satisfied patients leaves a review. With a structured system, that number jumps to 3-4 in 10.
The fix:
Build review requests into your workflow:
- Timing matters — Ask within 2 hours of the appointment while the experience is fresh
- Make it effortless — Send a direct link via SMS that opens the Google review form
- Train your team — The dentist or hygienist saying "we'd love your feedback" in person is 3x more effective than an email alone
- Follow up once — A gentle reminder 48 hours later for those who didn't complete the review
The target: 15-25 new Google reviews per month for a typical single-location practice. This keeps your profile fresh and signals activity to Google's algorithm.
Mistake #3: Focusing Only on Google
The problem: Putting all your reputation eggs in the Google basket while ignoring other platforms.
The data: While Google carries the most weight (accounting for roughly 58% of review influence), patients also check:
- Healthgrades (26% of patients)
- Yelp (19% of patients)
- Facebook (15% of patients)
- Zocdoc (12% of patients for those on the platform)
The fix:
Maintain active profiles on the top 3-4 platforms relevant to your specialty. You don't need to actively solicit reviews on all platforms, but you should:
- Claim and complete your profile on each platform
- Respond to reviews on every platform
- Ensure your information (hours, services, photos) is consistent
- Monitor all platforms for new reviews (use a reputation management tool)
Mistake #4: Having a Rating Below 4.5 Stars
The problem: A 4.2-star rating might seem fine, but the data tells a different story.
The data:
- 4.7-5.0 stars: 67% of patients will contact the practice
- 4.5-4.6 stars: 52% will contact
- 4.0-4.4 stars: 31% will contact
- Below 4.0 stars: Only 12% will contact
That gap between 4.4 and 4.5 stars is enormous in terms of patient conversion.
The fix:
If you're below 4.5 stars, focus aggressively on generating new positive reviews while addressing the root causes of negative ones:
- Audit negative reviews — Identify patterns. Are patients complaining about wait times? Billing? Front desk interactions?
- Fix operational issues — The best reputation strategy is actually delivering a great experience
- Increase review velocity — More recent positive reviews dilute older negative ones and raise your average faster
- Don't buy reviews — Google's algorithms are sophisticated enough to detect fake reviews, and the penalty is severe (profile suspension)
Mistake #5: No Review Monitoring System
The problem: Manually checking each platform daily is unsustainable and things slip through the cracks.
The data: Practices using automated reputation monitoring respond 4x faster to reviews and maintain ratings 0.3 stars higher on average.
The fix:
Implement a reputation management system that:
- Sends alerts for new reviews across all platforms
- Tracks rating trends over time
- Automates review request workflows
- Provides response templates (that you customise — never post identical responses)
- Generates monthly reputation reports
The Revenue Impact
Let's put real numbers to this. For a dental practice with 500 monthly Google Business Profile views:
| Scenario | Star Rating | Contact Rate | Monthly Contacts | Est. New Patients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current | 4.2 stars | 31% | 155 | 23 |
| Improved | 4.7 stars | 67% | 335 | 50 |
| Difference | +180 | +27 |
At an average patient lifetime value of $3,200, those 27 additional patients represent $86,400 in lifetime revenue per month.
Your Reputation Action Plan
Start today with these three actions:
- 1Audit — Check your ratings on Google, Healthgrades, and Yelp right now. Note your star rating and total review count.
- 2Respond — Reply to every unanswered review from the past 90 days, starting with the negative ones.
- 3Systematise — Set up an automated review request that goes out to every patient within 2 hours of their appointment.
Your online reputation is not vanity metrics — it's your most powerful patient acquisition tool. Treat it accordingly.