The Dermatology Practices Winning New Patients From Google All Share These Local SEO Habits

When someone notices a suspicious mole, wants help with persistent acne, or is considering a cosmetic procedure, their first move is almost always a Google search. They're not browsing national directories or asking friends — they're typing something like "dermatologist near me" or "skin cancer screening in [city]" and clicking within the first few results.

That first page of results has two distinct sections competing for attention: the Map Pack (the three local listings with a map) and the organic results below it. In our experience working with healthcare practices, the Map Pack captures a disproportionate share of clicks for location-based searches — patients assume proximity and trust signals are already baked in.

What determines who appears in those three spots? Google weighs three broad factors:

• Relevance — does your profile and website clearly describe what you do and where you do it?
• Distance — how close is your clinic to the searcher's location?
• Prominence — how well-known and trusted does Google consider your practice based on reviews, citations, and links?

Distance is mostly fixed. Relevance and prominence are where local SEO work actually moves the needle. The sections below break down the specific tactics that improve both — starting with the asset that matters most: your Google Business Profile.

Note: This page covers general local SEO strategy for dermatology practices. For guidance on patient data privacy in marketing and HIPAA-compliant review responses, see our compliance resources linked throughout.

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is not a set-it-and-forget-it directory listing. It's a live, rankable asset that Google actively evaluates. An incomplete or outdated profile signals neglect — and Google's algorithm treats it that way.

Here's what a fully optimized dermatology GBP looks like in practice:

1. Claim and verify your profile. If you haven't formally verified ownership through Google's process, you have no control over the information displayed — and competitors or third parties can suggest edits.
2. Select the right primary category. "Dermatologist" is the correct primary category for medical practices. Adding relevant secondary categories (e.g., "Skin Care Clinic" for cosmetic-focused practices) can expand your relevance footprint.
3. Complete every attribute. Hours, phone number, website URL, appointment link, and accessibility features should all be filled in. Partial profiles underperform complete ones consistently.
4. Write a keyword-aware business description. You have 750 characters. Use them to describe your services and location naturally — not to keyword-stuff, but to reflect the language patients actually use when searching.
5. Upload quality photos regularly. Practices with active photo libraries tend to see stronger engagement. Include exterior shots (so patients recognize the building), interior shots, and team photos. Avoid using patient images without explicit, documented consent.
6. Use GBP Posts for timely content. Posts about seasonal skin concerns, new services, or patient education content keep your profile active and give Google fresh signals.
7. Enable and monitor Q&A. Anyone can post questions — and anyone can answer them. Monitor this section and provide accurate, professional responses to control the information patients see.

GBP optimization is ongoing work, not a one-time setup. Profiles that are actively managed consistently outperform those that aren't in competitive dermatology markets.

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. It sounds simple, but inconsistent NAP data across the web is one of the most common — and most fixable — local SEO problems we see in dermatology practices.

Google cross-references your practice information across dozens of sources: Healthgrades, Zocdoc, Yelp, WebMD, your state medical board directory, local business directories, and your own website. When that information conflicts — a suite number listed differently here, an old phone number still live there, a slightly different practice name on one platform — it introduces ambiguity. Google defaults to caution when it's uncertain, which can suppress your local rankings.

Common NAP inconsistency triggers for dermatology practices include:

• Moving offices without updating all directory listings
• Adding a second location and mixing address data
• Using a vanity phone number in some places and a direct line in others
• Slight name variations: "Smith Dermatology" vs. "Smith Dermatology Associates" vs. "Dr. Smith Dermatology"
• Old listings from a previous practice affiliation still ranking for your name

The fix is a citation audit: systematically identify every place your practice is listed online and correct any discrepancies. Priority sources include Google Business Profile itself, Apple Maps, Bing Places, Yelp, Healthgrades, Zocdoc, WebMD, and your state's medical board or licensing directory.

Once your core citations are clean, maintaining consistency is straightforward — but it requires a process for any future changes (new address, new phone, rebranding) to be updated across all sources simultaneously, not just on your website.

Reviews do two things for a dermatology practice: they influence where you rank in the Map Pack, and they influence whether a patient who finds you actually calls. Both matter. A practice with a strong review profile in a competitive market consistently outperforms one with sparse or stale reviews — even when other signals are roughly equal.

There are three components to a working review management framework:

1. Earning Reviews Ethically

The most effective approach is a simple, consistent ask at the right moment — typically at checkout or in a follow-up message after a positive appointment. Most practice management systems allow automated post-visit messages; these can include a direct link to your Google review page. What you cannot do, under HIPAA guidelines, is reference specific treatment details in any outreach that identifies the patient as having visited for a medical reason. Keep review request messages generic: a thank-you for visiting and a link to share feedback. For detailed guidance on HIPAA-compliant review solicitation, see our compliance page on patient data privacy in dermatology marketing.

2. Monitoring Reviews Across Platforms

Google is the priority, but patients also leave reviews on Healthgrades, Yelp, Zocdoc, and RateMDs. Set up monitoring so no review goes unread. Negative reviews left unaddressed for weeks send a signal to prospective patients — and to Google.

3. Responding Without Exposing PHI

This is where dermatology practices face a specific compliance risk. When responding to reviews — positive or negative — never confirm that the reviewer is a patient, reference their condition, or acknowledge any treatment details. A compliant response thanks the reviewer for their feedback, keeps the tone professional, and invites further conversation offline. A blanket policy for your front desk and practice administrator to follow is worth drafting and documenting. This is general guidance — verify your approach with a HIPAA compliance advisor for your specific practice circumstances.

Your Google Business Profile handles the Map Pack. Your website handles the organic results below it — and for dermatology practices, geo-targeted procedure pages are the primary tool for capturing high-intent local searches that GBP alone won't cover.

Consider how a patient actually searches when they're ready to book. They're not searching "dermatologist" — they're searching "acne treatment [city]", "Mohs surgery [neighborhood]", or "rosacea specialist near [zip code]". Those searches have commercial intent. They're looking for someone who does this specific thing, near them.

A geo-targeted content strategy for a dermatology practice typically includes:

• Procedure + location pages — dedicated pages for your core services paired with your primary service area (e.g., "Acne Treatment in Austin", "Skin Cancer Screening in North Dallas")
• Multi-location pages — if you operate across multiple offices, each location should have its own page with unique content, its own embedded map, and its own NAP data
• Locally relevant blog content — seasonal content tied to your region (sun protection guidance ahead of summer, skin condition prevalence in your climate) builds topical relevance without requiring aggressive keyword targeting

The key distinction between geo-targeted content that works and thin content that doesn't is specificity. A page that simply says "We offer acne treatment in Austin" and nothing else provides no value to the reader — and Google's quality signals reflect that. Pages that actually explain the procedure, what to expect, who it's appropriate for, and how to take the next step earn rankings and convert visitors into appointment requests.

Building this content layer takes time — industry benchmarks suggest 4-6 months before geo-targeted pages establish meaningful organic ranking positions, with variation depending on market competition and your site's existing authority.

Dermatology groups with two or more offices face a more complex local SEO environment than single-location practices — but the core framework is the same. Each location needs its own Google Business Profile, its own citation footprint, its own on-site location page, and its own review presence.

The most common mistakes we see in multi-location dermatology SEO:

• One GBP profile for multiple offices — Google expects one profile per physical location. A single profile for a practice with three offices will underperform in all three markets.
• Identical location pages — copy-pasted location pages with only the city name swapped are treated as duplicate content. Each page needs unique descriptions, local context, and ideally location-specific staff bios or procedure availability details.
• Centralized review management without location attribution — if reviews are all funneled to a single profile, the individual offices don't build the local prominence they need. Each location's GBP should be actively soliciting and accumulating its own reviews.
• Mismatched service area settings — if providers travel between offices, GBP service area settings need to reflect where they actually see patients, not just where the main office is located.

For growing dermatology groups considering a new location, local SEO setup should be part of the pre-opening checklist — not an afterthought. Establishing a GBP, seeding initial citations, and publishing a location page before the office opens gives you a head start on local ranking signals before you're actively seeing patients.

For practices evaluating the full scope of local SEO work required across multiple locations, the dermatology local SEO checklist provides a structured implementation framework.