How and Why to Acquire Google Reviews for Your Cosmetic Practice

Are you fully aware of just how much Google reviews can influence the success of your cosmetic surgery practice?

Today, patient testimonials aren’t limited to word-of-mouth—they are amplified online, where they can be seen by hundreds or even thousands of prospective patients every single month. These patient experiences are prominently displayed on your Google Business Profile, in local search results, on Google Maps, and now even within AI-powered overviews like ChatGPT, Gemini and Gronk. That means every review contributes directly to how your practice is perceived and how visible you are online.

Positive reviews do more than just build trust—they increase your local SEO rankings, boost credibility, and drive new patient inquiries. In fact, they often become the deciding factor when patients are choosing between multiple surgeons.

Yet, despite their importance, many cosmetic surgery practices fail to implement a clear strategy or proven system for consistently generating authentic patient reviews. Without a structured approach, opportunities for growth are missed, and competitors who actively cultivate reviews are more likely to win new patients.

By putting the right review acquisition strategy and protocols in place, your practice can ensure that each patient’s positive experience becomes a powerful tool for attracting new clients and sustaining long-term growth.

Start by Claiming Your Practice on Google Business Profile:

Think about how many times you’ve discovered a new business while searching for coffee shops, restaurants, or even medical offices on Google Maps. That little pin that pops up when you zoom into an area isn’t there by accident—it’s the result of businesses actively managing their Google Business Profile (GBP). For medical practices, this visibility is invaluable.

Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is a FREE tool from Google that allows you to manage how your practice appears across the search engine and its related services—Google Search, Google Maps, and even in AI-powered summaries that patients now see at the top of results.

Why It Matters for Plastic Surgery Practices

When a potential patient searches for “breast augmentation near me” or “top plastic surgeon in Houston,” Google pulls local listings directly from GBP. If your profile is claimed, optimized and relevant, you can show up in:

• Local 3-Pack (the top three listings that appear in search results with a map)
• Maps Results when someone zooms into your area
• Knowledge Panels with your hours, reviews, and direct contact info

For example, a prospective patient driving through Houston might type “Best Tummy Tuck Surgeon near me.” If your practice has an optimized Google Business Profile with updated services, hours, and photos, you’ll appear right at their fingertips—often before they even see your website.

The first result is paid and two of the three local listings have been clients of MD Internet Marketing for several years.

How to Get Started

1. Check First: Search for your practice on Google to make sure a profile doesn’t already exist. Creating a duplicate listing can cause confusion and negatively impact your online brand.
2. Claim or Create Your Profile: If it exists, claim ownership. If not, set it up from scratch through Google Business Profile Manager.
3. Add Accurate Information: Include your practice name, address, phone number, website, links to social media profiles hours and business hours.
4. Upload High-Quality Photos: Showcase your office, staff, and even before-and-after galleries (within compliance).
5. Add Categories & Services: This is your biggest opportunity to add text content to your local profile with a 300 character description and even the price.
6. Collect Reviews: Encourage happy patients to leave reviews—these are highly visible and directly influence local rankings by using the link provided by Google or some other form of technology.

Example in Action

A plastic surgery practice in Boston, MA optimized their Google Business Profile by adding services (like breast lift, tummy tuck, gynecomastia and non-surgical fillers), posting updates, and encouraging reviews. Now their profile is appearing in the Local 3-Pack for “plastic surgeon Boston. MA.” This has translated into a steady flow of calls and website visits directly from Google Maps.

Bottom line: Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile is the first step in making sure potential patients can find you online, whether they’re actively searching for a procedure or simply browsing the map. It’s FREE, and one of the most effective tools to increase visibility for your practice including impacting the AI search overviews.

Tips for Getting Positive Reviews:

Positive patient experiences in the form of online reviews serve an important marketing function. They not only provide an incentive for potential patients to schedule their own consultation at your practice, but increase your relevance, which impacts Google’s search results, AI Overviews and local rankings. This then puts your aesthetics practice in a position to be found in numerous places online.  Using marketing technology, protocols, and team training, can help you and your team consistently acquire positive reviews in your Google Business Profile account, some satisfied patients and the right strategy to acquire reviews.

Three tactics to increase your number of online reviews:

1. Ask Your Happy Patients at The Right Time. Start building a stockpile of positive reviews by directly asking your satisfied patients to leave a testimonial on your Google Business profile. This is a guaranteed method for building some much-needed momentum, and you will see results, but it’s a numbers game that must continue to be built upon.

2. Make Reviews Part of Every Patient Experience. At the end of each treatment or procedure, remind clients to share their experience online in the form of a google review. Provide a QR code, or send them a follow-up email or text with a link to your Google Business Profile, making the review process as simple as possible.

3. Continue Reaching Out. It’s important to make review acquisition a part of the practice and the patient’s everyday experience. Most people are busy and will need to be reminded, which is why a follow-up system is recommended.  Train your staff to help clients with the review process, some office employees even ask for their name to be mentioned in the review.

Bonus Tip 1:Do not offer a non-cash incentive, such as a coupon, for each published review of your practice. Do not be tempted to pay for positive reviews. While paying for reviews sounds like an easy trick, remember that this is a violation of Google’s terms of service. Plus, paying for good reviews is illegal, unethical and not the right way to go about growing your cosmetic surgery practice’s web presence.

Bonus Tip 2: Always thank the patients that take time to review your practice. Knowing that your practice is listening will increase the likelihood that he/she will return to your office for future techniques.

Master Google Maps with the help of MD Internet Marketing:

Growing your cosmetic surgery practice’s visibility on Google doesn’t have to be overwhelming—or something you try to manage alone. Positive Google reviews are one of the most powerful tools for increasing your rankings, boosting credibility, and attracting new patients, but success comes from having the right strategy in place.

At MD Internet Marketing, we specialize in helping surgeons and aesthetic practices build strong, sustainable online reputations. Our team works with you to:

• Develop a proven review acquisition system that encourages happy patients to share their stories.

• Optimize your Google Business Profile so that every search showcases your practice in the best possible light.

• Leverage your reviews to increase local SEO visibility across Google Search, Google Maps, and AI-powered search overviews.

• Provide ongoing support and reporting so you can clearly see the impact on calls, clicks, and new patient consultations.

The result? A consistent stream of authentic, positive patient experiences that not only improve your online rankings but also build lasting trust with potential patients.

📞 Contact MD Internet Marketing today at 954.993.5154 or fill out our online Contact Form to learn how we can help you take control of your digital presence and grow your practice with confidence.