Keep all locations competitive in local search with a scalable review process.
Your Reputation Lives in the Stars
When patients search “dentist near me,” they’re not just looking for proximity—they’re looking for proof. Those small gold stars next to your name? They’re silent salespeople that either invite or discourage new appointments.
For multi-location dental practices, online reviews can make or break visibility. A single 4.9-star location will stand out, but inconsistent ratings across your clinics can confuse Google and potential patients alike.
That’s why building a multi-location Google review strategy isn’t optional. It’s how you stay competitive in every city you serve, maintain consistency in patient experience, and rise to the top of the local SEO results.
Why Google Reviews Matter More for Multi-Location Practices
Every location operates as its own local business in Google’s eyes. Each one has its own Google Business Profile, and each one can rank for “dentist near me” within its local radius.
Here’s the catch—Google doesn’t just look at how many reviews you have. It measures:
- How frequently are new reviews added
- The average star rating per location
- The consistency of responses from your team
- The use of relevant keywords within reviews
If one of your offices has 120 reviews and another has 15, Google assumes one is more active or trusted—and ranks accordingly.
A unified review strategy solves that imbalance by helping each clinic build credibility evenly while maintaining the same tone, response quality, and patient experience.
Step 1: Create a Centralized Review Policy
Start by defining how reviews are requested, monitored, and responded to across all locations.
Your review policy should include:
- When to request a review (for example, within 24 hours of a positive visit)
- How to ask for it (verbally at checkout, via email, or automated SMS)
- Who is responsible for monitoring reviews at each clinic
- Tone and response standards that reflect your brand voice
When staff know the right way to ask—and how to handle negative feedback—your brand sounds professional and consistent everywhere.
Step 2: Automate Review Requests
Automation is the heartbeat of a scalable multi-location review management system.
With tools like Podium, Birdeye, or custom integrations from your dental marketing agency, you can:
- Trigger review requests immediately after appointments
- Personalize messages with patient first names and the correct location
- Send follow-up reminders automatically
- Route feedback to managers before it becomes public
The goal isn’t just to collect reviews—it’s to create a consistent, patient-friendly process that never feels forced.
Step 3: Train Your Team on Reputation Mindset
Technology helps, but your people make it work.
Train your staff to:
- Recognize happy patients and ask for reviews naturally
- Use phrasing aligned with your dental brand voice
- Record patient consent before linking them to review platforms
- Celebrate every new positive review to reinforce good habits
Staff who understand the “why” behind reviews are more likely to engage authentically with patients, which leads to stronger results over time.
Step 4: Monitor and Respond Consistently
Responding to every review—good or bad—signals attentiveness.
Here’s how to handle responses the right way:
- Thank patients by name. Personalization builds connection.
- Mention the location. It helps Google reinforce the right business entity.
- Keep tone warm and professional.
- Address concerns privately. Move sensitive feedback offline quickly.
Consistent, keyword-aware responses (“Thank you for visiting our family dental clinic in Salt Lake City!”) help strengthen local SEO while reinforcing your care-centered tone.
Step 5: Track and Compare Location Performance
A centralized dashboard lets you track review performance across all offices in one view.
Monitor:
- Review counts per location
- Average star ratings
- Response times
- Keywords mentioned in patient feedback
This data helps you see where to focus coaching, promotions, or operational improvements. For instance, if your West Jordan office gets repeated mentions of long wait times, you can act before it affects your average rating.
Why Reputation and Local SEO Go Hand in Hand
In The Dental Practice Makeover Guide, we discuss how visibility and trust form the foundation of growth. Your online reviews directly influence both.
Google’s algorithm rewards consistency and credibility—and your patients reward empathy and responsiveness. Together, they shape your brand story.
To learn how this fits into the full digital patient experience, explore the full guide here:
The Dental Practice Makeover Guide
Step 6: Encourage Keyword-Rich, Authentic Reviews
Patients often don’t realize their words impact SEO. When they include your location or services naturally (“Dr. Lewis and the team at Maple Dental in Provo were amazing with my crown treatment”), it reinforces your relevance for local search.
Politely guide reviewers with phrasing like:
“If you’d like, you can mention which office you visited or what service you received—it helps other patients find the right location.”
Never script reviews, but empower patients to share specific experiences that reflect both your care and your geography.
Step 7: Audit Your Review Strategy Quarterly
Your multi-location strategy isn’t set-and-forget. Review platforms evolve, and patient habits change.
Every quarter:
- Update staff on new Google guidelines
- Reassess which review tools perform best
- Refresh automation templates to match your tone
- Highlight top-performing offices as examples
Regular optimization keeps your practice aligned with both Google’s algorithm and your patient expectations.
Your online reputation is the modern waiting room—patients visit it before they visit you.
A strong, consistent review system ensures every star across every city tells the same story: that your practice is trusted, attentive, and worth choosing.
Build a process that scales, humanize it through your team, and watch your digital reputation drive real-world growth.
Ready to build a review system that scales across all your locations? Let’s help you create a strategy that earns five stars—every time.
