When it comes to healthcare marketing, your online presence is the backbone of your practice’s success. Yet many doctors and dentists are unknowingly being misled by their marketing agencies — especially when it comes to how their Google Business Profiles (GBP) are managed.

If your marketing company only set up one Google Business listing for your entire office, you may already be losing out on search visibility, patient leads, and accurate reputation tracking.

Here’s why that approach is wrong — and what Google actually recommends.

What Google Really Recommends

According to Google’s official Business Profile guidelines, each provider (such as a doctor, dentist, or specialist) can and should have their own separate Google Business Profile in addition to the one representing the main office.

“Practitioners such as doctors, dentists, lawyers, or real estate agents may have individual listings separate from the organization they work for.”
(Google Business Profile Help Center)

This means you should have:

  • A Business Profile for your overall practice (e.g., Pure Dental Studio)
  • Provider Profiles for each practitioner (e.g., Dr. Emily Thompson, DDS)

The Difference Between Business and Provider Profiles

 Business Profile (Practice Listing)

Purpose: Represents your clinic or organization as a whole.
Benefits:

  • Improves visibility for general searches like “dentist near me” or “family doctor in Scottsdale.”
  • Displays company hours, location, and promotions.
  • Collects reviews that reflect the overall patient experience.

 Provider Profile (Doctor or Dentist Listing)

Purpose: Represents an individual practitioner at the business location.
Benefits:

  • Helps patients find a specific doctor or dentist.
  • Collects individual reviews for that provider.
  • Protects the practice’s main reputation by separating provider-specific feedback.
  • Allows the provider to rank for searches like “Dr. James Patel orthodontist” or “Dr. Smith cosmetic dentist.”

Why Having Both Listings Is Crucial for SEO

When optimized properly, having both a business and provider profile can dramatically increase your visibility in local searches and Google Maps.

Here’s how:

  • Each listing targets different keywords and search intents.
  • Each listing can rank independently, giving your practice more opportunities to appear on page one.
  • Google’s algorithm prefers accurate, entity-based profiles, meaning your practice and doctors are both seen as trustworthy local results.

Think of it this way — when a patient searches for “dentist in Chandler, AZ,” they’re looking for a practice.
 When they search for “Dr. Maria Lopez, DDS,” they’re looking for a person.

By having both profiles, you satisfy both search intents — and increase your chances of being found first.

Common Mistake: Only One Listing Per Office

Unfortunately, many marketing companies — even those claiming to “specialize” in SEO — fail to understand Google’s healthcare listing structure. They often:

  • Create only one profile for the business.
  • Ignore provider listings entirely.
  • Merge reviews across multiple doctors.
  • Miss out on critical local ranking signals.

This one-profile approach hurts your online visibility, limits how often your practice appears in Maps and Search, and prevents patients from finding the individual providers they’re searching for.

In short: if your agency told you that “one listing is best,” they’re giving you misinformation.

The Proof: Google’s Own Words

From Google’s official guidance:

“Individual practitioners can have separate listings if they operate in a public-facing role. These listings are treated as distinct entities in search results.”

That means having separate profiles is not just allowed — it’s the correct, Google-approved method for healthcare professionals.

The Benefits of Doing It Right

At Eprompt, we’ve helped thousands of doctors and dentists fix their Google Business setup the right way. When properly managed, separate business and provider listings can:

✅ Boost local SEO rankings for both the practice and individual providers
✅ Increase patient calls and website visits
✅ Improve review accuracy and trust
✅ Strengthen your overall online reputation
✅ Create multiple entry points for potential patients in Google Maps

How Eprompt Helps Doctors & Dentists Get It Right

Our team doesn’t just “create listings” — we build a complete local SEO strategy designed specifically for healthcare.

Here’s what we do:

  •  Audit your current Google Business setup
  •  Create or optimize separate business and provider listings
  •  Manage and grow authentic Google reviews for each entity
  •  Track keyword rankings, calls, and engagement per listing
  •  Maintain NAP consistency and schema for maximum search trust

With Eprompt, your practice doesn’t just appear — it stands out.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Wrong Advice Cost You Patients

Your marketing company should help you grow visibility, not limit it.

If they’re telling you that only one Google Business Profile is needed, they’re going against Google’s official recommendations and weakening your SEO potential.

At Eprompt Websites, we specialize in building, optimizing, and managing Google Business Profiles for medical and dental professionals — the right way.

 Ready to Take Control of Your Google Presence?

Let’s audit your current Google Business setup — free of charge — and show you exactly where your marketing company might be holding you back.

Schedule a Free Google Business Audit and see how Eprompt can help your practice rank higher, attract more patients, and protect your reputation online.