Google introduces new COVID-19 and Telehealth GMB links for healthcare providers

Google has been rolling out COVID-19 updates and advice to local businesses regularly. In an update specifically for health and medical professionals, the company has introduced two new links in the Google My Business (GMB) dashboard. This was first discovered by Erica Paige and picked up by Mike Blumenthal.

New profile links. Google has dedicated GMB instructions for healthcare and medical professionals. Telemedicine is a custom service category that can be added to the GMB profile. (It will likely become a permanent service category post-COVID.) But now Google is calling out that capability with a specific link that will appear, though I was unable to find a live example, on profile and on Maps. There’s also the new COVID-19 info link to take users directly to relevant information.

Why we care. Google has prioritized serving healthcare practitioners during a period of reduced support staffing for marketers. Consequently, many Google My Business updates have been taking much longer than normal to process and appear. And reviews have been suspended for the foreseeable future. (See, Should you continue to solicit reviews during the outbreak?)

Google recently released a best practices guide for healthcare providers. Its objective is to help them make their coronavirus information more accessible to the public through Google search. The company also created a technical support group for health organizations. These new links are part of Google’s larger effort to make healthcare information more accessible and to expedite the delivery of that information.