How to get more online reviews — and why it matters for your medical practice

While word of mouth recommendations are a top way patients can find out about your practice, online reviews are close behind in influencing prospective patients’ decisions. According to Tebra’s 5th annual Patient Perspectives Report, 45% of people consider online reviews from other patients when choosing a doctor or healthcare provider.

For net new patient acquisition, practices must have a strategy in place to generate consistent online reviews. Below, we explore why doctor reviews are important for practice growth.

In the decision to choose a provider, 62% of patients said that positive online reviews were an extremely or very important factor, according to Tebra’s 5th annual Patient Perspectives Report.

Patients care not just about a business’ average rating but about how timely the reviews are. The 4th annual Patient Perspectives Report found that 43% of people say recency of the reviews is the most important consideration, while 38% named the average star rating.

For medical practices, this means that a few knock-out 5-star reviews from last year won’t be enough to keep you relevant. Practices need an ongoing online reputation strategy to get more reviews from patients.

Online reviews also play a pivotal role in how the search engine results pages (SERPs) rank your business. While Google Search does not publicize its exact algorithm, it considers several factors to rank local businesses:

Google determines prominence based on the business’s number of reviews and average rating, which means that more reviews and positive 5-star ratings will improve your practice’s local ranking.

More patient reviews are a must for healthcare professionals who want to build their online reputation, remain relevant on SERPs, attract new patients, and build trust.

Elevate your process of receiving reviews with these steps.

Many patients are happy to leave reviews but fail to do so because of their own busy schedules. To counter this, make it easier for them. Ensure your business is easy to find on the web by claiming your profile across sites like Google Business, Yelp, Healthgrades, and more.

Feature your positive Google reviews on your practice website as social proof. Highlight a few recent reviews, and include buttons to encourage patients to “read all reviews” and “leave a review.”

Offer multiple ways to leave reviews, such as via automated post-care emails or text messages, through a website form, and via a QR code on posters around the check-in window and lobby. You can also remind patients on social media to head to the above options to leave a review.

According to the 5th annual Patient Perspectives Report, nearly 44% of patients report never being asked for a review — a lost opportunity for your practice to collect positive feedback, testimonials, and online reviews.

Sending automated reminders via follow-up text message or email after the appointment can create an opportunity for patient feedback. Make sure to include a link to your Google business profile, Yelp page, Healthgrades profile, or other doctor review site.

You can also have the front office staff let satisfied patients know you’d love if they left a review.

Patients will be more inclined to leave reviews if they feel they’re being heard. Acknowledging reviews, even negative reviews, with a concise response can both encourage patient feedback and support practice growth. Consumers also prefer to read both positive and negative reviews so they can form their own opinions, according to BrightLocal’s 2025 Local Consumer Review Survey.

According to the 5th annual Patient Perspectives Report, 64% of patients would give a practice that addressed their concerns a second chance. Yet 66% of patients report not receiving follow-up after leaving a negative review.

Some medical practices choose not to respond to reviews of any kind for fear of inadvertently violating HIPAA. Yet responding to all types of reviews, in compliance with HIPAA, is an opportunity for reputation management and patient retention.

Many businesses believe customers are more likely to leave reviews about unfavorable experiences, but that’s not necessarily true. According to BrightLocal, in 2025, 35% of people wrote reviews only about positive experiences and 6% wrote only about negative experiences, while 29% wrote about both. This means that offering a high-quality patient experience can lead to quality reviews.

Part of your strategy for procuring more reviews should center around patient satisfaction and providing a superb experience. With numerous touch points across the patient journey, everyone in the office plays a role in ensuring an excellent visit. 

Some medical clinics use fake Google reviews for quick results and to boost their profiles online. According to BrightLocal, 42% of consumers would consider a review to be fake if they thought it might be paid or incentivized.

Avoid ever posting fake reviews — it’s deceptive, violates ethical standards, and potentially dangerous for patients making medical decisions.

There’s no doubt about the power of Google reviews from a patient or practice’s perspective. Medical care-specifc review sites like Healthgrades are important, too, but they tend to be more niche.

Meanwhile, customers turn to Google reviews more than any other site when it comes to evaluating businesses. In 2025, 83% of people used Google to evaluate businesses, according to BrightLocal.

Practices would be pleased to receive positive reviews across any review site, but it makes sense to focus efforts on Google reviews. Start by claiming your Google business profile.

Next, swap out any links that you’re using to other sites with ones for Google reviews. Double-check all automated reminder messages, follow-up correspondences, and QR codes to confirm these links open a window where patients can leave a Google rating and review. Encouraging patients to leave Google reviews can be as simple as asking patients to do so and simplifying the process for them.

Attracting potential patients in the digital age requires a well-rounded toolkit that includes word-of-mouth referrals working alongside online reviews for complete reputation management. Practices need a simple strategy to consistently secure new reviews from patients, both to keep your online presence relevant in the search engine results pages and make a positive impression on prospective patients.

Tebra’s all-in-one EHR supports private practice reputation management. Book a free demo today to learn more.