There’s widespread agreement that online reviews — particularly Google reviews — should be a major focus for any business that depends on local clientele. A recent Whitespark survey found that four of the top 15 Google Maps ranking factors are review-related (volume, rating quality, freshness, and consistency). Other research shows that over 80% of consumers rely on Google reviews when judging local businesses. For many companies, the strategy is simple: request more reviews from customers and respond to them. But in healthcare, you quickly discover it’s far more complicated. From asking for feedback to replying to reviews and flagging suspicious activity, medical organizations face distinct challenges because of ethical rules and federal regulations that restrict how they can engage with reviews. Still, once you understand the constraints and available strategies, you can absolutely stay both competitive and compliant with healthcare reviews. Drawing on more than a decade in the healthcare space, I’ll outline the toughest challenges I’ve encountered and the specialized solutions that worked. The catch-22 in mental health Years ago, I was helping a solo therapist improve his local SEO. He had only a handful of reviews, so I mentioned it as an issue. That’s when he explained he wasn’t even permitted to request reviews. I initially assumed he was mistaken. To my surprise, this was clearly spelled out in the American Psychological Association (APA) code of ethics, which specifically prohibits therapists and psychologists from soliciting testimonials from…