From 2.5 to 4.8 Stars: An Online Review Strategy for a Surgeon
Client: A well-regarded orthopedic surgeon in a private practice.
Challenges We Faced
The client was an excellent surgeon, but their online reputation was being defined by a few angry patients:
Low Star Rating
A 2.5-star average on Healthgrades and a 3.1-star average on Google (GMB).
No Review Generation:
The practice had no system to ask for reviews. Their 20+ reviews were all 3+ years old or 1-star complaints about billing.
No “Niche” Presence
They had “unclaimed,” empty profiles on Healthgrades and Vitals, critical sites for online reputation management for individuals in medicine.
Losing Patients
A Competitor Reputation Analysis showed rivals had 4.5+ stars and were getting all the “Map Pack” clicks.
No Review Remediation or Trust-Building Process
There was no structured way to address billing complaints, resolve patient issues, or systematically rebuild credibility—allowing negative sentiment to define the practice online.
Fix Your Professional Reviews
“Are negative reviews sinking your practice? Our Online Review Management (for Professionals) services can help you repair the damage.”
Our Approach – How We Solved These Challenges
Comprehensive Reputation Audit
We audited all review profiles (GMB, Healthgrades, Vitals, Zocdoc) to find all unmanaged profiles and negative sentiment.
Review Management Platforms
We implemented a HIPAA-compliant platform (like Podium or Birdeye) to auto-text patients for a review after their follow-up appointment.
Online Review Management (for Professionals)
We claimed and fully optimized all “niche” directory profiles (Healthgrades, etc.) with the doctor’s bio, photos, credentials, and specialties.
Customized ORM Strategy
We created response templates to professionally (and non-reactively) respond to all new negative and positive reviews.
Results
| Metric | Before | After | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Google Star Rating | 3.1 Stars (28 reviews) | 4.8 Stars (310+ reviews) | +54% |
| Healthgrades Rating | 2.5 Stars | 4.6 Stars | +84% |
| New Patient Bookings (from search) | 12/mo | 50/mo | +316% |
Free Review Analysis
“Want to see how your reviews compare to your competitors? Request a Free Review Analysis from our personal reputation management company!”
Advice for Marketers & Brand Owners
- The best defense is a good offense. A steady stream of new, positive reviews will drown out the old, bad ones.
- You must be on your industry’s review sites. For doctors, Healthgrades and Vitals are critical for building E-E-A-T.
- Use a Review Management Platform to automate the “ask.” It’s the most effective way to get reviews.
- Respond to all reviews (professionally). It shows you care.
Extra Factors That Made It Work
- The SMS-based review generation campaign (using Podium) was the #1 driver of success.
- Claiming and optimizing the Healthgrades profile was a huge E-E-A-T (Trust) signal.
- Our professional response to negative reviews (taking the conversation offline) helped restore trust.
