Facebook is currently testing a new enhanced version of their local search and recommendations feature that prominently shows “businesses nearby.”
Over the last several months – in a bid to keep pace with the Google – Facebook has been aggressively adding new features and capabilities that allow users to more easily find providers nearby.
Finding Healthcare Providers Nearby on Facebook
Today, Facebook users can find suggested healthcare providers by entering a search query into Facebook’s search box for a “specialty nearby” (E.X. Chiropractors Nearby or Dentists Nearby.)
Searching Facebook for a “provider nearby” returns a screen that lists three Facebook profiles for providers matching the description. Facebook also shows information such as hours, ratings and distance from your current location.
Here’s two examples of what it looks like when a patient searches Facebook for healthcare providers from their mobile phone:
Facebook search for “Chiropractors Nearby”
Facebook search for “Dermatologist Near Me”
Optimizing for Facebook Nearby Searches
This enhanced feature is so new that little is known about how exactly
Similar to Google My Business and Google Local searches, showing up for Facebook Nearby searches is likely dependent on these factors:
- Business has claimed page on Facebook
- Visits to the location by friends of the searcher
- Hours of operation (not the ALWAYS OPEN above)
- Cost of services provided
- Office location proximity to the searcher
- Reviews
Of these factors, hours of operation and whether one or more of the person’s Facebook friends have visited the location seem to influence positioning the most, given in the examples shown that highest ranked chiropractor was further away and had less reviews than other pages shown.
If your healthcare practice is not already on Facebook, here’s yet another reason why you should be.
