When pet owners look for a vet, they almost never start with a website. They type “vet” followed by the name of their town, or they open Maps, and they look at what comes up. What they see at that exact moment decides what happens next.
What they see, in order
Three things, roughly in this order: the name and the distance, the rating and the number of reviews, the option to act right away.
You have been working on the first two for a long time. The third is the one most often missing, and it is also the one that makes the difference at the moment of choice.
The real competitor is “later”
Picture three clinics side by side in the results. Two show a phone number. The third shows a “Book online” button.
With the first two, the owner has to call. It is 9:00 p.m., or they are at work, or they have a child in their arms. They tell themselves they will call tomorrow. The next day, they have forgotten, or the pet is feeling better, or they have called the third clinic.
At that moment, a clinic’s competitor is not the clinic across the street: it is putting things off. A button that turns an intention into a booked slot solves that problem, and it solves it at the exact moment the intention exists.
That is what Reserve with Google does: the button appears on your Google Business Profile and on Maps, the owner picks a slot, and the consultation lands in your calendar. With no commission.
Reviews: what owners actually read
An overall rating reassures; recent reviews are what decide. A worried owner reads the last three or four, and looks at two things: how recent they are, and whether the clinic replies.
Hence two simple tips.
Ask for a review right after the consultation. That is when the owner has something to say, and will take two minutes to say it. A week later, the moment has passed. An automatic request sent after the appointment takes care of it without the front desk having to think about it, and it respects owners who have opted out of messages.
Reply, especially to harsh reviews. Not to argue, and even less to go into the medical details of the case, which have no place in public. A short, measured reply offering to get back in touch says more about a team than any string of five-star ratings.
The directory, the other way in
Your Google Business Profile captures owners who are looking for you specifically, or looking in your town. It does not capture those who are searching without knowing where to go, and who use a booking platform.
That is the role of the rdv360.com directory: 8.1 million visitors over twelve months, across all sectors, for 1.4 million bookings a year. Every professional using RDV360 has a page there, included in every plan, with no commission on the appointments received.
The two do not replace each other, they complement each other, and you set them up once and for all.
Where to start
In this order, because the effort is not the same:
- Turn on booking on your Google Business Profile. It is the step with the best return for the effort.
- Automate review requests. You stop having to think about it, and the flow of recent reviews keeps itself going.
- Make a habit of replying, once a week, for ten minutes.
The rest (up-to-date hours, photos, description) is done once and stays current on its own when the profile is linked to your account.
Frequently asked questions
Does Reserve with Google charge a commission?
No. Appointments booked through Reserve with Google go straight into your calendar, with no commission. At RDV360, the feature is included starting with the Free plan.
Do you have to choose between your Google Business Profile and the rdv360.com directory?
No, they do not capture the same searches. Your Google Business Profile answers people looking for you by name or in your town; the directory answers people looking for a vet without knowing which one. Both are included in the Free plan.
Should you reply to negative reviews?
Yes, calmly and without going into the medical details of the case. A measured reply under a harsh review reassures more than ten glowing reviews left unanswered.