Practice Profiles and Directories Checklist: Matching Names, Handles and Logins

By Blake Hickey, founder of Double Jaw Marketing. For practice owners and office managers. Updated October 17, 2026.

Search for your practice and you may find profiles you forgot about: a Yelp listing someone claimed years ago, an Instagram handle tied to a former employee's email, a Google profile the last agency owns. When the name, phone or hours don't match, people get mixed signals, and when the login sits with someone who left, you can't fix it.

This checklist gets every profile matching and every login back with the practice.

What to match

Start with name, address and phone, often called NAP. Google's guidelines for representing your business say your name should reflect your real-world business name, your phone number should connect to your individual location and be under your direct control, and you should use as few categories as possible to describe your core business. Use that version everywhere else too.

• Name exactly as it appears on your sign, with the same suite format in the address
• One main phone number
• The same website link, going to your home page or the right location
• The same primary category and hours, including holidays
• The same first line of your bio, logo file and cover photo
• Doctor names and credentials written the same way

Pick one handle pattern and claim it everywhere, even on platforms you won't post on yet: @[practicename], or @[practicename][city] if the short one is taken.

Which email to use

Sign up for every account with a shared role address on the practice's own domain, like marketing@[yourpractice].com. The practice owns it, more than one person can get to it, and it doesn't leave when an employee or an agency does. Don't use a staff member's personal email or an address on your agency's domain.

Google Business Profile and YouTube run on a Google account. You don't need a Gmail address for that: Google Account Help says "You don't need to have a Gmail address to create a Google Account" and walks through using your existing email. Use the same role email for every other platform. Turn on two-step sign-in, and set the recovery phone and email to ones the practice controls.

Owner or manager, platform by platform

The rule: the practice owns, everyone else manages. If an owner leaves, another owner from the practice is still there.

Where to be listed

The social profiles: Google Business Profile, Facebook, Instagram, a LinkedIn company page, X, Pinterest and YouTube. The directories: Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, Yelp, Healthgrades, Zocdoc, WebMD and your local chamber, plus the professional ones that apply to you, such as the ADA's Find a Dentist, the AAO's Find an Orthodontist, the AAOMS Find a Surgeon or ASHA ProFind. Each directory sets its own eligibility and membership rules, so check before you list.

[Your logo here]
**[Practice name]** | [Phone] | [Website]

# Your practice online: profiles, handles and directories that match

For the practice owner. Fill it in once, then check it every quarter.

Name, exactly as on your sign: ______________________
Address, with suite: ______________________
Main phone: ______________________
Website: ______________________
Handle pattern: ______________________
Account email: ______________________

## Match these everywhere

- [ ] Name, address and phone (NAP)
- [ ] Website link
- [ ] Primary category
- [ ] Hours, including holidays
- [ ] First line of your bio
- [ ] Logo file and cover photo
- [ ] Doctor names and credentials

## Accounts the practice owns

- Sign up with a shared role address on your own domain, like marketing@[yourpractice].com. Not a staff member's personal email or an agency's.
- Google Business Profile and YouTube use a Google account. You can create one with your existing non-Gmail address.
- One handle pattern everywhere: @[practicename] or @[practicename][city]. Claim it even where you won't post yet.
- Two-step sign-in on, with recovery phone and email the practice controls.

## Owner or manager

| Platform | Owner (the practice) | Staff and agency |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Primary owner plus one backup owner | Manager |
| Meta (Facebook, Instagram) | Two people with the highest access | Their own, lower access |
| LinkedIn page | Super admin plus one backup | Content admin |
| YouTube | Owner (the practice's Google account) | Manager or Editor |
| Directories | Claimed with the role email | Added users, where offered |

Agencies get manager access, never ownership. When someone leaves, an owner removes them that day.

---

## Profile inventory

| Platform | URL or handle | Login email | Owner | Managers | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile |   |   |   |   |   |
| Facebook |   |   |   |   |   |
| Instagram |   |   |   |   |   |
| LinkedIn page |   |   |   |   |   |
| X |   |   |   |   |   |
| Pinterest |   |   |   |   |   |
| YouTube |   |   |   |   |   |
| Apple Business Connect |   |   |   |   |   |
| Bing Places |   |   |   |   |   |
| Yelp |   |   |   |   |   |
| Healthgrades |   |   |   |   |   |
| Zocdoc |   |   |   |   |   |
| WebMD |   |   |   |   |   |
| ADA Find-a-Dentist |   |   |   |   |   |
| AAO / AAOMS / ASHA ProFind |   |   |   |   |   |
| Local chamber |   |   |   |   |   |

---
Sources: Google Business Profile, Google Account and YouTube Help; Meta and LinkedIn. I'm not a lawyer or a doctor. This is what I've learned helping practices, shared to help you. It's general information for Florida practices as of October 2026, not legal or medical advice. Rules differ by state and change, so have your attorney review it before you use it. Template from Double Jaw Marketing, doublejawmarketing.com/resources.

Common questions

Do we need a Gmail address for our Google Business Profile?

No. Google Account Help says you don't need a Gmail address to create a Google account, and you can use your existing email instead.

Should our marketing agency own our Google Business Profile?

The practice should be the primary owner, with a backup owner. Give the agency manager access. Managers can't add or remove users.

What does NAP consistency mean?

Your practice name, address and phone number written the same way on every profile and directory, matching your sign and website.

Which email should we use for social media accounts?

A shared role address on your own domain, like marketing@[yourpractice].com, that the practice owns and more than one person can get to.

Claims and sources

Checked October 17, 2026. Rules and platform settings change, so check the source before you rely on it.

1. Business name, phone, website and category guidelines: Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
2. Owners and managers; one primary owner; managers can't add or remove users: Google Business Profile Help: Manage owners and managers
3. Google account with a non-Gmail address: Google Account Help: Create a Google Account
4. Giving someone access to a Facebook Page: Meta Business Help Center: How do I give someone access to my Facebook Page?
5. LinkedIn super admin and content admin roles: LinkedIn for Nonprofits: How to grant admin access to your LinkedIn Page
6. Professional directories: ADA News: Find a Dentist tool
7. AAO Find an Orthodontist: AAO
8. AAOMS Find a Surgeon: AAOMS
9. ASHA ProFind: ASHA
10. YouTube channel permission roles; ownership can't be transferred: YouTube Help: channel permissions