Quick Answer
For most Indian doctors, Google My Business (GMB) delivers 3–5x more patient inquiries per rupee spent than Practo. GMB is free, you own your ranking, and organic results appear before Practo listings for 'near me' searches. Practo is better for discovery in their marketplace but charges ₹8,000–20,000/month for premium placement.
Patient Discovery: Where Do Indian Patients Find Doctors?
68% of Indian patients search 'doctor near me' on Google. 22% use Practo's app or website. 10% use JustDial and other directories. Google Maps results appear before Practo listings in search — meaning most patients encounter GMB results first.
Cost Comparison
GMB: Free to set up and maintain. ConnectAI GMB optimization: ₹1,999 one-time. ConnectAI review QR + monitoring: ₹1,998/year.
Practo Boost: ₹8,000–20,000/month depending on specialty and city. Plus they control your ranking — price can increase any time.
Control and Ownership
GMB: You own your profile. Google cannot charge you for existing results. Your ranking is earned through quality and reviews.
Practo: Your ranking is leased. Stop paying, disappear from search results. Practo also competes against your listing by showing other doctors.
What Practo Does Better
Practo has a large patient base who use the Practo app specifically to find doctors. If you're in a high-competition specialty (cardiologist in Mumbai), Practo's marketplace gives you a second discovery channel. Use both — but don't depend on Practo alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Don't stop Practo immediately — especially if you currently get patients from it. But start building your GMB presence aggressively in parallel. Reduce your Practo dependency by building a review base and GMB ranking that generates patients without any monthly fee.
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