The Signal: Inaugural Edition
Why This Exists
Over the past year, I've had hundreds of conversations with practice owners. And I kept finding myself explaining the same things over and over:
“Why your post flopped. Where patients are actually making decisions before they ever hit your website. Why Google changed something.”
So we figured why not just write it down?
Every month, we'll share what's shifting in patient discovery. Plain English. Medspa-specific. Stuff you can actually use.
No fluff. No 47-step playbooks. Just the signal through the noise.
Here's what's happening right now:
Google: The Q&A Section Is Gone (And Replaced It with AI)
If you had questions and answers on your Google Business Profile, they're gone. Google officially sunset the Q&A feature on November 3, 2025. Now instead of showing those user-submitted questions, Google's AI generates answers using your profile, your website, and your reviews.
Here's the problem: If your info is incomplete or outdated, Google's AI is just going to make stuff up. And patients are seeing those answers before they even click through to you.
So if your Google profile is half-filled-out or your website is a mess that's what's representing you now.
Reference: developers.google.com/my-business/content/qanda/change-log
Meta: Engagement Has Been Redefined
Instagram and Facebook continue to deprioritize vanity metrics. Likes don't move the needle anymore.
What does? Saves, shares, and replies.
The algorithm now favors content that sparks real engagement, educational posts, relatable moments, and trust-building content. Polished promos? They're getting buried.
Here's the other shift: fewer patients are tapping through to your profile first. Discovery is happening inside Reels, in the comments, and through DMs. By the time they visit your page, they've already formed an opinion.
What this means: Your content isn't just marketing anymore. It's the first impression, the education, and the trust-builder-all before they ever see your website.
Reference: https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/instagram-ranking-explained
Why "Quick Hacks" Don't Work Anymore
Old tactics are officially dead:
Seeding Google Q&A with your own answers (gone)
Keyword stuffing bios and captions (penalized)
Over-polished promotional posts (ignored)
Both Google and Meta now reward the same things:
Be CLEAR - Say what you do, plainly
Be CONSISTENT - Show up regularly with reliable information
Be REAL - Real language from real people wins
The platforms have gotten smarter. Gaming them has gotten harder. The practices that win are the ones that make it easy for patients to understand and trust them.
What This Means for Your Revenue
Patients are deciding earlier than ever. They’re choosing who to trust, what to book, and whether or not you’re legit before they ever call or visit your website.
If your digital presence is clear, you will get better patients, not price shopper Betty or “oops, I was playing Clash of Titans and accidentally clicked on your botox promo ad” Sue.
Quality patients want clarity and less friction, if it is confusing, you will lose them to whoever made it easier to discover online.
What We Recommend
None of this requires a massive overhaul. Start here:
1. Fix your Google Business Profile
Make sure every field is complete, accurate, and up to date. Hours, services, photos, FAQs-all of it. This is what Google's AI pulls from now.
2. Update your website's clarity
Can a first-time visitor understand what you offer and how to book within 10 seconds? If not, simplify.
3. Encourage specific reviews
Reviews that mention treatment names, concerns addressed, and results give Google (and patients) more to work with. "Great experience!" doesn't cut it anymore.
4. Shift your social content strategy
Less promo and trending dances. More education. Make people want to save it and share it.
5. Create a clear digital journey
Don't leave patients to figure it out themselves. Guide them from discovery to booking with intention.
How Opaline Fits In
This is exactly why we built the quiz.
If patients are deciding earlier, you need something that meets them there. Something that turns, “just browsing” into “okay, I know what I need”.
The quiz does that:
Turns curiosity into clarity
Help patients figure out what’s right for them
Works whether they find you on google, instagram or facebook
Gives your team intel on who’s actually ready
Instead of hoping patients figure it out, you give them a path.
The Bottom Line
Patients are deciding earlier, across platforms, and not waiting for the in-person consult.
The practices winning right now aren’t the ones spending the most. They’re the ones making it easy with clear information, consistent presence and a guided path to booking.
That's what we'll keep tracking for you.
Until next time. 💛
