Google has created over 49 million web pages for local businesses called Google Places pages. There are Google Places for doctors that already exist for your practice. Actually they are for the users of Google to find local businesses, their phone numbers, address and any reviews. The business owners can “claim” the page. Once it’s claimed, they can edit it, add videos, add coupons and put a link back to their website. The trouble is that a whopping 93% of businesses have not even claimed their page! So you have your own website and are trying to get it on page one when Google has already made a page for you that you can use IN ADDITION to your own website. How cool is that?! Even when business owners claim their page, many think that’s all they have to do but you being the savvy business owner realize that you probably need to put some work into it and do it consistently. That would involve getting patients to submit reviews online, getting your practice information into online citations (not just directories). Your website will need to be optimized and you will need to update your citations and reviews every month. Yes you can do all the work yourself or you can outsource it to an online medical marketing company (hint). Yes you can do your own Gram stains and spin your hematocrits but you’d rather just “send it to the lab”. Consider us your “online marketing lab”.
This is an example of one of the seven Google local search results that shows up for me when I type “plastic surgeon” while in Houston. The webpage that Google created is called the Place Page.
When you click on “Place page” you are brought to your very own webpage that Google created. People can see what you’re about and then decide whether or not to visit your webpage from here. Imagine what happens when they see your Google Places listing in local search result area AND they see your regular website listed on the first page of Google. The more visible you are, the more likely you will be found and chosen.
It’s a fast paced ever changing world online. People don’t just ask a friend for a recommendation, they go to the web. And when they go, will they find you? We’re here to help. Contact us today for a consultation or just a question.
