It stands to reason that if a potential patient in your area types “dentist near me” into Google, your dental office’s Google listing would appear prominently on the first map result page. However, contrary to popular belief, Google Maps’ ranking system is not completely objective. So, our dental practice consultants at Bryant Consultants share on the blog today more about Google Maps and why you should use it for marketing your practice so that you can optimize your local marketing efforts.
How do local SEO rankings work?
Google’s algorithm considers three factors: relevancy, distance, and prominence. These aspects determine whether a certain listing will do well or poorly in each location. How well a Google My Business listing matches a user’s search query is a major factor in how relevant that listing will be. The distance between the searcher and the office depends on the user’s location and the keywords used in the search. Your Google My Business account’s strength is directly related to how visible your practice appears online. Numerous factors are considered while determining a list’s significance. Our dental office coaches provide questions for you to ask about your Google My Business profile to ensure it maximizes your local search reach.
- Is your profile complete?
- Do the links work as they should?
- Does your business have any online reviews?
- Does it lead people to your website?
- How many responses do you typically receive when your schedule is hectic?
- Do you have a Google My Business account that is connected to your website?
How do keywords affect relevant search results?
You would expect that when you search for “dentist near me,” your practice would appear in the top results, even if you were a block away. Unfortunately, there are more details involved that can help or hinder your local SEO efforts. Our dental practice coaches explain that local SEO boosts your practice’s visibility in local Google Maps or online searches. So, include geographic terms in your keywords, such as “Kingsport dentist” or “dental implants Kingsport.” Additionally, ranking for “dental implants” will be different than ranking for “dentist,” so think of specific services your potential patients may search for and incorporate that into your local SEO plan.
How do you know where you’re ranking?
To be on the first page, you must be among the top three listings. We refer to it as “the Google maps three pack.” They are the first three locations shown on the homepage’s Google map. Because 92 percent of all internet users never go beyond the first page of search results, that’s where you want to be. So, in a sense, if you’re not on the first page, you’re nowhere. You should rank for a term within a three-to-four-mile radius, but that can be difficult to determine when you’re in the office. Fortunately, there are two methods to investigate your Google Maps ranking, as shared below by our website designers for dental practices.
- Physical Location Manipulation – To find out where you rank, you’d have to get in your vehicle, take out your mobile phone, drive a half-mile north, east, south, and west, and search for a dentist, dental implants, and cosmetic dentists, or whatever terms you want to show up for, and then count down on the map. You’ll discover, “Oh, I rank high here, but not there.” Since it’s a location-based outcome and the map alters as the searcher moves, it can be an accurate measurement of what others will see.
- Digital Location Manipulation – Conduct a search using your practice’s latitude and longitude and the phrase “dentist” or other search terms. Then, count down to your practice’s listing and record it on a grid. Next, get the coordinates for half a mile north, east, south, and west, and repeat the process until you pinpoint the results in a grid. For each exercise and each term, these grids will appear differently.
Unfortunately, conducting your research this way is time-consuming and confusing. Instead, our website designers use data analytics and research to determine your site’s rankings and incorporate ways to improve your Google Map ranking.
Bryant Consultants
Driving traffic to your office location is different online. However, with effective local SEO management and market domination, you can increase your patient load and boost profits. Depending on the level of local competitors and the population density, your results will vary from other local practices. Therefore, we encourage you to contact our dental practice coaches at Bryant Consultants to schedule a consultation and help your practice appear more often in Google Maps results. Call us at (877) 768-4799 or contact us online for an appointment today!
