North Texas Dentistry Volume 5 Issue 2 | Page 14

Two Big Google Changes for
Online Dental Marketing in 2015
(and one Big Prediction)

O

nline marketing is still all about Google.
The search engine giant currently owns
over 67% of the search engine market and
makes between 300 and 400 changes to its
algorithm per month. Yes, you read that
correctly – that’s per month, not per year. The bottom line
is Google likes to keep local businesses on their toes.

Here is what we see as being the biggest difference makers to
ensuring potential patients find your practice when searching
for dental services in your community:

Change #1 – Google+ Local is now Google My Business.

Even though this free Google service has a new name, it’s primarily a re-working of Google Places and Google+ Local.
According to TechCrunch, Google My Business is a place where
“business owners can update their business information, add
photos, read reviews and use Google+.” In addition, Google has
invested even more time into Google My Business by allowing
you to read and respond to reviews within the app. For dentists,
14 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com

by Marc Fowler

it’s truly become a one-stop shop for all things Google.

So, why is this change important? Simple. If Google has
invested the time and effort to improve a service for business
listings on Google, it’s definitely in your best interest to not only
take advantage of it – but to dominate it. Anything Google
related should be done in this app – including how you interact
with your patients who write reviews for you on Google properties.

Change #2 – The “Pigeon” has landed.

As we mentioned in last month’s issue, Google’s Pigeon update
shook up local SEO marketing in 2014. The biggest impact it’s
made is that it’s starting to favor directory listings instead of
primary sites in queries for local goods and services. For example, in some instances, if a potential patient searches for a family
dentist in your community, it may serve your Yelp listing
instead of your primary website – which can be a bit disconcerting after all of your effort to ensure your potential patients view
your site as their first point of contact.

© Savcoco | Dreamstime.com - Google Logo photo

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