North Texas Dentistry Volume 8 Issue 4 2018 ISSUE 4 DE | Page 18

practice marketing
Get More New Patients
Using Google’s Local Pack
by Marc Fowler
The Local Pack and why it matters to dentists
Searching Google for a dentist triggers a section of search
results that is called the “Local Pack”. This section displays
a list of dentists that are located near the person conducting
the search using queries such as “dentist near me” or simply
“dentist”. When a city name is added to the search, a list of
dentists closest to what Google considers the center of that
city are shown.
It is important to note that the Local Pack shows “above the
fold” (content displayed onscreen without having to scroll
down) on a desktop and is equally prominent on mobile,
making it prime real estate.
How to get your practice in the Local Pack
In the Local Pack, Google shows business listings, not web-
sites. So the first step in being featured in the Local Pack is
to create your Google My Business (GMB) listing and follow
through with the simple verification process.
Once you’ve claimed and verified your listing, the following
steps will increase your chances of being one of the three
practices featured in the Google Local Pack search results.
Optimize your GMB listing. After completing the verifica-
tion process, log into your dashboard and click “Manage
Location”. There are a variety of questions Google wants
you to answer to complete your profile.
Complete ALL the information Google requests.
Doing so makes it easier for potential
patients to find you and increases your
Pro Tip
chances of being included in the Local
Pack. If you don’t complete all fields, some-
one else could – even a competitor.
The image above is an example of the most commonly
shown Local Pack. It typically contains three business list-
ings Google deems related to the terms searched for. Occa-
sionally you will also see an ad, bringing the total number
of businesses listed to four.
18 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
GMB Posts are similar to ads or social media posts that
show up in your GMB listing. A post can showcase a service,
a special offer, or announce an upcoming event. Posts can
include still images, video, a link to your website and even
a click to call option.