Reviews are just one out of the dozens of different factors that can influence how high your business profile ranks in map listings, but it is a very important one.  A healthy quantity of reviews (good or bad) shows that there is a level of community participation with this local business, and it bolsters the credibility of that profile.  Of course, obtaining favorable map positions is a wasted effort if there are only negative reviews, so it is important for businesses to continuously ask their best customers for some kind words.

Rich Snippets – Advantage or Disadvantage?

Another advantage (when reviews are positive)  is the addition of rich snippets.  Rich snippets are best imagined as very succinct snapshots of the most important pieces of data taken from your business profile.  This data usually consists of such things as the number of reviews and the average rating, address, hours, etc.

Rich snippets are very much like a reward, given by Google for having numerous reviews, but what many people don’t realize is that there are other things affecting how your business profile is displayed over which you have direct control.  These aspects add flare and inspire potential customers to click your profile.  Take a look at the listings below and just think about which is more appealing?

Clearly the first listing has more visual appeal since there is a photo of the dentist, you can see his number of reviews, his average rating, and even an excerpt from a randomly selected review.  These aspects all help a profile to stand out from the blue and white coloring seen on typical listings.

PatientScout’s local maps optimization services takes all the guesswork out of our dentist’s hands.  We make sure your profile has all the relevant information needed by search engines while also including all the attractive visual aspects that potential customers want to see.  When performed properly, local maps optimization can be one of the most powerful ways to grow your practice and improve your bottom line, so contact us today to get your online marketing started.

“Each month, over half a billion people search Google for a
local product, service, or destination.” - David Mihm

Google Local Search Results:

Yahoo Local Search Results:

Local search is proving to be an ever-increasing trend, as consumers looking for business information, hours of operation, photos, videos, or even customer reviews can now find everything they need right at their fingertips.  Having a well optimized map listing can help you stand out against competitors and it can mean the difference between booking that appointment or not.

But the benefits are not simply that you appear in the map, because having a well optimized map listing can translate into improved rankings organically as well. Take a look at the screenshot below and see how Dr. Mitchler has conquered both the local maps and the organic listings for a Dentist in Windsor, California.

If you want to find out how PatientScout can benefit your dental practice please give us a call today at (888) 342-1492.

In this day and age, a website is a ‘must have’ for businesses if they wish to appear modern and professional, but if your only goal is to have an address to place on office stationary and business cards (there are thousands upon thousands of fine web designers who can do just that), then you are really missing out on the most valuable function of a website–marketing. Using a website’s ability to actively reach target clients and generate new business is seen by the nation’s top marketers as the most cost effective form of advertising*. (Forbes 2009 Ad Effectiveness Survey) This is especially true for dentists, as just a single new patient can be worth thousands on the first visit and tens of thousands over their lifetime. Furthermore, as dental related searches continue to increase month to month this is one of, if not the fastest growing segments from which new patients are found. The key for dentists is to capture these searches, making sure prospective patient find YOU when they go online to find a dentist in their area.

A website without local search engine optimization is like a department store without doors, windows, or even a sign–potential customers may know you’re there and they may be looking, but they’ll never find you. To gain this visibility, a website must be paired with a sound internet marketing strategy, meaning a thought out campaign to target relevant keywords in your area, and a continued effort to increase these rankings. This is where PatientScout’s PatientPortal comes into play, because we have made this process easier and more affordable than ever before. We have already started the campaign and are simply waiting for you to join us! A beautiful website (portal) is already running and generating new dental patient leads in YOUR area. These portals (once you lease one) are customized to your practice to include biographies of you and your staff, smile gallery to showcase your work, testimonials to show prospective patients, and a whole slough of general information to better inform internet searchers about your dental practice. A PatientPortal’s features don’t end there, we also syndicate your practice’s information across hundreds of industry related websites and geodirectories to build a strong link campaign, raising your website in the rankings and map listings.

We have taken the guess work and cost out of dental internet marketing and made it obtainable for any sized practice. Our PatientPortals include:

• Local Search Engine Optimization
• Local Maps Optimization
• Analytics and Reporting
• Hosted Email Accounts
• Phone Tracking
• Link Building

Until now building a Website was a complex enough task but to add an internet marketing campaign onto that would usually make it an expensive nightmare. PatientScout’s PatientPortals have a head start on your competition since they are:

• Already established in your area
• Ranked on popular search engines for local search terms pertaining to your business
• Visible, so you can see the site before you lease it
• Guaranteed to bring you new patients or the next month is FREE