Hey doctors (that includes you dentists too) do you know where your patients’ first impressions are being made? It is not your telephone. It is not your waiting room. Often it isn’t even your website’s homepage.   It is time for you to realize that most of the time your patients’ first impressions are made on Google!

Please take the time to claim your Google Places listings. I am going to show you some examples of what can happen if you don’t. Keep in mind that if you do not take the time to fill out your Google Places listing Google will take what it can from your website to fill in the blanks. Unfortunately, what they find is not always a good thing. Also, Google is allowing people to edit unclaimed listings and people can purposefully hurt your listing. So don’t wait another day! You risk the chance of losing potential clients if you don’t claim and update your Google Places listing.  Don’t believe me?

Here’s what I found searching for a “Sarasota Plastic Surgeon”.

The first surgeon listed has not claimed their listing. Google filled in the blanks. What plastic surgeon, who includes breast augmentation in their services, would honestly utilize a before picture of a woman’s breasts as their main picture? I have to admit, it did get my attention! Just not for the right reason. That poor woman spent a lifetime (and a small fortune) to improve those and now you let Google use her (previous) breasts as your Google Places main image.  At least I put a small black box over her chest.

OK dentists, stop laughing at the plastic surgeons! You need to claim your Google Places listings too.

Look what I found looking for a “Dentist in Houston”

Hands?  No, not just hands, but one is missing part of a finger.  Is this dentist trying to tell me he/she is missing a finger? Was this an in office accident?  I really don’t know, nor do I care.  I just know I won’t be seeing this dentist because I don’t understand the message.

Claiming a Google Places Listing is EASY!

Got to Google.com and click on “Maps”. Search for your business and click on it. If you haven’t claimed your listing you will see links above the map; see “Business Owner?” in the image below? You should click on the business owner link and begin the process. Once you have control of your listing you can add the images you want to be displayed and not be at the mercy of Google or those that choose to edit your business and add an images that could hurt your business.

Don’t risk losing potential patients and take control of how you want your first impression to be made by taking control of your Google Places listing.

To achieve a high-level of online visibility and internet marketing success, local businesses need to consider multiple factors…  

NOTE: this is not me.

I’ve been in the “local search” business since the earliest days. From selling IYP on BigYellow.com, the Yahoo! Yellow Pages and InfoSpace in the 90′s, to SEM, SEO and more recently Social Media, video and Reputation Management services – and all I can say is “I’ve heard it all”!

Lately however, there seems to be a higher proliferation of questionable sales pitches and practices – and it’s not just coming from the local independent guys or fly-by-night start up’s. Increasingly, these unrealistic promises and aggressive lyrics are being used by larger, more “legitimate” firms in the SMB space. Some discussion on this being a sales “training issue” recently took place over on Screenwerk, but I think there is more to it than that…

The reality is this; the marketplace continues to become more competitive. Local search represents the fastest growing segment of online marketing – and some companies/individuals will say just about anything to get their piece of the pie. Additionally, the continued fragmentation and complexities of the “splinternet” is generating more confusion for business owners. Although most local business now realize they need to be visible wherever and whenever potential customers are searching, I think their judgement can become easily impaired under some of these strong sales and closing tactics.

I’ve personally taken a great amount of pride in setting realistic expectations with clients. As a seasoned sales professional I’ve learned that as much as one wants to exceed quota or win the current sales contest; it’s a consistent honest, realistic and passionate approach that wins the game and builds long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. Strong Clients relationships are a journey – not a destination.

So as a public service, here are the latest and most frequently heard unrealistic and questionable sales tactics to look out for…

• Performance guarantees! Any time the word “guarantee” is used within the world of marketing, watch out! This is especially true in the areas of SEM & SEO. There are never any guarantee: not with PPC positioning, not within organic rank, not within local listings and certainly not regarding your advertising ROI. This is one of the most popular tactics being used; “Mr. Business, I guarantee first position in 30 days, for $199/month”! Run for the hills…
• Something for nothing? Online, local businesses really can get something for nothing! Inclusion within Google Place Pages, Yahoo! Local and Bing Maps is FREE, and it’s a good place to start building an online presence. As a matter of fact – most businesses already have some level of inclusion – but “claiming” that listing and optimizing it for better rank is the next natural step. This can usually be done with minimal time and expertise (although true website SEO is a critical ranking component – with this you’ll need some assistance). I’ve personally received calls (as have my clients) from Marketing Representatives that offer Google listings for a flat fee of $49, $99, or even several hundreds of dollars per-month! Now, having the marketing experience and knowledge to optimize a Place Page does have some value, but positioning the service a recurring $99/month charge into perpetuity is where I have a problem…
• Optimization of ___ (fill in the blank). I recently worked with a Client that got swindled into a long-term contract for optimization services, and thanks to that ineffective effort – this business now falls into a growing group of “SEO doubters”. “Optimization” is quickly becoming the most mis-used term in our industry. Everyone it seems wants to “optimize” something, but few of these SEO services I’m hearing within the local-space really address all the critical SEO factors (on-page factors, inbound links, social, listings, ratings/reviews, etc.). High organic rank and visibility is a product of multiple efforts and hard work – don’t’ get fooled by anything less. Ask for references!
• Cheap SEO/or cheaper PPC. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. In the world of PPC, I’m continually surprised at the number of business owners that fall victim to claims of cheaper pay-per-click advertising. PPC is a commodity, and outside of set-up or monthly service fees the market/competition is what dictates the budget (“supply and demand”). The best PPC agencies don’t sell on price, they propose budgets that would maximize advertising R.O.I. SEO on the other hand is more of a “service” that consists of significant man-hours and expertise. Some components of SEO may be more competitive if fulfilled off-shore, but generally speaking – a full-blown, inclusive and effective SEO project cannot be completed for less than several thousand dollars. Watch out for the one-size fits-all “cookie cutter” strategy!

Feel free to “comment” and let us know what you’ve heard out there as well…

• SLEIGH BELLS AND CASH REGISTERS RING – Looks like our darkest days are behind us. In November, consumer spending increased, orders for durable goods gained and architecture billings rebounded.
• HELLO 2011 – Calculated Risk asks 10 economic questions for next year. Mashable’s Erica Swallow lists five small-business predictions.
• GOING MOBILE – A new report says that small businesses are going mobile in a big way.
• HO, HO … OH, NO – Now that Christmas is over, we’re warned to keep an eye out for returns fraud.

Read the entire article here.

While  driving the other day I passed the 2010 Rockefeller Christmas tree being transported into NYC, police escort and all.

Pretty cool, but hard to believe I’m seeing Christmas preparations already. It got me thinking about all the SEM advertisers that need to start preparations of their own. 

Most businesses experience ups and downs throughout the year; some cyclical, some triggered by one-time events.  Christmas of course is a biggie, as are other holidays. Changing seasons, one-time economic and weather events and increased competition are also factors. Thinking 30 days ahead of these predictable trends and positioning yourself  “ahead of the curve” will ensure you remain competitive. At the same time, you’ll capture additional new customers and gain market share. 

For example, I know of a Manhattan-based Costume Shop increases their PPC budget ten-fold every August to prepare for the upcoming crush of consumers in the following 60 days. Google Insights data confirms this decision as being a smart one:

Insights is just one of the great tools you can use to predict things like search interest (aka: “demand”). Based on this, as well as IYP usage data, I’ve looked at a number of businesses verticals and identified those that are now entering their “prime season”. They include:

• Caterers & Restaurants 
• Anything retail
• Electronics
• Jewelery & Watches
• Ski Shops  
• Snow plowing & Equipment
• Tires
• D.J.s
• Carpet Cleaners
• Accountants
• Tax Attorneys
• Divorce Lawyers
• DUI Attorneys
• Health Clubs

Competition is increasing, as is demand for these products and services. Smart businesses that are prepared and proactive will benefit from the increased exposure and additional new sales that are sure to follow!

David Mihm’s illustration representing the “local search” relationships makes a great point: this business of local search marketing is complicated! 

In my experience, the typical local business owner doesn’t have the time or expertise to effectively manage online advertising investments - as illustrated in the recent Search Engine Land article ”Local Search Complexity = SMB Frustration“. 

Not only do you have numerous, complex supplier/directory relationships – but the continued fragmentation which is taking place keeps everyone on their toes! Search Engines,  social networking, blogs, directories and Internet Yellow Pages, mobile, vertical and hyper-local sites, etc., etc., etc.  Additionally, there are website design issues, analytics to keep up with, billing reconciliation, A/B testing, optimization and many other time-consuming elements.  Oh, and by the way – let’s not forget about the day job! It can be challenging, to say the least.

This is the primary reason so many third-party providers have jumped-into the game over the past several years – there is a void to fill; an overwelming demand to hand off this business of Internet marketing to a trusted advisor. Problem is: exactly who can you trust? The local SEO expert? Your website design guy? An out-of-work executive or moonlighting sales rep? The phone company, the local newspaper publisher, your tax software company?  All these characters are now in the game!

A word to the wise: be careful with whom you choose to work with! Here are a few quick tips:

• Stick with a well-known firm. Check their history; how long have they been in the Internet marketing business? Is it one of their core competencies? 
• Was the term “guarantee” used in their pitch? If so, run for the hills!  
• Are they charging you for free services like Google Maps, or worse yet – taking “credit” for those leads/clicks? 
• Is there a monthly recurring management fee? And if so, is it based on a percent of your overall budget? Hmmmm - could be a conflict of interest…
• Are they willing to provide full transparency and reporting?
• Are testimonials, references or case-studies from happy clients available?

Despite all the compelling reasons to get online, many local businesses still risk their online representation to unchecked review sites, third-party aggregators and inaccurate databases. I speak with local business owners every day, and although their reasons are understandable (“no time”,  “don’t know where to start”, “I have a guy doing it”) this gamble costs them any hope of reaching new customers and generating additional leads. 

I think my most recent experience is typical  - this week I finally decided to see a Chiropractor – 18 months of neck pain is enough. Like many, I started by asking friends and sent out an email seeking advice. I received three solid recommendations, and then went online to check ratings, reputation, location, phone numbers and overall credibility. I searched for their ”names” + “city” and expected to find all three quickly. I didn’t, and this story is exactly what the research confirms; a Nielsen/NetRatings survey found that 85% of people agreed that a website is an important factor in earning a consumer’s trust.   

The first Chiropractor only came up through various third-party sites like Merchant Circle - limited information and no link to a website. The second candidate was partially visible (bottom of first page) via an Internet Yellow Pages, good listing information but again – no link to a website. Neither of these two firms were even in Google Maps! The third was at the top of the results page with their own website – here.

The site is nothing extraordinary – and there are certainly some elements which could be improved (the link to the site’s developer is even broken),  but the point is this: I felt more comfortable in literally ”risking my neck” with this local business. They appear to be more credible, up-to-date and qualified. They are also smart enough to realize that a businesses online representation is too important to leave up to other uncontrollable sources. Even the most basic of websites can properly position you reach new customers. 

What’s next? Making the site visible! After all, what good is this marketing tool if it cannot be found? Here are some tips for Chiropractors, and all businesses should consider the various optimization and pay-per-click options available.

Some 38% of internet users, or 28% of adults, go online in search of information about hospitals or medical facilities.

Of those adults seeking hospital information online, 45% have consulted online rankings or reviews of hospitals or other medical facilities. About one-fifth (20%) of all internet users have looked at online rankings or reviews of medical facilities. Additionally, 9% of hospital information seekers (just 3% of internet users) actively posted their own review of a hospital or medical facility.