Catalyst Local Marketing Blog

I made a discovery about a new Google front page search results format that Google is testing that could RADICALLY change the SEO game, make the LOCAL listings almost 4 times bigger, push organic rankings way down the page and make LOCAL Google Places, an even more of important place for local businesses to be! I broke the story a couple weeks ago via the #1 blog in the Google Local industry because everyone reads it.

I was so inundated with calls and emails after breaking that story, that I never even had a chance to blog about it here. I shared other screen shots and insights over there, but here I’ll just share one. YOU JUST NEED TO SEE THIS, then scroll down for my insight/analysis.

I’m not sure why, but I was sitting on a Google datacenter test server that hardly anyone else could see. The above test was from Raleigh, but I’ve seen similar results in Dallas, Chicago, Charlotte and some other cities. Recently others have started seeing these results in other cities too including LA.

Here are some of the key differences I observed:
1) The Places listings are 3 times BIGGER and look like the organic results except they have a map pin.

2) It’s pulling meta description from the site – just like organic. PLUS it adds some snippets from reviews on the Place page. So best of both worlds and BIGGER!

3) As you scroll down the MAP scrolls with you. So even when you are at bottom of page in the organic listings the map moves down and shows on right.

4) ONLY 7 (purely) organic listings show and in this instance most are directories or assn. Only 2 are Dentists.

5) To get on the top TWO screens you need to be in local. Most of the organic are 2 screens BELOW the fold.

6) Reviews are more prominent

7) Link to Place Page is marked as such, instead of just “More Info” which means better branding and name recognition for Google Places

I’m not going to repeat everything I posted over there, so if you want to know more, head over to Mike’s blog to read the full story and see all the other screen shots I did. Some have a different layout with 3 organic above the local listings.

Now after we broke the story on Mike’s blog, Google sent their publicist over there to say that this is only a test. So the actual version they roll out could be different than this layout. But make no mistake Google IS going to be making Google Places the focus for a number of financial reasons I won’t go into in this post.

CHECK BACK FOR MY NEXT POST to see an ACTUAL change Google JUST MADE in a 7/0 update, that moves in the direction of the layout above. I’m going to share a #1 ON BOX ranking I just got for a client that shows the NEW Google ONE BOX format.

ALSO if you just LOST a bunch of your precious patient reviews on your Google Place page like TONS of other Google users did, I’ll have some answers about that. It has to do with the update above.

STAY TUNED TO THE CATALYST CHANNEL!

I just posted this on a Dental forum, then realized it’s so important and applies for everyone so wanted to share the info here on the blog as well.

Having a high ranking Google Places page can be a Dentist’s best marketing ally. It can get you up at the TOP of the 1st page in Google for Dentist Yourcity, Cosmetic Dentist Yourcity and other important key phrases.

HOWEVER Google Places is full of bugs, hijacking, fraud and other security problems, so if you haven’t yet you REALLY need to claim your listing which provides partial protection – but it does not by any means provide full protection so you really need to monitor your listing at least weekly.

Read the rest here

Lake Medical & Chiropractic in San Marcos, California is a great Chiropractic practice! I should know – I’ve been a satisfied patient there for over 4 years. It’s a high quality, mature, multi-disciplinary practice with 3 Chiropractors and an MD. They’ve been in business for 24 years, don’t do any advertising and get the majority of their new patients via referrals. They hardly got any new patients calls from the Internet due to low ranking and poor visibility.

In April I decided to do some research on their Internet presence and discovered that not only did they have poor rankings but their practice identity on Google was ‘badly fractured’. When I tried to explain what that meant to Dr. Jeppesen he laughed and quipped: “Why are we talking to you then??? Sounds like we need to call in the Ortho specialist!”

Long story short, I took them from the 3rd page of Google maps, where no one looks, to the #2 spot at the top of the 1st page of Google. I’m still working on repairing all the fractures and Google has not updated yet with all the optimization I have done. So I predict in another month they will be #1.

OK so to start let’s talk about FRACTURED listings. This often happens in Chiropractic, Medical and Dental offices, due to Google pulling data from numerous sources that may have the practice listed different ways. Google then sets up multiple Google Place pages thinking they are different businesses. Additionally many times a practice sets up a new listing not realizing Google already created one, which also creates a duplicate.

Read the rest here

When I 1st started doing Local SEO I thought it was a walk in the park compared to organic SEO. I quickly discovered all of Google’s quirks however and find Local SEO and specifically Google Places Optimization a frustrating challenge worthy of all my time and attention.

So it was great to read Matt McGee’s post about how crazy and inconsistent Google Local search results and the algo can be sometimes. He points out a radical example complete with screenshots. Be sure to read the comments too for other local search marketer’s feedback.

Read the rest here

If you’ve ever had a competitor, unhappy patient, unhappy client, vindictive ex-employee or clueless surfer edit your Google Places page, you know how frustrating it can be and how hard it is to get Google to correct the changes.

Your Google Places Page should be YOUR identity on the web and is often the front door that new clients and patients come through. So you want to put your best foot forward and not have incorrect data, or heaven forbid a competitors web site or phone number show up!

Read the rest here

2 weeks ago I started working with a very cool Chiropractor and took his practice from #44 (page 5) on Google “Local” to #1 at the very top of Google. The practice is in a large metro city, in a highly competitive market – so several techniques where used to move him to the top. This case is so complicated and interesting I decided to do a mini case study. See it below the image.

1st I wanted to give you a peek at his stats. We hit #1 on May 11th and you can see the positive impact it’s already made. The practice is now getting over 1,000 impressions and 20 actions per day and that’s after only a week.

CASE STUDY BELOW – Stats April 23 – May 19th

It all started 2 weeks ago on a Sunday, when a young Chiropractor contacted me for help with his Google Places listing. He owns a highly successful practice with his sister and Father. The practice is mature and gets most of their new patients by word of mouth.

Read the rest here

If you have a home business or service business and want to get a listing in Google Local – now called Google Places, here is a great interview I just discovered with Carter Maslan, Google’s Director of Product Management for Local.

Carter talks about the need for the Google Places service area feature and how it evolved, but the interview goes beyond that specific feature and gives specific details about how Google Places works, talks about other Places features, error reporting and gives a glimpse into what may be coming down the pike.

Read the rest here

InsiderPages, which is owned by Citysearch, just launched their new InsiderPages Doctor Finder which offers a local search engine and reviews of doctors and dentists.

Patients can search by medical or dental specialty, distance, insurance, gender and other criteria. The ratings content comes from InsiderPages and Citysearch and much of the data comes from HealthGrades.

Here is a search for Neurologist San Marcos, Ca and one of my local marketing consulting clients comes up #1.

Dr. Shack’s practice is at Lake Medical & Chiropractic in San Marcos, CA which happens to be my personal chiropractor.

I just optimized their Google Places listing and helped them go from page 3 on Google maps to the #5 spot on the 1st page of Google when patients search for “Chiropractor San Marcos, CA.” I put them on the MAP, so to speak. They just jumped up to #5 yesterday and with the additional optimization I’m doing for them, I predict they’ll be #1 or 2 within 6 weeks.

So while currently the InsiderPages Doctor Finder does not include a search for chiropractors, I hope they change that oversight soon, so I can get my chiropractors listed there too.

Greg Sterling has a more in-depth review with additional screenshots.
InsiderPages Finds Its Voice with Doc Finder