157% call volume increase with Google My Business…?
Yes, you read correctly, a 157% increase.
Everyone talks about Dental SEO but what about Dental GMB SEO? Everyone treats Dental GMB SEO like the stepchild, overlooking and passing it by. If they only knew the magnitude of ROI from Google My Business.
First, what is Google My Business (GMB)? GMB is the three Google listings that appear beneath the map when someone searches for businesses in or around a particular location.
Dental GMB SEO should be the focal point of local SEO for dentists. Why…you may ask?
There are only 3 coveted organic listings and 84% of searches are discovery (something generic such as searching "dentist near me"), while 16% are direct ("John Smith's Family Dentistry").
So…a 157% increase in organic phone calls? Heck, Yes! Below are real results shared from a new dental practice in a new market with no internet or local presence.
This particular practice’s Google My Business listing was not ranked within the top 3 before utilizing SEO on their GMB page. After, about 2 months of GMB SEO they were ranked top 3. We then compared apples to apples comparing their initial unranked 3 months against the first ranked 3 months and the results were astonishing – they had received 91 phone calls from their Google My Business page in the initial unranked 3 months and after getting ranked, they received 234 phone calls in the first 3 months. That's a call volume increase of 157%.
Now Dental GMB SEO consists of both on-page and off-page SEO tactics but the steps below are the necessary foundations to every optimized GMB page.
1. Find Page and Verification
What to do:
Locate the correct page and if needed click on the “Own this business?” link and follow the process. If your listing has not been claimed, you’ll need to click “Is this your business?” in the text at the bottom to enter the verification process. While you can in some cases use an automated phone call for verification, most businesses will require a postcard verification. This route takes a week or two and will require you to have a postcard sent to your physical address with a verification code.
2. Use the Correct Business Name
What to do:
After verifying your page, it is important to edit and update all business information keeping everything consistent across all of your properties. Consistency is especially important for your company name, address, and phone. This is what Google calls your NAP.
3. Use The Correct Address
What to do:
Google doesn’t allow PO boxes, so you’ll need a real local address.
4. Use the Correct Phone Number
What to do:
DO NOT use an 800 number. Use a local phone number listed with your local address.
5. Use the Correct Website URL
What to do:
Single Location
- Use the website URL that goes to your homepage.
Multiple Locations
- You will need multiple Google My Business pages per location, each using a specific landing page URL dedicated to that location.
6. List the Correct Categories for Your Business
What to do:
Use the best categories that make sense for your practice.
7. List the Correct Hours of Operation
What to do:
Make sure that your hours are accurately listed.
8. Upload Optimized Photos
What to do:
Add a minimum of 20 or more photos to your Google My Business listings, spread across the available photo tabs. Add a few photos to “By Owner”, “Interior”, “Exterior”, “At Work”, and “Team” while naming the photos based off variations of your targeted keywords.
9. Create and Share Some Google My Business Posts
What to do:
Create 10 product or service posts related to your dental practice. Keep the posts about 150 words in length, add a picture, and enable the button feature.
Structure the posts to include bulleted points and if possible link the posts to other previous Google My Business posts or posts on your website.
10. Activate Google My Business Website
What to do:
Take advantage of Google My Business website builder. But BEFORE you publish it, make sure to UNCHECK the box that makes this the attached website for the GMB listing.
Add around two to three 500 to 700-word articles to your description and about me sections and include your keyword anchor text linking them back to your chosen website URL. Also, include links to your top citations and social profiles such as Facebook, Yelp, Twitter, etc.
For questions, please contact Adam at adam@beyondmarketingsolutionsllc.com and make sure to get your FREE, comprehensive SEO Audit for your dental website sent straight to your email.