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Target Prospective Patients Through Local Search Marketing by Lance McCollough

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You probably already know that the most effective way to reach new patients is no longer through the phone book; it’s through the Internet. As online local searches grow by approximately 33 percent each year, traditional Yellow Pages advertising drops by four percent each year. Recent studies indicate 83 percent of households utilize the Internet to search for local businesses.

And people aren’t just searching for local businesses at their computers. One out of five cell phone users with mobile Internet access report using online business directories from their smartphones. Most online directories have a mobile app that enables a user to immediately view personalized directions to a business on their mobile device – a tremendous asset for new patients driving to an initial appointment. More than eight million users have downloaded Yelp’s business directory mobile phone app!

According to Google, 20 percent of searches made each month – or 33.6 billion searches made annually – reference location. One in three searches conducted by the world’s 1.2 billion mobile Web site users is for local information. The point is, if prospective patients are searching for services based on location, you should be marketing your practice accordingly.

Claim Your Business Listings
Local search marketing is one of the latest and most powerful techniques used by businesses to reach local prospects. It utilizes online business directories to limit search results to businesses in a specific geographical area. For example, if someone were to search for “Houston, Texas dentists,” results would showcase dentists in the Houston area.

The top online business directories include Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing Local and Yelp; and they are free (honorable mentions go to Citysearch, LinkedIn and MerchantCircle). All of these business directories offer marketing packages that allow you to include additional paid advertisements, but a simple business listing is always free. There are hundreds of online business directories, and some do have monthly subscriptions fees. Consider adding your listing to additional directories – the more exposure you have, the better chance a potential patient has of finding you online.

Maximize the Impact of Your Listings
Every online directory requires you to set up an account before you can claim your online listing. After you set up your Google, Yahoo, or other account, expect to answer several questions regarding your practice. These answers will help showcase your services to online prospects. As you create your listing, keep the following tips in mind.

Be as thorough as possible. Every question was created with a purpose in mind. Directory companies conducted years of research and know what Internet users are looking for, so it’s beneficial to be thorough. And, the more information you provide, the greater the opportunity to convince a prospective patient you’re the dental professional for him or her.

Provide consistent information. If you state in one directory that you offer sedation, you should mention this in all the other directories you list in. You want to provide everyone the same information.

Be accurate. Be sure contact information, such as your phone number, Web address (URL) and e-mail address, is correct.

Provide pictures and video. A few attractive office photos can pique interest in potential patients, and further optimize your listing for search engines. Market the name most people will recognize. If your practice has the legal name of “John A. Smith, DDS,” but patients know it as “Awesome Dental Group,” you can bet that’s what they’ll be searching for.

Complete listing at your practice. As a security measure against spam, Google, Bing and Yelp require a verification phone call be made to the phone number that will be advertised. You’ll want to be at your office so you can answer the automated phone calls.

Here are some additional points to consider when claiming your listing on major directories:

Google Places – Google.com/Places
Google allows you to input five different “categories” you want to be known for, including some pre-programmed dentistry options. Pay attention to these. If you’re a general dentist that offers cosmetic and sedation services, and want to highlight them, the “categories” section is the perfect place to input “Cosmetic Dentistry” and “Sedation Dentistry.” However, don’t feel obligated to only use Google’s predefined categories. You can always enter your own. That being said, make sure you do enter five categories; the more services you target, the better chances you have of reaching Internet users searching for them.

Google doesn’t give you a lot of characters under “Description,” so keep your explanation simple, and make the words you use count. “Awesome Dental Group” might write: “Awesome Dental Group offers comprehensive dental services to Austin and surrounding communities.” A single sentence states where the services are offered (Austin and surrounding communities), and what types of treatment options are available (comprehensive dental services).

Yahoo Local – Local.Yahoo.com
Yahoo asks for a lot of information that other directories do not, including what brands your business carries. Yes, patients do want to know what brands you carry. Many people feel more comfortable with a product they’re familiar with, so let them know what you offer.

Bing Local – Bing.com/Local
If you have social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter), Bing allows you to connect those accounts to your business listing. Take advantage of this! Connecting your accounts makes it easier for patients to see what’s going on at your practice.

Yelp – Yelp.com
When it comes to stating your specialties, express what you’re known for. If you’re frequently recommended for your cosmetic services, highlight them. Use Yelp’s “specialties” section to list all of the services your practice provides.

Get Patient Reviews
Once they find your practice online, prospective patients will want to read about current patient experiences. Online reviews are extremely impactful; positive online reviews can help prospects trust you as a credible dental professional and can also help boost your search engine rankings. So, how do you get your patients to leave reviews? The first step is to let them know you want reviews. For example, you can encourage your patients to post online reviews by placing a sign in your practice that states: “If you’re satisfied with your visit, please tell others what you think,” followed by the Web addresses for your business listings. Make it easy for them to leave reviews by including links to your business directories on your web site.

Do it Now
If you’re not marketing to your local online audience, you might be losing prospects to competitors in your area. Claiming your online business listings helps you target local patients and can improve your practice’s rankings on search engines. The benefits of taking the extra step to maintain your online business listings are many. What are you waiting for?
Author's Bio
Lance McCollough is the founder and CEO of ProSites. He developed the first turnkey Web site solution for the professional marketplace at the beginning of the dot-com era. His mission was to create an easy and affordable Web site solution that gave business owners point-and-click control over their Web sites. His first Internet venture, Execusite, became the leading Web site solution for accounting professionals. In 2003, McCollough and his development team focused their unique knowledge and expertise to create the first database-driven Web site solution for the dental industry – ProSites (www.prosites.com).
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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