Thursday, September 26, 2013
Google+ is often thought of as Google’s loser version of Facebook. There is a tiny bit of truth in that, however the bigger truth is that Google+ has great potential to enhance your dental practice’s online presence.
Snub Google+ at your peril.
As of May 2013, Google+ had a total of 500 million registered users. That is only half as many as Facebook’s amazing one billion users but it is still an awe inspiring number of people.
As a small business owner you can use Google+ just as you do Facebook. However, there are other factors that are far more important. The most significant of these is Google+ Local.
Google+ Local is the new name for Google Places. You are probably more familiar with it simply as “the map.” It is the map feature that shows every local business as a red dot.
Try it. Open another tab, launch Google maps, zoom into your city and type in the search word dentist. You will see your office as a red dot or if you are Google savvy as a red balloon.
43% of all Google searches are local or location based. I imagine that number is much higher for dentists in particular. People rarely search out a dentist in a far off town. They want someone in their neighborhood and the best way to find you is by using the map.
Your office will have a dot even if you have never asked Google for one. Click around on various dots and then click “more info.” You will find many of them are basic listing with nothing more than an address and phone number. Others are rich and dynamic with photos, links, video, ratings and patient reviews. The difference is the rich sites have been claimed by their dentist owners and often linked to the office Google+ Business page.
Dentists who have claimed their Google+ Local page are more likely to show up on the map as a red balloon rather than a red dot. Needless to say balloons get more clicks than dots, and rich robust pages get more calls than unclaimed boring pages.
Before you claim your Google+ Local place you should create a Google+ Business page. It is not required and the Local page is more important for shoppers, but having a Google+ Business page just makes it easier to add content, link patient reviews and improve your search rankings. You create a business page in much the same way as you do the more familiar Facebook Business page. Both the Local and the Business pages are free to set up; all you need is a Google account of some kind such as a Gmail account to get started.
It is worth noting that having a robust Google+ Local page is not the same as web page SEO. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is designed to promote the page rank of your dental practice web page in a routine keyword search. Good web page SEO will not necessarily help your Local results. And if you have not claimed and built out your Local page, a good practice web page does not transfer content to Local. You need both.
The Google+ version of a Facebook “like” is a +1. A like and a +1 are not exactly the same but they are similar. If a user decides to give your content, your web page, blog or Google+ Business page a +1 that means he or she likes it and recommends it to others. It is a sign that your content is relevant. Industry insiders believe that Google gives preference to +1s when determining search rank.
A final Google+ feature worth noting is the Hangout. A Hangout is a live online meeting that can include video conferencing and shared screens. You can set up a free group hangout with as many as fifteen Google+ members. Unlike the Local and Business pages, a Hangout has little or no value finding and recruiting new patients, but it could be a very useful way to consult with a specialist or the lab regarding patient treatment.
Google+ is not Facebook. However, because it is intricately connected to Google, the top search online engine, in many ways it is much more. The future is coming and it will be amazing!