Get more clients with google places (it's free)

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I have seen some posts on here discussing search engine optimisation (how to get your website appearing earlier in google search), I just wanted to share a blog post that I wrote with you.

It is about how you can add yourself to Google Places for free, and it lets you effectively jump to the top of the search results, particularly for local searches which is important for your type of business.

You can read it here:
http://www.cliniko.com/blog/87/get-more-clients-with-google-places-its-free/

I am happy to answer any questions you have on this topic or about SEO. I wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I have a strong understanding in this area.

 

Thank you for that info. Very useful. But I wonder if you can give me any help over whether there is anything I can do about the fact that another Practice in the area has my Practice name is its metatags ( I think that's the right word) and also as their Google place (again hope that's correct terminology!). The only reason I know this - as you may guess I have no IT understanding at all - is because a new patient found it whilst looking for my website and contact details on Google.
Hope that all makes some sort of sense????

 

Thanks for that - great tool and mine happened almost instantly.

Cheers

 

It depends a little on exactly what is happening. If they are coming up in the search results when someone types your practice name in, there could be a few reasons for it, and not necessarily that they are doing it intentionally. For example, if your practice name is "Melbourne Podiatry", well it wouldn't be unusual for google to show other podiatrists in Melbourne for that search term.

If they have a paid ad showing up when someone searches for your practice, then it's quite possible that they are doing this intentionally, and unfortunately there is not a lot that can be done about it. To my knowledge the only restriction google places on these ads is that you can't use another business name in the ad itself if the business name is trademarked.

With all that said, I would need to know exactly where the other business is appearing (organic search result or paid ad) and also the name of both your businesses so I could look.

Either way, it is very unlikely you can do something about it, particularly if your business name is not trademarked.

 

Hi everyone

I must say from personal experience that this really works! Since we put our practice on Google places our business has increse a lot and best of all it is free

I really recomend it.

Cheers:drinks
André

 

I tried to use the tool, but because it did not recognise my postcode, I couldn't finish it! GRRRRR!

 

You will need the most suitable keywords for your website, title posts and pages. Do some keyword research. Think how a potential patient would think. In Oz there are several free business directories online where practices are listed. Go to yours and update the details there, get patients to put reviews there, which can then be used as testimonials on your own site as well. There are plenty of other ways of getting a little google juice (articles, you tube etc), but needs more time and smarts.