The Google Maps Local Listing is a free feature from Google for your office to create a detailed listing of your business information, which includes showing the exact location of your office on Google’s interactive map.
You don’t even need a website to take advantage or this service. In fact, many smaller businesses without websites use their Google Maps Local Listing as their primary online listing.
While I don’t recommend that you rely on a Google Maps Local Listing listing for your online presence, I definitely recommend that you have one.
You may ask, “Why is a Google Maps Local Listing so important?”
Here is the reality of it.
Google whether you love them or hate them controls well over 90% of all online searches. Close to 90% of consumers today planning to use a professional service make a Google search before making their decision. And finally, even if you have a website that ranks at the top of Google’s standard search results – Google has now made a significant addition to enhance their “Local Search” results by adding 10 Google Maps Local Listings above their standard search findings.
It used to be that if you wanted to get local results for a chiropractor in Albuquerque, you typed in “Albuquerque Chiropractor” and the top 10 websites related to “Albuquerque Chiropractor” would appear on the screen. Now, Google is adding the top 10 Google Maps Local Listings results to their ‘normal’ search results. Which means even if you are at the top of the ‘normal’ search results but you are not listed in the Google Maps Local Listings results you are actually coming up 11th on the page!!
This makes it even more critical to create your Google Maps Local Listing for your practice, as you may be missing out on targeted patients who are looking on Google to find a chiropractor in your area.
So, how do you get your Google Maps Local Listing listing? Here is the best part – not only is it very easy but it is also FREE!!
Here’s how to Claim Your FREE Google Maps Local Listing Listing:
1. To claim your free listing go to Google Maps and search for your listing by typing in your clinic name and your city. If you are already listed DO NOT STOP here you still need to claim your listing and start controlling it – look for the “edit” link in your listing and click it! Then it will ask if you are the owner – click “Claim your business”. If you are not listed you will need to create a listing by visiting the Google Local Business Center. Either way continue on to the next step!
2. Login to your Google Account. If you don’t have a Google account you will need to create one by clicking “Sign up now”. This will take you to the Local Local Business Center.
3. Once you’ve logged in, just add your practice information using their step by step process.
4. After creating or claiming your listing, you will need to confirm it. Google offers you two choices to do this: You can have them call you at the number you provided for your practice (much faster) or you can have them send you a postcard with a PIN number that you will need to enter on your listing page (much slower).
Tips to Ranking Higher in the Google Maps Local Listings
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS!!! The more detail provide, the better. Post your hours, specialties, and things you sell or work with, and any language(s) you speak or are able to work with, etc.
If you have a video, post it. An educational video, a tour of your office, you speaking at a workshop, or a local TV spot or commercial from the local cable channel, people love to see video and in particular they love to see you – and it gives you instant credibility and they will feel like they have already met you.
Finally, make sure your patients that love you know about your Google Maps Local Listing and have them write and submit reviews for your listing. Google may or may not weigh the local listings with more reviews higher in their rankings, but one thing is certain – Google loves more content. So the more the better! The reality is if you can get 4 or 5 of the patients that love you the most, you should do extremely well in the rankings and the credibility for your practices online presence goes up dramatically!
One of the many SEO services we offer as part of our Chiropractic Websites package is setting up your Google Maps Local Listing.