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Google Alert: Beware of Latest Updates Mary Kay Miller

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The digital highway continues to move at lightning speed and many practices are still waiting tentatively by the roadside trying to decipher which way to go when marketing on the Internet, while others are speeding down the road. Soon it will be impossible to move into traffic and catch up in the race for page ranking and visibility, especially in major metropolitan areas. With the roadmap changing so often on search engines, it is important not to get too comfortable with your Internet marketing strategies. Take a look around you periodically to make sure you are going the right way.

Search engine optimization (SEO) and high-position, organic page ranking is a crucial piece to the Internet marketing puzzle, but not the only aspect of a successful Internet marketing campaign. The search marketing landscape has changed dramatically in the past 18 months – much more so than in previous years. The new terrain is heavily influenced by social media. A Web site alone is not enough to remain competitive anymore on local search if you want to secure a top page ranking for long-term success on the Internet.

Since Google favors social media formats, it adjusted its services to accommodate the massive influx of information from all areas, including video. Congruently, so did other major search engines and social media players. To better understand what is going on, here are the changes that happened in 2009.

• Google released its better and faster search engine called Google Caffeine in July. Search results are now measured in milliseconds and real-time results display quickly and efficiently.

• Bing, Microsoft's answer to Google, surfaced in August. To date, popularity is insignificant and there is no comparison to Google despite Microsoft's marketing efforts. Google retains 67 percent of consumer market share in search results.
• YouTube was overhauled in the summer to make it more attractive to business owners as a marketing tool and now displays HD video in mpg4 format compatible with mobile smart phones and wireless devices such as iPads.

• Facebook ramped up for business marketing by separating business and personal accounts and later changed fans to "people like us." It is now the second largest search engine in the world, behind Google.

• In September, Google began its long and arduous restructuring of the Google Local Business Center, now called Google Places. Not only did it severely reduce page-one exposure of local businesses on the maps by as much as 60 percent in many areas, it set the stage for its new format which integrates SEO page ranking and Google Places into one listing in most areas.

Every year, SEO updates are a reality and specialists monitored it closely for its affect on their clients' Internet marketing programs. Google continues to stay two steps ahead of the spammers, changing its mathematical algorithm regularly and dictating the rules of the Internet game. Minimal information is supplied regarding the changes and we are left to our own devices to discover consequences for ourselves. Most updates in 2009 had minimal impact on orthodontic practices, but not so in 2010. Mobile technology and local search are the latest trendsetters and Google has not been idle adapting to consumer needs.

Major shifts are occurring in audience usage and advertising as local online advertising crosses the multibillion-dollar threshold. Local search was up 30 percent in 2010 outpacing universal search statistics for the first time. Major drivers in the shift to local search are the rapid rise of mobile media, the brisk growth of social media, the emergence of local deal media, such as Groupon, vast amounts of online information and localized national advertising. Google is continually adapting these shifts into local search results.

What Happened in 2010
Google updated its mathematical algorithm again in June 2010. Two areas directly impact orthodontic online marketing that are worth mentioning:

• Download speed of your Web site –  Google measures everything in milliseconds. The time it takes to download your Web site in comparison to your competitors will be considered in page ranking. This might impact Web sites designed in flash, using flash headers, massive amounts of information and self-hosted video.

• Visitors to your Web site –  Google is making it more difficult for SEO specialists to improve page ranking for Web sites. If the number of visitors to your site is not proportionate to the number of back links added to your Web site or blog, it can adversely affect your page ranking. Patient login services and social media sites, setup correctly to drive your current patient base to your Web site, is more important than ever before.

Google Places has been undergoing updates all year. Three areas of greatest impact:

• Sponsored ads –  As of March 2010, sponsored ads are available within the maps area. For $25 per month, per location, you can highlight your business in the local maps area to set yourself apart from your competitors. Promotions and contracts can be changed or cancelled at any time for an excellent return on investment.

• Restructuring of the maps look and feel –  In October 2010, SEO page ranking and Google Places business listings were integrated as one. This might not bode well for practices without a Web site relying on the maps area for exposure and might impact a practice with a previous number one page ranking.

• Consolidation of reviews –  In October 2010, reviews from all over the Internet on consumer review sites were consolidated in one area in Google Places. You can read reviews from several sites in one central location (including: Yahoo, Yelp, Droogle.com, HealthGrades.com, AngiesList.com, CitySearch.com, just to mention a few). You must have at least five Google reviews to receive highlighted stars after your name.

What Does This Mean?
The major updates in 2009 on the search engines were directed toward updating search capabilities, speed and how the Internet interacts with social media. In general, this did not adversely impact Internet marketing strategies for the average business owner, other than the decrease in visibility in the maps area on Google Local. However, in 2010, updates targeted the streamlining of mobile and local search capabilities. Your business visibility could dramatically change based on these updates.

Did your Web site or business listing survive the updates unscathed?

The Google Places update in October 2010 will have a more profound impact on practices than the algorithm modification in June. Local search and reviews are key factors in building a solid Internet presence. The maps are the first area a consumer zeros in on when searching online for local businesses based on keyword search. To make matters worse for business with poor organic page ranking, latest online statistics report that on average, only one to two percent of consumers will click on a pay-per-click (PPC) or AdWords, down from 20 to 30 percent in 2008. Similar to fast forwarding through TV commercials, the vast majority of consumers do not click into an Internet ad in local search. Do you?

Google Places is now considered the "New Yellow Pages." Integration of organic page ranking and map listings translates into reduced visibility for practices which relied solely on their maps listing and paid advertising for Internet exposure. If these are you main source of visibility, it is time to restructure you online marketing strategy.

The Double-edge Sword
Since social media took over the Internet only a few short years ago, the importance of online reviews significantly impacts how a business is viewed in the eyes of a consumer. It is verifiable proof of delivery of treatment and services in the minds of many. While happy patients or parents are less likely to post positive reviews online than unhappy patients, having no reviews are better than an onslaught of negative reviews. Setting up a strategic program asking for positive reviews will set your practice apart from your competitors and cushion your business from negative reviews. Reviews create an Internet environment that is keyword targeted. Targeted viewers can't help but find out what everyone is talking about. And best of all… it's free.

I do not recommend asking for patient reviews in e-mail blasts, newsletters, on Facebook or with reviews icons placed on the homepage of your site. You are only asking for trouble. Why take the chance? Reviews can be a double-edge sword. Positive reviews are great, but negative reviews can make or break a practice today. We all know that even the most well-oiled practice can have a bad day and no matter how hard you try… you can't please everyone all the time.

It is critical doctors and their staff understand the importance of patient reviews and how they affect your orthodontic marketing efforts and the success of your practice in an Internet-driven society. Negative reviews can be the silent killer of any business. If new patients gathering information online find less than desirable comments about you, your staff or your orthodontic treatment and services, it could cost you your reputation and bottom line, decrease new patient referrals, production and impact your livelihood. New patient prospects will move on down the list of practices marketing the same services. The AAO is proactively cautioning businesses to monitor their reviews. The latest update on Google Places only intensifies the need to heed their warnings.

Prior to the October 2010 update, only Google reviews and a few minor database consumer services were listed on Google Places. Now, with the consolidation of reviews from Yahoo, Yelp, Droogle.com, HealthGrades.com, AngiesList.com, CitySearch.com, etc… everyone's laundry, clean and dirty is hung out to dry for everyone to view in one central location. The consumer is now in control and it can be scary if you have less than five-star reviews. Business owners have no control or recourse over what is being said, other than to proactively asked patients you know who are pleased with your treatment and services to help you with your Internet ratings. You will find they are more than happy to oblige.

Since 67 percent of consumers use Google as the preferred search engine, this is huge. Once consumers discover a consolidated reviews area is now available, and it won't take long, it will only increase their local search usage, especially on smart phones. Google is way ahead of the curve. They are adjusted accordingly for the mobile crunch and are giving Yahoo and Bing a run for their money to further increase their already dominant market share.

Should you fall prey to poor reviews, true or not, Internet marketing strategies are available to offset bad PR to protect your business. The sooner you begin a marketing counterattack to offset the negative publicity… the better.

You Can't Call Google…
Reviews on Google Places have been disappearing and then reappearing over the past months during the restructuring. As of the printing of this article, it seems to have somewhat stabilized for now. However, the structure of the maps area is changing regularly. Only Google knows what is in store for this free service in 2011.

Many of my clients have been up in arms with no recourse as they see their hard earned five-star reviews disappear; reappear, only to disappear again. Practices monitoring their online presence are suddenly finding negative reviews from years past. They are angry, confused and panicking. Social media and how it impacts a business today is an area most business owners have a difficult time understanding, grasping and accepting. Even if you could call Google, reviews are subjective, right or wrong. How can you refute an observation or personal perception from a patient or parent?

When you think about it, updating Google Places is a massive undertaking. It can't be updated all at once or hosting servers would crash. We are talking about restructuring a complicated software algorithm that is re-indexing millions and millions of businesses, Web sites, and reviews from multiple databases. This update is all part of the ongoing Internet growing pains as digital technology advances forward at warp speed based on the preferences and habits of a digital consumer-driven society never seen before in history.

Five Tips on What to Do
• Web site visibility – Check out your Web site visibility on local search in Google, Yahoo and Bing, for all major orthodontic keywords (order of priority); orthodontist, braces, Invisalign, orthodontics [keyword, town, state]. Go to my Web site www.orthopreneur.com, add your name and e-mail address to download a free video training to show you exactly how to test your site and a spreadsheet to track results. I also offer video training on YouTube, under keyword "orthodontic marketing," demonstrating how to test a maps listing. Contact me for a complimentary consultation if you need help.

• Verified listings –  Make sure your Google Places, Yahoo and Bing listings are verified and search engine optimized correctly for all four major keywords. Google Places is a free service, as are Yahoo and Bing. You can set it up yourself using free video instructions available on YouTube. However, be aware there is no instruction available on how to troubleshoot your setup or ensure it was verified correctly. I have evaluated hundreds of verified listings and encountered multiple setup problems on testing, preventing correct listings on page one in the maps area. If you aren't sure your listing is correct, contact me for a complimentary evaluation.

• Google alerts –  Set up "Google Alerts" for your branded and professional names of every practitioner in your practice. Google will notify you automatically via e-mail any time your name is mentioned anywhere on the Internet. To setup, search "how to setup Google Alerts" and follow instructions. It is very easy to do and will give you peace of mind. While you are at it, Google Alert your top competitors. I also suggest you review your page ranking and visibility once a month for yourself and major competitors. The goal of your marketing plan is to stay on top of your competition in delivery of content on your Web site, social media sites, page ranking, positive reviews and overall exposure both online and offline.

• Marketing message –  Deliver your written content and marketing message in an up-to-date, easy to read, warm and engaging Web site design and format. "Presentation is Everything" when delivering your marketing message! I recommend your Web site be at least as if not more engaging than your competitors to entice new patients. The goal of your Web site is to get interested new patients to call you, not to sell them your products and services online. Stress the benefits of choosing you as the treatment provider of choice versus products your and services. Keeps it short, sweet and to the point without fluff. Video is the number-one tool of choice to deliver your PR marketing message.

• Practice foundation –  Good customer service and delivery of treatment modalities are your number-one source for positive reviews. PR no longer means public relations… it stands for consumer "perception and reality" based on their personal experience interacting with your practice. In today's consumer-driven society, it's all about them… not you. Make every experience in your office a good one.

Although Internet marketing is only one marketing tool recommended today to promote your business internally and externally, it is the most effective and inexpensive marketing strategy available to attract new patients in our tech-savvy society. Done correctly, it is the perfect forum to promote all your marketing tactics under one umbrella, to exponentially increase your visibility throughout your demographic. You message is promoted the exact way you want it delivered, at the exact time an interested buyer is looking for your services, 24/7.

In the most effective marketing campaign, you are selling yourself, not your products and services. Consumers expect they will receive good orthodontic treatment no matter where they go. Excellent customer service and good delivery of treatment modalities has been and always will be the foundation of any marketing promotion. Tell your entire story on the Internet, search engine optimize it correctly and position your business for best results for the future.
Author’s Bio
Mary Kay Miller is an Internet marketing consultant specializing in Internet marketing solutions, SEO and exclusive social media services for orthodontic practices. She was the first orthodontic consultant to pursue this area of expertise and has been working with practices since 2007. With more than 30 years experience in private practice management and marketing and 12 years in Internet marketing, she has developed the attitude, skills and knowledge necessary to coach doctors and their staff on how to take their practice to the next level with Internet marketing. For more information, visit her Web site at www.orthopreneur.com, call toll-free 877-295-5611, e-mail or text marykay@orthopreneur.com to schedule a free half-hour consultation to review your current Internet marketing exposure.
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