Google Radically Changing the Dental SEO Game with NEW Google Places Layout?
I made a discovery about a new Google front page search results format that Google is testing that could RADICALLY change the Dental SEO game, make the LOCAL listings almost 4 times bigger, push organic rankings way down the page and make LOCAL Google Places, an even more of important place for Dentists to be! I broke the story last week via the #1 blog in the Google Local industry because everyone reads it.
I was so inundated with calls and emails after breaking that story last week, that I never even had a chance to blog about the effect it could have on OUR industry. I shared other screen shots and insights over there, but here I’m going to focus on Dental. YOU JUST NEED TO SEE THIS, then scroll down for my insight/analysis.
MUST CLICK TO SEE FULL SIZE DENTAL SCREEN SHOT!
(This is page 1 above the fold – LOCAL (Places) Listings on top – organic pushed down.)
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MUST CLICK TO SEE FULL SIZE DENTAL SCREEN SHOT!
(This is page 2 below the fold – LOCAL (Places) Listings on top – organic pushed down.)
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I’m not sure why, but I seem to be sitting on a Google datacenter test server that hardly anyone else can see. The above test was from Chicago, but I’ve seen similar results in Dallas, Raleigh, Charlotte and some other cities.
Here are some of the key differences I observed:
1) The Places listings are 3 times BIGGER and look like the organic results except they have a map pin.
2) It’s pulling meta description from the site – just like organic. PLUS it adds some snippets from reviews on the Place page. So best of both worlds and BIGGER!
3) As you scroll down the MAP scrolls with you. So even when you are at bottom of page in the organic listings the map moves down and shows on right.
4) ONLY 7 (purely) organic listings show and in this instance most are directories or assn. Only 2 are Dentists.
5) To get on the top TWO screens you need to be in local. Most of the organic are 2 screens BELOW the fold.
6) Reviews are more prominent
7) Link to Place Page is marked as such, instead of just “More Info” which means better branding and name recognition for Google Places
I’m not going to repeat everything I posted over there, so if you want to know more, head over to Mike’s blog to read the full story and see all the other screen shots I did. Some have a different layout with 3 organic above the local listings.
Now after we broke the story on Mike’s blog, Google sent their publicist over there to say that this is only a test. So the actual version they roll out could be different than this layout. But make no mistake Google IS going to be making Google Places the focus for a number of financial reasons I won’t go into in this post.
CHECK BACK FOR MY NEXT POST to see an ACTUAL change Google JUST MADE that moves in the direction of the layout above. I’m going to share 2 #1 rankings I just got for a Charlotte Dentist you all know and love if you are regulars at DT. 
One of his #1 rankings shows the NEW format and one still shows the Old.
ALSO if you just LOST a bunch of your precious patient reviews on your Google Place page like TONS of other Google users did, I’ll have some answers about that. It has to do with the update above.
STAY TUNED TO THE DENTAL CATALYST CHANNEL!
Update 7/13: MUST SEE the new post which shows some of the new changes that Google ALREADY MADE that make your Google Places listing even more important than ever! Google UPDATE for Dentists: New Google Places Layout and How it Affects Dental Marketing
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Linda has In-Depth Knowledge about Local SEO. (Dentist Bellevue, WA)
#1 The Visible Dentist wrote on July 12, 2010 :
Linda,
I only see the ‘new’ format using a Firefox browser, not Explorer; the latter having the majority of browser usage (51.9% by my calculation).
Further, I see indications of personal settings by individual users as part of the reason; another explanation is Google’s use of cookies to track history and search habits of users, especially if you’re logged in to one of her services.
Google is always fiddling with the algo and exploring ways to exploit her interface to generate more ad revenue. Positioning the Google Places/local results format up top in the SERPs would compel millions of businesses to start advertising in local listings, resulting in a huge windfall for Google.
FYI, I only use Firefox as an additional cross check on the display for my websites; personally I think the ‘new’ format as depicted above is butt ugly. On another note, until TPTB (including gatekeeper Google) usurps/exerts total control over the Internet, search engines will always be dependent upon user generated content (websites + SEO) to survive.
IMO, Google which is essentially a scraper bot, is merely ripping content from other sites and displaying local results in such a way to further capitalize on her market share of the search industry, and at the expense of her users who would be forced to experience a once elegantly simple layout becoming just another advertisers’ playground.
Nevertheless, an interesting analysis — thanks for sharing!
John Barremore
Houston, TX
#2 Linda Buquet wrote on July 12, 2010 :
John, thanks so much for commenting and for your insights! You were the 1st person in Dental I sent this too and I was hoping you’d weigh in.
So are you saying YOU can see the test layout, like the screenshot above with FF right now?
Because on Mike’s blog no one else could see it and I’ve only found 2 others on the planet that have seen it. Started wondering for awhile if I was hallucinating.
ON ANOTHER RELATED NOTE: Google just offered every Place owner a FREE 30 day trial of TAGs, the new Places ad option that costs $25 a month. So Dentists, put up a tag you have nothing to lose, it’s free. HOWEVER, a tag won’t boost your ranking so if you’re on page 3 not many will see it.
SO HERE’S PART OF THE $$ PICTURE. Google says a couple million business owners have claimed their Place page. If only 10% of those add this $25 a month tag, that’s MILLIONS for Google yearly.
More importantly only about 11% of businesses have even CLAIMED their place page. This new change IF it goes live will steal much of the thunder from Yellow pages and directories and make Google even MORE the place to be if you want your small business to be found. So more will claim, then more will buy $25 tags. Then I imagine next they will offer an option to BID your way to the top listings. Or a flat rate option to be #1 or something. I know LOTS of people in very competitive markets, like lawyers, auto dealers and insurance, who would gladly pay to be #1.
STAY TUNED for the next post that shows ACTUAL NEW RESULTS THAT JUST WENT LIVE!
#3 The Visible Dentist wrote on July 12, 2010 :
Linda, yes — I see it exactly as you — in Firefox only.
FYI, I don’t adjust FF’s settings as I only use the browser to double check formatting of websites.
In this instance, I conducted a search for dentist chicago first, then disabled Web History and checked again; formatting appeared the same, though by then cookies were already on my PC and I didn’t bother dumping them.
BTW, it may interest you to know that dentists are writing today to report their ranking in Google Places have suddenly dropped. So soon as your project load eases up a bit give me a holler as I might have some biz for ya.
John
#4 Linda Buquet wrote on July 12, 2010 :
John, IMPORTANT – I know why they all probably dropped.
That big Google update that just happened over the weekend, the one I’m going to talk about (and show) in the next post. During the update Google LOST a TON of reviews. Some users are reporting a loss of over 100 reviews. Reviews are one small part of the algo. So if your Docs lost lots of reviews that’s probably why they suddenly lost ranking.
In your next newsletter tell your Docs they need to start monitoring their Place page better and keep track of how many reviews and “more about this place” mentions they have. They also need to start COPYING and saving all their reviews. So if nothing else they have them to post on their site as testimonials.
This time it was Google reviews that were lost. A couple weeks ago G lost all the Insider Pages reviews. And a couple months ago G stopped showing Yelp reviews because of a disagreement between the 2 companies.
Since reviews count pretty heavily in G LOCAL rankings, best strategy is to spread reviews out over 3 mains sites. That way if any are lost your rankings don’t go totally down the tubes. I know how HARD practices work to get those precious patient reviews and building them up is part of what I teach my clients and their staff to do.
The GOOD news is reviews aren’t the only part of the ranking puzzle so even if you lose a lot of reviews there are other ways to compensate and I take care of all that with clients.
#5 The Visible Dentist wrote on July 12, 2010 :
A dentist just wrote saying, “we don’t need no stinkin’ Google Places.”
So for some dentists with prominent organic ranking, their logic is the local maps listings are secondary in importance.
I would prefer my clients have visibility in both the organic results and Google Places. It might take a while till they come around though.
John
#6 Linda Buquet wrote on July 12, 2010 :
I’m totally with you John.
I think ideally Dentists should have good rankings in both places.
Best case they have 2 chances on the 1st page of Google to get the click or the call.
Worst case, if Google throws a curve ball and there is a major shift in the algo, rankings OR layout of either local or organic – they still have one position to fall back on.
#7 Google UPDATE for Dentists: New Google Places Layout and How it Affects Dental Marketing - DentalCatalyst – Dental Internet Marketing wrote on July 13, 2010 :
[...] I blogged about a drastic change in Google search results layout that they are currently testing that could make LOCAL listings much more important and push organic [...]
#8 Dave wrote on October 23, 2010 :
linda,
so you think google will be changing local to some sort of paid version?
#9 Linda Buquet wrote on October 24, 2010 :
Hi Dave,
Well at the rate they are pushing tags right now, even telemarketing to sell them, I think they’ve already made the 1st step. But yes, I can eventually see them going to a paid inclusion, featured local listing or bid model at some point.