Modern Dental Practice Marketing

They are history. Google Tags, introduced about a year ago, were $25 yellow arrows that could be added to a Google Places listing to make it stand out among other listings. As of April 29, 2011, Google Tags retired. Why? Another product, Google Boost, performed much better.

Boost Ads allow targeted information to be highlighted, say a phone number or address, rather than just placing a yellow arrow by a listing. Boost advertisements are represented by blue (virtual) pushpins, whereas regular Google Places free listings are represented by red pins.

You write the ad text, and the blue Boost Ad will show up on Google Maps and in organic results. You pay when someone clicks your ad, so the fee is based on pay-per-click marketing. Google Tags was based on a flat fee of $25 per month. This is good and bad. If you get a ton of clicks but no conversions, you pay and don’t profit. However, if the clicks you get convert to clients, the ROI can be good.

You can still purchase tags on other than Google, including CitySearch and Superpages through PowerListings, formerly YextTags.

This video should help you understand Google Boost a little more: “>Google Tags.

At MDPM, we suggest dentists rely on solid organic listings instead of pay-per-click campaigns. The ROI can be much greater, in our experience. The key to making organic search marketing profitable is ensuring a high ranking. Our Internet marketing team includes SEO copywriters, programmers, designers, and developers who understand search marketing and dentistry. Our clients consistently report new patients and closed cases as a direct result of MDPM’s blog and website marketing strategies.

If you’d like to learn more about promoting your dental practice with a custom dental website or blog, call Jill today at 972-781-8861 or email [email protected].

They’re free folks! I would be happy to establish or update your Google Places listing if you’re an MDPM client. If you aren’t a client, just know that your web or marketing company should set up your Google Places listing at no cost to you. Heck, it wouldn’t take you 20 minutes to set it up yourself.

Google Places is becoming more important than ever. Recently, the monster search engine changed the layout of search engine results pages (SERPs) so that businesses with Google Places listings are more visible. Click here to read the press release on Google Places.

One key point: Regardless of who sets up your listing, make sure it is filled out completely. You will need access to:

• Computer with Internet connection
• A free Google account or your logins
• This web page
• Your contact information
• Your website and blog domains
• Your logo
• Your photo
• Photos of your practice or patients
• Videos, optional
• Coupon or special offer, optional

Some people think, If it’s free, it’s useless. Or, You get what you pay for. In some cases, these sentiments are right on the money… but not with Google Places. If you’re already ranking high on search engines, you might pay for a Google Tag at $25 per month, but if your rankings aren’t at the top, there’s really no point. To rank higher, get a blog and post multiple times per week. Once your ranking improves and you’re on page one for targeted keywords, then consider purchasing the Google Tag service.

I cannot emphasize too heartily that you need to claim and complete  your Google Places listing. If you need help, call Modern Dental Marketing at 972-781-8861 and ask Jill for assistance.

If you have a Google Places page, you’ve probably seen “Add a Tag.” My husband and I are both entrepreneurs, so I was inundated with emails and snail mail offering a free tag for 30 days – of course Google wanted my credit card info to get started. Those of you who don’t have a Google Places page need to stop reading and go get one. Then come back and finish reading. I’ll wait…

A Google Tag is a yellow highlight added to a Google Places listing. Last week I wrote about Google Coupons. With a Google Tag, you can choose to highlight your coupon, posts, website, photo, video, reservations link (hotel, airline, restaurant), or menu link (restaurant).

So, that little yellow arrowish thing in front of your competitors’ Google Map listing means that he’s signed up for a tag. But does he need one? Do you?

I’ve waited a while to address Google Tags because I wanted to evaluate what was really going on. Not everything free is valuable. That’s not to imply that Google Tags aren’t valuable. In the right situation, they’re well worth the $25 a month.

Here’s the secret: If your company ranks high on the Google Places map that shows up in a regular Google Search (not just when you click on the Google Places tab), sign up for a Google Tag today.

I recommend highlighting your blog site with your tag, not only because MDPM builds and writes dental blogs, but also because the visitor who clicks on your highlighted blog site will have an opportunity, on your blog, to sign up for your RSS feed, subscribe to your blog, and (hopefully) follow you on Facebook and Twitter. He can also forward any of your blogs he likes to friends and family who may benefit from the information. I guess the point is, your blog is a destination that will allow a potential patient to get in touch and stay in touch with your practice.

Now, if your Google Places listing does not rank high on the maps, you need to invest more energy into the listing. Get patients to write testimonials there. Post updates weekly, or even daily. Load photos and videos, and be sure to include ALL of your contact information, including your blog or website link. Make the most of the Google Places listing, and you will probably see an improvement in its map ranking.