Local Search Developments from Q2

The Ultimate SEO Checklist for Medical Practices

SEO for medical practices is a little different than a normal business.

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Q2 left us with many new online features to promote local search results for businesses and provide online viewers with more information about your business. Here are the main local search developments to take note of from Q2:

1. Statistics on Frequent Reviewers

New statistics show that 8% of unhappy customers will write another negative review if their first one is removed. 40% of those reviewers will even make that second review worse, so it is very important to carefully monitor your reviews.

2. Promotion of Eco-Friendly Features

Yelp has debuted a set of searchable, eco-friendly terms like “EV charging,” “plastic-free packaging,” “compostable containers available,” and “reusable tableware.” Google is also rewarding eco-friendly businesses by including sustainability details in business reviews. These details include the location of nearby recycling centers and recycling attributes for various goods.

3. Accountability for Fake Reviews

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is narrowing in on review platforms that publish fake reviews. As a precaution, Google has started to take down a significant number of reviews, but they may also be targeting legitimate ones alongside the spam. Because of this, local SEO industries have noticed a significant rise in complaints about review losses.

4. Products Declared a Visibility Factor

Businesses can now improve their local search rankings by including the products or services they sell in their Google business profiles.

5. Google’s Trusted Store Badge

The trusted store badge is a new icon introduced by Google to reward visibly trusted stores with good shipping and returns services. These badges are not just given to large corporations, but also to smaller businesses that could greatly benefit from a boost in traffic brought about by this badge of trust.

6. “At This Place” Feature

Google has started testing a new feature that highlights smaller businesses located within large venues. For example, if your practice is located within a large office building, people will see your practice under the “At This Place” tag when they look up that office building.

7. New Label for Complaint Forms

Complaint forms have been around for a while to flag fraudulent businesses, but now you can finally report if “this business doesn’t exist.” This will help Google separate which businesses are real but have incorrect information and which ones are completely incorrect in that they do not exist. Clearing the search page of businesses that do not even exist leaves more room for your practice to be highlighted.

8. Deletion of the Google My Business App

To promote the updated listings search in Maps, the Google My Business app is being terminated. It is a good reminder to not base your entire local marketing strategy on new Google features since they are often experimental and might not stick around.

9. Thumbs Up/Down for Businesses

Have you ever noticed the “People often mention” feature that lists topics and keywords related to certain businesses? This feature has now been given an update with the addition of an up or down thumb so that viewers can see not only whether certain keywords are associated with that business, but whether those keywords have a positive or negative association. For example, if your practice is handicap accessible, your “Accessibility,” tag should be given a thumbs up!

Upgrade Your Marketing Strategy with DLM

With new developments to boost your local search results, now might be a great time to upgrade your marketing strategy as well! Digital Limelight Media has a team of marketing specialists, website designers, and content writers dedicated to helping your business grow. Check out the services we offer online or schedule a quick 15-minute demo with our team.