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How Google’s Possum Update Affects Dentists

April 25, 2017

Filed under: Uncategorized — sunrise @ 3:15 pm

Did your dental practice recently disappear from Google local search results?

Google makes updates to their search algorithm all the time, but the last “Possum” update made some big changes that can affect local businesses, like dentists.

This particular update, made in September 2016, was nicknamed the “Possum” update because some listings may have appeared to be gone, but they were in fact “playing possum.” This is the biggest update that Google has made in several years, with the goal of improving local search rankings, diversifying results, and preventing spam listings from making it in.

The local rankings of some dental practices may have improved with the update, while others may be playing possum. Here’s what you need to know so that you can adjust your SEO strategy to improve your dental practice’s rankings.

Google’s Possum Update Changes

Where Is Your Practice Located?

I’ve worked with several dentists whose practices lay just outside of the city boundaries of their home town. Prior to the Possum update, businesses in this position had to struggle to make it into local search results (if they made it at all).

For example, a user who searched “dentist in Springfield” might not ever see a practice if it was just outside of city limits, even if that dentist was only a mile away from the user’s home.

This is obviously not the user experience that Google was aiming for, so the Possum update makes searches more relative. The rules regarding city limits are much more relaxed, which means that more local businesses have a shot at appearing in the map pack.

Where Is the User Located?

It’s not just the location of the practice that has changed in importance. The location of the user is more important than ever.

Through the magic of technology, Google usually knows where you are, what type of device you are using (desktop computer, Android phone, iPad, and so on), and what browser you are using. They use this information to help make local search results more relevant to the user, so that when someone searches “pediatric dentist near me,” the top results will actually be pediatric dentists near them.

This can obviously affect your local search rankings in a big way. An Oregon user that searches “dentist in Portland” can get an entirely different result than someone making the same search from Wyoming. Competitors that are physically closer to the user can get an edge in their rankings, just by virtue of being 100 yards closer to their home than you are.

This can help you or hurt you, depending on the particular circumstances. As that is only one of many factors that Google takes into consideration, good SEO strategies can overcome it if it’s negatively affecting your practice.

Advanced Location Filtering

Google is always concerned about user experience. If you were searching for an attorney, you wouldn’t want to see five different attorneys who work for the same firm clogging up your results, having manipulated Google for the extra exposure.

The map pack was already pretty good about filtering results that share the same phone number and website. However, the Possum update added one significant change to this filtering function—now it also filters out businesses that share an address.

This is designed to prevent spammy listings from those who think they can manipulate Google by setting up virtual offices in nearby municipalities in order to rank for that area. While the update has done a good job there, and I don’t normally see this black-hat tactic from dentists, it can have a significant effect on those who share office space.

Dentists that fall into this category may have found that their practices have been filtered out of search results. If you share a building with another business, make sure that your suite number is accurately and consistently represented everywhere, especially on your own site and on your Google My Business page.

Keywords: The Little Things Matter

While keywords have always mattered a lot, the Possum update has made the little things matter even more. Very minor variations can now produce noticeably different results. Take a look at the example below.

This means that dentists wanting to be top dog in their area need to pay special attention to SEO strategies, casting a wider net with keywords.

Keep GMB Up to Date

Keeping your website and your basic listings (such as your Google My Business page) accurate is the minimum you can do to improve your spot in Google local search results. To maximize your visibility in a competitive market, you’re going to need a thorough SEO strategy and frequent positive reviews.

~Brodie Tyler

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