For some time, Google’s been showing search results differently for geographically specific search terms. In English, that means when someone searches for something like “Chicago chiropractor”, “Las Vegas Acupunture”, or “Miami Massage Therapy” the results that come up look a little different.

To see the difference in the search results, click on these two links (they open in a new window):

Naturopathic medicine (non-geographic)

Toronto naturopath (geographically specific)

Notice that instead of just a list of websites, the geographically specific search shows a map with a list of practices.

Here’s what you need to know:

• You can be on that list
• You don’t even need a website to show up.
• It takes only a few minutes to sign up – less if you already have a Google account (for gmail, for example)
• Geographic searches are really important

Why geography rules for your practice
The search engine traffic you want is the geographically specific stuff. Someone searching for “acupuncture for back pain” isn’t that relevant to you unless they’re searching in your area. Someone searching for “Boston Acupuncture”, however, is a new client waiting to happen if your practice is in Boston. For CAM practitioners, geography is king online. And since geographic searches are turning up results differently, this is worth your time.

How To Do It
Back during our practice website series, Bonnie mentioned Google and Yahoo local on her blog – it was something I’d overlooked at the time, but I signed up right away. More recently, I discovered that Dr. Michael Beck of DCPracticeTools.com has a short video that shows you how to sign up – it’s very simple.

If you’re in a rural or lower population area, you may not see these local listings coming up – do a quick search of your town and profession to find out. And remember: More people now search online for business information than in the Yellow Pages – this is a few minutes well-spent!

DC Practice Tools