Best name format for single practitioner businesses on local directories other than G

[Vijay Marathe]

Google's guidelines are quite clear for adding names of businesses that have a single public facing practitioner:

Practice name: Practitioner

I am curios to know what name formats are all of us here adding to other IYPs?

In my experience, Yelp does not allow the "Practice name: Practitioner" format. It allows you to add a listing with only the dentist name or with the practice name.

Health directories do not permit practice names: Health Grades (dentist listing linked to the practice listing), Wellness.com (same as HealthGrades), Dentists.com (only dentists names)

I prefer adding only practice names to other local directories.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Hi Vijay,

I would use the Practiceractitioner format where possible and otherwise I would generally use the practice name where possible.

However, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Since the Google Local listing has both the practice and the practitioner name it should be able to match up with both types of formats on other IYP sites.

Other things could factor in such as whether or not they plan to add more practitioners in the near future.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Colan took the words right out of my mouth.

The bene of the combo name is that citations and/or reviews for either name should count.

But like Colan I'd really question them to be sure they aren't planning to add other Drs. in the future because you know all the problems involved with name changes.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Colan took the words right out of my mouth.

Love when I can do that

 

[Linda Buquet]

Great minds think alike and you are always on my wavelength Colan.

So cool! I always wanted a clone.

 

[Vijay Marathe]

Thanks Colan, Linda.

So wouldn't that be viewed as inconsistency in the name by Google and have little impact on the local ranking?

Practice name in Yelp
Practice name in YP.com
Practice name: practitioner on InfoUSA

Sorry to sound naive but i really need help to make a decision on this one.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

It shouldn't. As Linda said:

The bene of the combo name is that citations and/or reviews for either name should count.