GMB Practitioner Listings and Moz Local

[bczubiak]

I have a new dental client. Both their Facebook and GMB Listings look like:

Dental Practice Name: Dr. John Smith (Which is considered a practitioner listing right?)

When I tried to sign up with Moz Local, the name above is what Moz Local wanted to use to build out all the citations because Moz validates the name against Facebook or GMB listiung. I didn't want Moz Local to build out the listings in the format. I just want "Dental Practice Name"

My first response was to change the GMB listing to just the practice name so that Moz would create the listings in the aggregators using just the dental practice name.

Would this be the best course of action? I don't think it's so easy to change the Facebook listings when you get over 200 likes so I probably have to leave that one alone.

Anybody have experience with this situation?

 

[Linda Buquet]

GMB Listing:

Dental Practice Name: Dr. John Smith (Which is considered a practitioner listing right?)

Hi Bob,

Since Google is the pickiest and most important one - I'd really think about a couple points before proceeding. So it's wise you are asking...

Couple thoughts...

1) Above is what I call a combo listing. (Both practice and Dr name)

2) Need to 1st check to be sure that format is allowed for this client. Is it a sole practitioner? The only Dentist is the owner? Any plans to add a Dentist in near future? This is important to find out before proceeding.

3) He can only have a combo name if he's the only Dr. And IMO there are big advantaged to keeping the combo name if he qualifies. However IF there are other Drs that name format is not allowed, so should be changed.

4) Changing name in GMB is a big deal and can cause several issues. So like I said needs to be carefully thought out. But then once you get the GMB name right, I suggest using that name on all citations.

Let me know about #2 and I can maybe advise more.

Anyone else have thoughts or suggestions?

 

[bczubiak]

"I received this email from my client:

We are eventually going to add an associate dentist but I'm not sure if that will be this year or beginning of next year.

Is this something you suggest we change now or in the future?"


Yeesh... so now what? I would like to try Moz Local but their system keeps bringing in the combo listing from Google plus or Facebook and I don't want to build out the aggregator database listings with the Combo Listing.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I would think you would be fine to build out listings that have just the practice name on them. Since the practice name is part of the name you use on Google, I can't imagine it would lead to any ranking issues.

 

[bczubiak]

But that's the problem. Moz Local won't let me build the listing with just the business name because they are pulling the business name from Google My Business or Facebook. I would have to change Google Plus from a combo listing to just a dental practice name and I'm not sure I want to do that. I might have to contact Moz to figure out a solution.

 

[Priya Chandra]

Hi,

If the business is going to bring on another dentist, then you're going to have to change the Google Listing name anyway as per Google's guidelines:

Multiple practitioners at one location

If the practitioner is one of several public-facing practitioners at this location:

The organization should create a page for this location, separate from that of the practitioner.
The title of the page for the practitioner should include only the name of the practitioner, and shouldn’t include the name of the organization.

So, as Joy suggested go with just the business name now on the Google listing, and that will not only help with Moz now but future proof your client's listing in the future.

 

[bczubiak]

Ok thanks for the info. We'll make some changes and see what happens!

 

[Linda Buquet]

If the business is going to bring on another dentist, then you're going to have to change the Google Listing name anyway as per Google's guidelines:

So, as Joy suggested go with just the business name now on the Google listing, and that will not only help with Moz now but future proof your client's listing in the future.

Ditto what Priya said. That's why I suggested finding out if any other Drs. would be added in the future.