Web designer demanding deletion of citations

[PeteKernow]

My question is: Does the following situation seem reasonable? I am a self-employed health practitioner with own website and many citations on directories, professional registers, and Google Places. Having practiced from various physical locations over a long period, I am about to start seeing clients at a new clinic, whose website states clearly that all practitioners there are self-employed and not employees of the clinic. The clinic owner has now passed on to me a demand from her website/SEO provider that all practitioners working there should remove the clinic's name and address from any of their own citations, stating that "this cannot be permitted to happen as it will prevent me from completing SEO citations for the clinic. You can only have one for each business. Information for the citations that I will populate in order for you to rank on Google will be compromised if they are not removed. These citations will need to be deleted and any other practitioners informed that they are not permitted to set up citations using your business name or address. Their services will be promoted through the clinic's own citations."

I have previously rented space at three other similar clinics, each of which had its own website, and never had this issue raised before.
I should add that I suspect the website developer/SEO provider has not previously made a website for any similar clinic as their portfolio consists mainly of small businesses working from their own premises. I'm also suspicious as the website company seems to have guaranteed good placements on Google, a guarantee which they obviously cannot honour as they have no control over the Google algorithm. I have pretty good rankings locally especially on Google places and I doubt very much that the website/SEO company can gain equally good rankings for the clinic's own brand-new website if I and other practitioners rely on this for new business.

What do people think?

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

Hi @PeteKernow, in my opinion you are taking the right approach. However, I do understand why the clinic's website developer would prefer not to have to compete with your citations, but realistically there isn't really anything they can do to keep you from creating your own citations. It is totally acceptable as a medical practitioner to do this. I agree that most likely the website developer has not worked or had proper experience with other businesses that have multiple practitioners. Also, if you stay at the clinic long enough, there eventually will be completely organic citations that have your name and the clinic's address.

The main issue is that your visibility is actually more important to you than the clinic's overall visibility as you are not an employee of the clinic. While you didn't mention it, you are allowed to have your own Google Business Profile as a Practitioner at that clinic, whether employed by the clinic or self-employed. I'd suggest reading both of these great articles:

How-to Handle Practitioner Listings in Google My Business (GMB) and Your Citations | Whitespark

What is the ideal situation for creating a Google My Business listing and citations when you're a practitioner based business? Find out in this Whitespark Weekly episode with Darren. He also discuss how to optimize practitioner listings and how to avoid competing with the main practice listing.

whitespark.ca

The Ultimate Guide to Practitioner Listings on Google My Business [2021] - Sterling Sky Inc

Included in this Guide

www.sterlingsky.ca

In the Whitespark article above, one of the great points made, is to consider using your own phone number for your citation work. You could forward that number to the clinic phone number and retain that number if you ever leave the clinic.

Best of luck!

 

[PeteKernow]

Hi @PeteKernow, in my opinion you are taking the right approach. However, I do understand why the clinic's website developer would prefer not to have to compete with your citations, but realistically there isn't really anything they can do to keep you from creating your own citations. It is totally acceptable as a medical practitioner to do this. I agree that most likely the website developer has not worked or had proper experience with other businesses that have multiple practitioners. Also, if you stay at the clinic long enough, there eventually will be completely organic citations that have your name and the clinic's address.

The main issue is that your visibility is actually more important to you than the clinic's overall visibility as you are not an employee of the clinic. While you didn't mention it, you are allowed to have your own Google Business Profile as a Practitioner at that clinic, whether employed by the clinic or self-employed. I'd suggest reading both of these great articles:

How-to Handle Practitioner Listings in Google My Business (GMB) and Your Citations | Whitespark

What is the ideal situation for creating a Google My Business listing and citations when you're a practitioner based business? Find out in this Whitespark Weekly episode with Darren. He also discuss how to optimize practitioner listings and how to avoid competing with the main practice listing.

whitespark.ca

The Ultimate Guide to Practitioner Listings on Google My Business [2021] - Sterling Sky Inc

Included in this Guide

www.sterlingsky.ca

In the Whitespark article above, one of the great points made, is to consider using your own phone number for your citation work. You could forward that number to the clinic phone number and retain that number if you ever leave the clinic.

Best of luck!

Thanks Jeff that's all very useful. I do in fact use my own telephone number in my own GMB entry. I should clarify- although the clinic has its own phone number it has no receptionist to answer the phone, it is basically just a building containing several rooms which practitioners can rent by the session. My other venue does in fact have a receptionist, phone and website, but there's never been any problem about all the practitioners who rent space there each having their own GMB entries all giving the clinic as their work address, each with link to the practitioner's own website. Same goes for two other places I've worked at.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

Hey Pete, I just don't see how their web-designer has a leg to stand, especially since you are renting the space. You've got every right to self-promote your business unless it was specifically stated you couldn't in the lease/rental agreement.

 

[PeteKernow]

Agreed. All seems to have blown over now anyway but useful advice for the future in case of recurrence.