On September 15, 1997, two Stanford PhD candidates, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, registered the domain name Google.com. Originally nicknamed “BackRub”, because their new system checked backlinks to estimate the importance of a site, the name was changed to Google after its name was derived from the misspelling of the word “googol”, the number one followed by one hundred zeros, which was meant to signify the amount of information the search engine was to handle.
Google was later incorporated on September 4, 1998 at a friend’s garage in Menlo Park, California. And, as the saying goes, the rest is history.
Today, Google runs over one million servers in data centers around the world and processes over one billion search requests and twenty petabytes of user-generated data every day. Because of its rapid growth and profitability, new products, acquisitions, and partnerships have exploded beyond the company’s core search engine.
The neat thing about Google is that their business model allows them to generate income rapidly and consistently while giving back to the end-user through innovative and free products.
Take GMail for example. I can’t imagine living without it.
Yes, being a diehard Apple aficionado, ties me into MobileMe. But, truth be known, I have over ten GMail accounts compared to only one with MobileMe. Each serve a specific need based off of the businesses I create juxtaposed with the services I need. I can’t think of another company that offers so much for so little.
For chiropractors serious about Internet marketing, having a Google account is a must. Not only do you have access to their analytics and keyword search tools, but also products and services that help promote, connect, and build your chiropractic business.
Case in point, take Google Places. It allows chiropractors to list their chiropractic practices within their local search directories. On top of that, chiropractors can solicit reviews from loyal patients to help boost their ranking within their local SERPS.
Just a side note: I find it interesting that Google features Apple’s iPhone in their own promotional video instead of the Google Android. Talk about not believing in their own smartphone technology … but I digress! 
Getting started is just as easy as signing up for a GMail account.
Simply go to Google Places and click on either the add a business link or the list your business link located on the main Google Places landing page.
The nice thing about the information you enter about your chiropractic practice is that Google trusts your information more than third-party providers like the Yellow Pages.
Why?
Because they make you go through a verification process by entering a pre-determined PIN that’s sent to either your business address or phone number.
Another nice touch is that they allow you to enter the description of your chiropractic business as well as photos, reviews, or other information pertinent to your practice. Just bare in mind that you are only able to provide one legitimate mailing address that is specific to your geographical location.
For example, (and ironically enough) Google states it this way:
Even if you’re a doctor who is a cardiologist and a chiropractor or a service that covers multiple towns, you shouldn’t have two listings. Instead, use the description of your business or categories to explain the different services your business offers.
Yes, that quote was taken directly from Google Places’ support page.
Pretty sweet when they recognize chiropractors as entrepreneurial business owners who have the ability to branch out! 
To get the most out of Google Places and to help secure some of the top spots on page one of a local SERP, the following two tips can generate significant business if followed correctly.
Use Coupons
Coupons are a great way to provide special discounts and deals to potential patients who come across your listing on Google. Once you design a coupon, patients can print it out and present it at your business location.
To create a coupon:
- Log in to Google Places.
- Click on the Coupons tab in the top left corner of your screen, then click Add new coupon.
- You’ll be taken to a page where you can fill out different fields of information that you want to appear on your coupon. On the right of the page, a preview of your coupon will update itself as you enter new information.
- When the preview of your coupon looks the way you want it to, click Continue at the bottom of the page.
Your coupon will appear in your business listing within 24 hours. Find it in Maps by clicking more info in your listing’s info bubble, and clicking the Coupons tab.
Reviews
Reviews come from three main sources: reviews written by Google Maps users, reviews sent to Google by third party providers and reviews collected from the web. Google associates third-party reviews with your listing when the business information given on the third-party website (like Yahoo or Trip Advisor) matches the information for your listing.
Google accepts reviews from users directly on the Google Maps interface. Users have to sign in first before they can submit a business review. Ranking of reviews on Google is completely automated; in other words, Google can’t manually change the order of individual reviews, even if you request it.
Since some reviews themselves are not created by Google, but third party providers and websites and if you feel that a particular review of your business is inaccurate, you should express your concerns to the webmaster of the site on which the review was posted.
If you’re concerned about a review that was submitted through Google Maps, click the Flag as inappropriate link found under the review, and submit a report. If the review is in violation of Google Maps policies, Google will remove it.
If the reviews are coming from third-party sources, you’ll have to contact the third-party source to have the information changed. Once the information has been changed, it will be updated on Google soon after the change has been made.
The bottom line is this, Google is your friend. Get to know its products and services and learn how to dominate your market for chiropractic. It won’t cost you a dime but will generate thousands through your doors if you harness its free tools.
Question: Have you listed your chiropractic practice with Google Places? If so, what results have you obtained so far?
Let us know in the {comments} section below.
About Dr. Patrick MacNamara
Great post, Dr. MacNamara!
Google Places (maps) is underutilized by most chiropractors. Having the top placement in Google Places and in the organic search section has been our best external marketing source for new patients.
I have one question for you in regards to Google Places. What should chiropractors do that live in a city with a common name. For example my office is located in Springfield and the city name Springfield is a common name. Should I just focus on the long tail keyword Chiropractor in Springfield, VA versus Springfield Chiropractor because it is a more focused search term.
Thanks again for you help.
Thanks for your comment, Dr. Sullivan.
To answer your question, yes, you’re absolutely correct. Focus on dominating with keywords associated with both your city and state instead of just city. Not only does this build the long tail effect but also notifies Google so that searches generated locally will only query you instead of another chiropractor that, for example, lives in Springfield, Missouri.
Struggles with google maps right now.
I have my personal email linked to our clinic email and without thinking made some changes to our google maps via my personal account but the email address connected with google maps was our clinic address. Bad mistake! Our google maps has completely disappeared and we just cannot locate it even though google has given us a pin number to insert!
Interestingly I notice that many local chiropractors have bogus multiple listings in our area and google seems to be honouring them!
Wow, Karen, that’s terrible!
And, for those chiropractors that don’t realize it, you should never alter your listing using your personal GMail account but rather through a GMail account setup specifically for you business. This way bad things won’t happen.
Regarding your local chiropractors, I bet they have multiple GMail accounts and have listed themselves multiple times simply by making small changes to the information submitted. But, I definitely don’t recommend this. You run the risk of getting de-listed and blacklisted from Google.
Thank you, Dr Mac!
Do you think it would be a good idea to cancel our listing all together and start again?? Or, how long do you think we should wait before doing something else?
I hope someone learns “what not to do” from our mistake!
Have you tried to contact Google? I’d start there before canceling your listing.
How do you do that???????? I did not know that was possible.
~ Thank you for your communications.
Just go HERE. It gives you all contact links for Google based off of your needs.
I recently pumped up my google listing and it jumped from 7 to 2 in the google 7 box in about 6 weeks. Since that time I have consistently had 3-5 new patients per month directly from Google and they have been good quality patients. It took me about 20 minutes to really go through and complete the listing.
Great job, Dr. Crawford! It really isn’t that difficult if chiropractors would take the time to complete the listing like you mentioned as well as promote it as often as possible.
Thanks for the info Doc! You are much appreciated!
Glad you found it helpful, Dr. Scherr.
Google places has been bringing great quality of patients to my clinic. I recently enhanced my Google Local Listing by adding:
1. Video testimonials of my patients
2. By using Tags you can make your listing stand out from the rest for $25 a month. First month is Free.
PS: Yahoo Local is a Free service and I got some calls from that listing as well. I use this Listing for all of my patients who have Yahoo email account. This way they can leave a review about my service without registering. Eventually these Yahoo reviews will migrate to Google Local.
Great additional tips, Dr. Burt! Thank you for sharing!!
As Mr. Grant Griffiths says “Lets keep the conversation going.”
PS: What plug in do you use that allows to insert hyperlink into a comment. You have been using it for quite some time on your comments.
Thanks
Grant’s a great guy and definitely likes to encourage ongoing conversations.
RE: hyperlinks within comments, I don’t use a plugin. I simply use standard HTML to activate the link.
Hi Patrick,
Nice to see you talking about Google Places. Places has been my hobby for the past year, and I’m the proud owner of a far reaching #1 ranking by cleaning things up and having good business listing hygiene.
http://goo.gl/maps/Aqcn
Some things I found helpful:
1. Claim your listing (as you stated above, but you have to start somewhere.)
2. Go through all of your internet listings through all of the websites that list you, and make sure all of your information is EXACTLY the same across the board. Yelp, citysearch, insiderpages, angieslist, yahoo local, yellowpages. All of these need to have the same exact information. If one address says “street” but the other one is abbreviated “St.”, you need to change it so it’s all the same.
3. Provide backlinks to your Google Places listing. On your blog and website, you need to point links to your Places listing so Google recognizes it as important. I link to my Places listing on my website. You need to take stewardship of your own listing as if it is your very own website, because let’s face it. It is your very own website.
4. Add photos, videos, and tons of information.
5. Get patients to review you on multiple web sites.
6. Top secret weapon here: Build links to your places account by creating more user content. This means having user-generated maps that point to your office. Get some friends together who will make a unique map from a unique Google account, and have them point part of their custom map to your office. This will make you unstoppable, and your competition will never get a chance to catch up to you. http://bit.ly/dxvWwo
Todd
Great insight, Dr. Lloyd! I should’ve had you write the post!!