This week, BrightLocal published the results of their 2018 Local Citations Trust Report. In their study, they surveyed 1,025 US-based consumers. The goal was to uncover how much consumers notice and value consistently correct details when searching for a local business online. The results from this survey point to how much attention local businesses need to place upon making their business's Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) consistently accurate.
Although this survey refers to local businesses in general, nearly all of the insights are directly applicable for local chiropractors.
What are local citations?
Local citations play an important role in local search engine optimization (SEO). Citations are online references to your business's name, address, and phone number (NAP).
Online Local Business Directories = Local Citations
Local business directories provide a specific structure to input your business information. There are many local business directories, but here are a few you should recognize:
Search engines like Google use these citations to help determine the local authority of a business. Having consistent and accurate NAP can help bolster your authority and cause your business to display higher in local search results.
Here at ChiroHosting, helping our clients maintain consistently accurate citations is an important component within our chiropractic online marketing plans.
First, let's pretend that you are a patient searching for a new chiropractor.
Before reading over the results of this survey, put yourself into the shoes of a prospective or new patient. Imagine that you're looking for a new chiropractor or trying to find a chiropractor that your friend recommended.
Consider how frustrating it would be to find incorrect information:
- How hard would you try to make an appointment with an office whose phone number found online is disconnected?
- How would you feel if you drove to the wrong location because the office's address online was wrong?
- Would you trust a local chiropractor who you couldn't call or visit because their business information was incorrect?
Now, let's dig into how 1,025 consumers responded to survey questions aimed at finding out what causes frustration and erodes trust in local businesses with inaccurate business listings.
1. Incorrect Business Information Online Causes Frustration
Key Takeaways
- 93% of consumers are frustrated by incorrect information in online directories
- 73% of 35-54 year olds would stop using a local business if they found incorrect information in online directories
What This Means for Local Chiropractors
Nearly every respondent to the survey replied "agree" to the following statement: "Finding incorrect information in online directories frustrates me."
Providing a positive experience for your clients starts before you ever meet. These results prove that errors in your chiropractic business' citations can be frustrating enough to turn away new clients. Even if you were not responsible for a directory displaying the wrong information, it can still have a detrimental effect on your business.
It's scary to think that 73% of 35-54 year olds said that they would stop using a local business if they found incorrect information online. Additionally, 36% responded that they called a wrong number for a local business in the last year. Can you afford to lose this many patients?
Don't lose potential patients because of errors in your business listings. There are plenty of tools online for scanning your local business listings. Once you know if you have inconsistencies, you can put a plan together to fix them.
Click on the button below to use our free tool to scan your local business listings.
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2. Trust Is Lost with Incorrect, Inconsistent, and Out-of-Date Business Details
Key Takeaway
- 80% of consumers lose trust in local business if they see incorrect or inconsistent business names online
What This Means for Local Chiropractors
A large percentage of people will lose trust in your practice if you have incorrect names, addresses, and phone numbers (NAP) online. As online directories continue to allow you to include more details about your business like photos and opening hours, there is a greater opportunity for things to fall out of sync.
Make a habit of taking updated photos for your chiropractic website and online directory listings. Fresh images can help search engines view your practice as active and worth displaying in results.
Maintaining accurate opening times can be difficult to do manually. It becomes especially difficult around holidays. Be sure to take an inventory of where your hours are published. You don't want to have people arriving at your door to find that you're closed, especially if you serve walk-ins.
3. Clients Go to Wrong Location Because of Bad Address
Key Takeaway
- 22% visited the wrong location for a business because the online address was incorrect
What This Means for Local Chiropractors
Having an incorrect address is double trouble:
- Decreases the likelihood of you being found in search results by potential patients in your proximity.
- People will go to the wrong place!
Driving to the wrong location is inconvenient. Taking public transportation or a rideshare to the wrong location is even more inconvenient and expensive.
You don't want a patient standing at the wrong location waiting for an Uber to pick them up (again). They just might pass the time by leaving you a 1-star online review.
The next result from the survey points out who people blame for incorrect listings.
4. Patients Blame You More Than Online Directories
Key Takeaway
- Consumers are more likely to blame local business for incorrect listings (31%) than the directories themselves (18%)
What This Means for Local Chiropractors
Even if you didn't create the online directory listing that contains incorrect information, it is seen as your responsibility to correct it.
It's likely that many average consumers don't realize that many directories online will automatically generate a business listing. Many times, these listings are created without the knowledge of the local business.
As a chiropractor, it is important to understand that many directories will have a listing for your business, but there are other directories that will have a listing for you as an individual healthcare practitioner. The following directory websites are among those aiming to help patients find doctors:
Due to the fact that directories, like those listed above, use your personal name rather than your business name, adds to the challenge of auditing and maintaining accurate listings.
If you find that you have practitioner listings that are inaccurate, ask one of our online marketing experts how you can synchronize your information. Click here to schedule a one-on-one conversation (there are no obligations; we're happy to point you in the right direction).
What You Should Do Now
Start by finding out if you have a problem. Spending a little bit of your time may prevent frustration for your patients.
Run a free scan of your local business listings to search for inconsistencies and inaccuracies. Once you know if you have issues, you can work towards fixing them.
Take action now so you don't lose the trust of your patients. Or worse, have them standing in the wrong parking lot! (They will blame you.)
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