Google Medical Practice/Doctor Listings: Citations & Duplicates

[thewebtheorist]

Hey everyone,

I've been reviewing and referencing this forum for some time and have found it to be a valuable source for information, thanks!

As you know, Google has stated that it will not consider Medical Practice and Doctor listings as duplicates. For example, there can be listings for "Acme Plastic Surgery" and for "Dr. Wile E. Cayote" using the same Address + Phone# and it will not be considered duplicates. One of my questions about this is whether the Doctor listing has to have the practice in the name i.e. "Acme Plastic Surgery: Dr. Wile E. Cayote" or if that is not necessary (Assuming Google can detect the "Dr" in Doctor listing and see that it's using the same information as the practice, therefore categorizing it as a Doctor listing for that practice.

Secondly, if Dr. Cayote wants patients to review his Dr. listing, and wants that one to rank locally for keywords then wouldn't the citations moving forward need to use the Doctor (N)AP, rather than the Practice (N)AP? Would these not be considered duplicates on other sites outside of Google Places, such as SuperPages, YellowPages, Yahoo, Bing and so on?

Appreciate your input and thoughts, thank you!

Resources:
Duplicates: https://support.google.com/mapmaker/answer/1731387

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi thewebtheorist and thanks for posting.

Super short on time. Big webinar coming up today and no time to post.

But no DON'T add practice name to Dr names for multiple reasons.

Google will no longer remove practitioner listings and it can cause you to lose reviews as well as ranking if you do it wrong.

I wrote up a strategy for dealing with the ranking problem below. All the consultants that have tried it tell me it works well.

Read both in detail BOTTOM ONE 1st.

Search Results practitioner duplicates - Google Places Optimization Blog

 

[Gayle Katz]

Hi Linda - Hope you're doing well!

I read the posts you mentioned in your post above. With all the changes that have happened with Google, do you think this is still the right strategy to pursue? Just wanted to check in.

Also, you mention this issue for doctors, dentists and lawyers, but do you think this also applies to other fields, such as an insurance agent within an agency or an individual insurance adjuster within an insurance adjuster group?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Gayle,

Yep to both.

Think it's still a good strategy plus yes it works for Realtors and insurance agents in the same office.

 

[rosshouser]

Linda I seen your post and just had to share this with you and the group..

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=infectious disease doctors in colorado springs

All locations have the same exact phone number and address and all locations have the same name also... They take up the WHOLE pack in listings as well i can not see how this in anyway is is adding quality to the Google maps and is not pure spam I mean how many doctors specialize in the exact same field and share a office and phone number

Also I actually did some research and looked into the Doctors that claim to be Infectious disease specialists mainly because I do advertising for national medical companies and when I searched for Board certified doctors and I mean every single doctor that claims in the link above ... Not one is even board certified or a specialist in infectious disease's.

I have a medical background and actually have specialized in Infectious disease testing and counseling for people that actually need help when they test positive for incurable disease's for over 14 years!
This is just sick that someone can spam Google maps for profit like this some thing that by law is highly illegal and Google allows it. I hope that if someone is in need of real actually board certified specialists and or Physicians that they would look at this and think twice but unfortunately know better and people will call just because there is no other options but these spammers in that area except organics.. ...

EXAMPLE .. Also I contacted the board by emailing them at certificationmatters@abms.org
They have not even heard or have any license's for any infectious disease specialist in that area..
Sorry to rant like these but people that test positive or need to seek professional advice, deserve way better than this most people are scared enough for recently being diagnosed for a STD or STI...



Enter the doctor’s information below or you can search by location and specialty. If you are unsure of any of the fields, leave it blank.

<label class="search-form-field-labels" style="height: 18px; font-size: 0.8em; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; text-align: right; width: 65px; float: left;">Last Name</label>	<input name="dnn$ctr865$Search$txtlastName" type="text" value="hackenberg" id="dnn_ctr865_Search_txtlastName" tabindex="1" class="wide-box-search" style="width: 175px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 153, 153); height: auto; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin: 0px 0px 0px 4px; padding: 3px; float: left;">	<label class="search-form-field-labels" style="height: 18px; font-size: 0.8em; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; text-align: right; width: 65px; float: left;">First Name</label>	<input name="dnn$ctr865$Search$txtfirstName" type="text" value="thomas" id="dnn_ctr865_Search_txtfirstName" tabindex="2" class="wide-box-search" style="width: 175px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 153, 153); height: auto; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin: 0px 0px 0px 4px; padding: 3px; float: left;">
<label class="search-form-field-labels" style="height: 18px; font-size: 0.8em; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; text-align: right; width: 65px; float: left;">City</label>	<input name="dnn$ctr865$Search$txtCity" type="text" value="colorado springs" id="dnn_ctr865_Search_txtCity" tabindex="3" class="wide-box-search" style="width: 175px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 153, 153); height: auto; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin: 0px 0px 0px 4px; padding: 3px; float: left;">	<label class="search-form-field-labels" style="height: 18px; font-size: 0.8em; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; text-align: right; width: 65px; float: left;">State/Province</label>	<select name="dnn$ctr865$Search$ddlState" id="dnn_ctr865_Search_ddlState" tabindex="4" class="wide-box-search" style="width: 175px; border-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); height: auto; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin: 0px 0px 0px 4px; padding: 3px; float: left;"> <option value="[Select]">[Select]</option> <option value="AL">Alabama</option> <option value="AK">Alaska</option> <option value="AB">Alberta</option> <option value="AS">American Samoa</option> <option value="AZ">Arizona</option> <option value="AR">Arkansas</option> <option value="AE">Armed Forces</option> <option value="AA">Armed Forces Americas</option> <option value="AP">Armed Forces Pacific</option> <option value="BI">Bitnar</option> <option value="BC">British Columbia</option> <option value="CA">California</option> <option selected="selected" value="CO">Colorado</option> <option value="CT">Connecticut</option> <option value="DE">Delaware</option> <option value="DC">District of Columbia</option> <option value="DF">Districto Federal</option> <option value="FM">Federated States of Micronesia</option> <option value="FL">Florida</option> <option value="GA">Georgia</option> <option value="GU">Guam</option> <option value="HI">Hawaii</option> <option value="ID">Idaho</option> <option value="IL">Illinois</option> <option value="IN">Indiana</option> <option value="IA">Iowa</option> <option value="JA">Jalisco</option> <option value="KS">Kansas</option> <option value="KY">Kentucky</option> <option value="LA">Louisiana</option> <option value="ME">Maine</option> <option value="MB">Manitoba</option> <option value="MH">Marshall Islands</option> <option value="MD">Maryland</option> <option value="MA">Massachusetts</option> <option value="MX">Mexico</option> <option value="MI">Michigan</option> <option value="MG">Minas Gerais</option> <option value="MN">Minnesota</option> <option value="MS">Mississippi</option> <option value="MO">Missouri</option> <option value="MT">Montana</option> <option value="NE">Nebraska</option> <option value="NV">Nevada</option> <option value="NB">New Brunswick</option> <option value="NH">New Hampshire</option> <option value="NJ">New Jersey</option> <option value="NM">New Mexico</option> <option value="NY">New York</option> <option value="NF">Newfoundland</option> <option value="NL">Newfoundland and Labrador</option> <option value="NC">North Carolina</option> <option value="ND">North Dakota</option> <option value="MP">Northern Mariana Islands</option> <option value="NT">Northwest Territory</option> <option value="NS">Nova Scotia</option> <option value="NU">Nunavut</option> <option value="OH">Ohio</option> <option value="OK">Oklahoma</option> <option value="ON">Ontario</option> <option value="OR">Oregon</option> <option value="PW">Palau</option> <option value="PA">Pennsylvania</option> <option value="PE">Prince Edward</option> <option value="PR">Puerto Rico</option> <option value="QC">Quebec</option> <option value="RI">Rhode Island</option> <option value="RJ">Rio de Janeiro</option> <option value="SP">Sao Paulo</option> <option value="SK">Saskatchewan</option> <option value="SO">Sinaloa</option> <option value="SC">South Carolina</option> <option value="SD">South Dakota</option> <option value="TN">Tennessee</option> <option value="TX">Texas</option> <option value="UT">Utah</option> <option value="VT">Vermont</option> <option value="VI">Virgin Islands</option> <option value="VA">Virginia</option> <option value="WA">Washington</option> <option value="WV">West Virginia</option> <option value="WU">Western Australia</option> <option value="WI">Wisconsin</option> <option value="WY">Wyoming</option> <option value="YK">Yukon</option> <option value="ZA">Zacatecas</option> </select>
<label class="search-form-field-labels" style="height: 18px; font-size: 0.8em; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; text-align: right; width: 65px; float: left;">Zip Code</label>	<input name="dnn$ctr865$Search$txtZipCode" type="text" value="80920" id="dnn_ctr865_Search_txtZipCode" tabindex="4" class="input-box-search" style="width: 100px; border: 1px solid rgb(153, 153, 153); height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin: 0px 0px 5px 4px; padding: 3px; float: left;">	<label class="search-form-field-labels" style="height: 18px; font-size: 0.8em; margin: 0px; padding: 3px; text-align: right; width: 65px; float: left;">Specialty</label>	<select name="dnn$ctr865$Search$ddlcertification" id="dnn_ctr865_Search_ddlcertification" tabindex="6" class="wide-box-search" style="width: 175px; border-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); height: auto; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); margin: 0px 0px 0px 4px; padding: 3px; float: left;"> <option value="[Select]">[Select]</option> <option value="146">Addiction Psychiatry</option> <option value="77">Adolescent Medicine</option> <option value="203">Adult Congenital Heart Disease</option> <option value="185">Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology</option> <option value="45">Aerospace Medicine</option> <option value="41">Allergy & Immunology</option> <option value="9">Anatomic Pathology</option> <option value="8">Anatomic Pathology & Clinical Pathology</option> <option value="35">Anesthesiology</option> <option value="207">Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine</option> <option value="108">Blood Banking</option> <option value="107">Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine</option> <option value="201">Brain Injury Medicine</option> <option value="80">Cardiac Electrophysiology</option> <option value="78">Cardiovascular Disease</option> <option value="109">Chemical Pathology</option> <option value="147">Child & Adolescent Psychiatry</option> <option value="178">Child Abuse Pediatrics</option> <option value="148">Child Psychiatry</option> <option value="62">Clinical & Laboratory Immunology</option> <option value="66">Clinical & Laboratory Dermatological Immunology</option> <option value="170">Clinical & Laboratory Immunology</option> <option value="51">Clinical Biochemical Genetics</option> <option value="52">Clinical Biochemical/Molecular Genetics</option> <option value="79">Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology</option> <option value="53">Clinical Cytogenetics</option> <option value="54">Clinical Genetics</option> <option value="202">Clinical Informatics</option> <option value="55">Clinical Molecular Genetics</option> <option value="149">Clinical Neurophysiology</option> <option value="10">Clinical Pathology</option> <option value="5">Colon & Rectal Surgery</option> <option value="196">Complex General Surgical Oncology</option> <option value="187">Congenital Cardiac Surgery</option> <option value="64">Critical Care Medicine</option> <option value="110">Cytopathology</option> <option value="67">Dermatological Immunology/Diagnostic and Laboratory Immunology</option> <option value="2">Dermatology</option> <option value="68">Dermatopathology</option> <option value="123">Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics</option> <option value="27">Diagnostic & Medical Nuclear Physics</option> <option value="63">Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology</option> <option value="28">Diagnostic Medical Physics</option> <option value="16">Diagnostic Radiology</option> <option value="17">Diagnostic Radiology with Special Competence in Nuclear Radiology</option> <option value="18">Diagnostic Roentgenology</option> <option value="188">Emergency Medical Services</option> <option value="4">Emergency Medicine</option> <option value="84">Endocrinology and Metabolism</option> <option value="85">Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism</option> <option value="189">Epilepsy</option> <option value="40">Family Medicine</option> <option value="195">Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery</option> <option value="112">Forensic Pathology</option> <option value="150">Forensic Psychiatry</option> <option value="86">Gastroenterology</option> <option value="46">General Preventive Medicine</option> <option value="74">Geriatric Medicine</option> <option value="171">Geriatric Psychiatry</option> <option value="100">Gynecologic Oncology</option> <option value="88">Hematology</option> <option value="176">Hospice and Palliative Medicine</option> <option value="114">Immunopathology</option> <option selected="selected" value="89">Infectious Disease</option> <option value="39">Internal Medicine</option> <option value="205">Internal Medicine - Critical Care Medicine</option> <option value="90">Interventional Cardiology</option> <option value="206">Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology</option> <option value="101">Maternal-Fetal Medicine</option> <option value="193">Medical Biochemical Genetics</option> <option value="115">Medical Microbiology</option> <option value="91">Medical Oncology</option> <option value="70">Medical Toxicology</option> <option value="96">Molecular Genetic Pathology</option> <option value="125">Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine</option> <option value="92">Nephrology</option> <option value="126">Neurodevelopmental Disabilities</option> <option value="50">Neurological Surgery</option> <option value="13">Neurology</option> <option value="14">Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology</option> <option value="174">Neuromuscular Medicine</option> <option value="117">Neuropathology</option> <option value="172">Neuroradiology</option> <option value="104">Neurotology</option> <option value="29">Nuclear Medical Physics</option> <option value="12">Nuclear Medicine</option> <option value="19">Nuclear Medicine Medallion</option> <option value="155">Nuclear Radiology</option> <option value="42">Obstetrics & Gynecology</option> <option value="47">Occupational Medicine</option> <option value="15">Ophthalmology</option> <option value="167">Orthopaedic Sports Medicine</option> <option value="37">Orthopaedic Surgery</option> <option value="43">Otolaryngology</option> <option value="65">Pain Medicine</option> <option value="198">Pathology - Anatomic</option> <option value="197">Pathology - Anatomic/Pathology - Clinical</option> <option value="179">Pathology - Chemical</option> <option value="199">Pathology - Clinical</option> <option value="180">Pathology - Forensic</option> <option value="181">Pathology - Hematology</option> <option value="182">Pathology - Medical Microbiology</option> <option value="183">Pathology - Molecular Genetic</option> <option value="184">Pathology - Pediatric</option> <option value="61">Pathology Recertification</option> <option value="194">Pediatric Anesthesiology</option> <option value="127">Pediatric Cardiology</option> <option value="128">Pediatric Critical Care Medicine</option> <option value="69">Pediatric Dermatology</option> <option value="129">Pediatric Emergency Medicine</option> <option value="130">Pediatric Endocrinology</option> <option value="131">Pediatric Gastroenterology</option> <option value="132">Pediatric Hematology-Oncology</option> <option value="133">Pediatric Infectious Diseases</option> <option value="134">Pediatric Nephrology</option> <option value="105">Pediatric Otolaryngology</option> <option value="118">Pediatric Pathology</option> <option value="135">Pediatric Pulmonology</option> <option value="156">Pediatric Radiology</option> <option value="140">Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine</option> <option value="136">Pediatric Rheumatology</option> <option value="158">Pediatric Surgery</option> <option value="192">Pediatric Transplant Hepatology</option> <option value="177">Pediatric Urology</option> <option value="11">Pediatrics</option> <option value="56">Ph.D. Medical Genetics</option> <option value="38">Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation</option> <option value="44">Plastic Surgery</option> <option value="106">Plastic Surgery within the Head and Neck</option> <option value="7">Psychiatry</option> <option value="169">Psychosomatic Medicine</option> <option value="48">Public Health</option> <option value="49">Public Health & General Preventive Medicine</option> <option value="93">Pulmonary Disease</option> <option value="20">Radiation Oncology</option> <option value="34">Radiation Oncology Recertification</option> <option value="119">Radioisotopic Pathology</option> <option value="22">Radiologic Physics</option> <option value="21">Radiology</option> <option value="23">Radium Therapy</option> <option value="102">Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility</option> <option value="94">Rheumatology</option> <option value="24">Roentgen & Gamma Physics</option> <option value="25">Roentgenology</option> <option value="175">Sleep Medicine</option> <option value="138">Spinal Cord Injury Medicine</option> <option value="72">Sports Medicine</option> <option value="36">Surgery</option> <option value="103">Surgery of the Hand</option> <option value="159">Surgical Critical Care</option> <option value="30">Therapeutic & Diagnostic Radiologic Physics</option> <option value="31">Therapeutic & Medical Nuclear Physics</option> <option value="32">Therapeutic Medical Physics</option> <option value="33">Therapeutic Radiology</option> <option value="57">Therapeutic Roentgenology</option> <option value="200">Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery</option> <option value="1">Thoracic Surgery</option> <option value="173">Transplant Hepatology</option> <option value="73">Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine</option> <option value="145">Undersea Medicine</option> <option value="3">Urology</option> <option value="157">Vascular & Interventional Radiology</option> <option value="168">Vascular Neurology</option> <option value="161">Vascular Surgery</option> <option value="26">X-Ray and Radium Physics</option> </select>

<tbody>
</tbody>

<input type="image" name="dnn$ctr865$Search$search" id="dnn_ctr865_Search_search" tabindex="7" class="search-button" src="https://www.certificationmatters.org/images/Active_onGold_Search.jpg" alt="Search" style="height: 32px; width: 101px; color: white; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"> <input type="image" name="dnn$ctr865$Search$clear" id="dnn_ctr865_Search_clear" tabindex="8" class="search-button" src="https://www.certificationmatters.org/images/Active_onGold_Clear.jpg" alt="Clear" style="height: 32px; width: 101px; color: white; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; font-weight: bold; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">​

View Search FAQs


Physician Search Results

No results were found for the criteria you searched on - please try again orView Search FAQs for help.




<label style="font-style: italic;">Important notice: Reports provided by this service are not accepted by The Joint Commission, NCQA or URAC to verify physician credentials because no dates are supplied.</label>


For professional credentialing use, please completethis form and an ABMS Official Display Agent will be in touch to discuss your needs.

The physician certification information in the ABMS database is updated periodically with data provided by its Member Boards. Due to the possibility of reporting and processing delays, the accuracy and completeness of records cannot be guaranteed. ABMS shall not be liable to you or others for any decision made or action taken by you in reliance on the information obtained from this service. It is the user's responsibility to determine that the physician record obtained is that of the physician whose information is sought.

The ABMS physician specialty certification data provided by ABMS Medical Specialists Online is proprietary and copyrighted by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS^?) and subject to the intellectual property laws of the United States. ? 2014, ABMS, All Rights Re

 

[HurricaneK8]

rosshouser ,

That's a wild one! I dont even see a website listed. I also see under reviews "People talk about internal medicine, university school of medicine, gates jr and pediatric" but then when I click on "Reviews from Around the Web" there is no reviews... just an empty list.

And the citysearch result is for another doctor.

The review on Jesse Hoffman from Mike W says "Wonderful doctor. Thanks so much. Scott".... so I'd say thats a fake.

Have you tried posting about this in the Google Business Forum? Maybe it will be picked up by a higher up.... I wish I could say I've never seen it before, but we see it in Canada all the time with "Listings distributed by Yellowpages" results :/ Very annoying.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Weird one Ross.

At 1st I thought spam/hijacking or something...

But I called the number and it sounds like a medical office. And the auto attendant answered with that same name. The phone tree was like: Press 1 for billing, press # if you know the extension, press 3 for an appointment.

Are you sure these are not all just different Drs at the same clinic?

Thomas A. Hackenberg, MD keeps coming up in other citations and I think he may be the owner/main Dr???

One observation is that pre-Pigeon, one practice would not get all those listings. Google would not show the same business/location over and over like that.

 

[HurricaneK8]

I also thought pigeon was to be using more organic search factors-- this breaks that theory, as there's not even a website listed!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Joy mentioned in my latest Pigeon post - the one about the datacenters...

That she's seeing age of G+ L listing being a Pigeon ranking factor.

And I told her that makes sense in the case of these listings that are ranking high with no site. If it's a mature business that's been around for years so Google scraped and created the G+ L listing years ago - then it may have increased trust in the listing.

 

[rosshouser]

OK so I asked my doctors group to look into the doctors that are listed, we used there NPIN number which is given to every doctor in the United States and they are in fact infectious disease doctors, However they all do not have physical offices in the address that they claim. Actually they are part of a national group Named ''Infectious Disease Doctors Inc.'' which markets and lists specialist across the US.

I also called and spoke to the marketing specialist/Director at that location and she confirmed that they let doctors in the area use there location for advertising to help she called it aid in finding a specialist in the area and that the doctors are only there when scheduled to meet a patient.... Which is totally strange because I called just minutes before and spoke to the receptionist and she said that they had infectious disease specialists that could see me today?? (I do not have any STD's I was just trying to get info lol...)

It seams to me that some doctors are clearly taking advantage of Google's new rules towards Physicians and that by not actually having a physical office at the location they claim would be a clear violation. I mean if they do in fact have all the doctors they claim to have office's in that small building that they claim to be at, then they would not have room for any patients yet alone 16 doctors all together that claim to be there... that is more doctors in one ridiculously small building them most urgent care locations have and more than most Hospitals have at a given time...

 

[HurricaneK8]

The first note for them in Mapmaker is Sept 1, 2012 for almost all of them, so I do think they have been around for a while. The next doctor on page 2 of the maps results (Bonwell Lisa M MD) also has the same MapMaker date for edits/syncing though, so it's hard to tell when they were created.

This practice of listing doctors at an office they don't reside at is clearly a violation of Google's guidelines. I would post in the Google Business Forum, and maybe even the MapMaker forum so it can get some traction with the GLE's. There's some GLE's in there who Google trusts to make changes. If they hear the story, they might be able to mark the listings for deletion & explain whats going on to Google LE's who can make the final deletions.

Wish I could be of more help :/ We have free healthcare/testing/treatment here in Canada though so I've never had to deal with doctors listings quite like this! Doesn't really happen with dentists Also *knock on wood* no pigeon here yet, so I haven't really been following that closely.