Private Practice Startup Podcast – Episode 164: Google Maps – 4 Steps to Fill Your Practice

Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Brandon Santan
Date: November 30, 2019

Overview

In this engaging episode, Brandon Santan—therapist and self-professed Google Maps "nerd"—joins Kate and Katie to demystify how therapists can use Google Maps to reliably fill their private practices. Brandon shares the four core steps he used to top Google's local listings and gives practical, actionable tips to help practitioners do the same, all with an honest and down-to-earth approach. The conversation covers the practical aspects of getting found locally online, improving Google My Business profiles, leveraging directories, and using social signals—plus the realities of reviews in the therapy world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Google Maps Matters for Therapists

• The Shift to Local Search
  • [04:37] Brandon explains that Google's algorithm increasingly promotes local businesses when people search for services like therapy nearby.
  • Quote:

    "Google now is shifting to local search results. So many people are using their phones in mobile search. Location services are turned on... Google wants to make sure that you are finding the services and products you need where you're at." — Brandon [04:37]

• Therapists are treated like any other local business (e.g., pizza shop or chimney repair) in Google's eyes.

The 4 Steps to Google Maps Success

1. Google My Business Listing

• [08:52] The foundation is claiming and populating your free Google My Business (GMB) listing. You must have a legitimate, brick-and-mortar address (no home offices or PO Boxes).
• Complete every field: business details, hours, address, phone, photos, and posts.
• Verification by PIN or phone call is required before the listing goes live.
• Quote:

  "The first thing you need is a Google My Business listing. This is free... You fill out all your business details, your hours, your address, your phone number... Once your listing is live, then you qualify, quote unquote, to go into Google Maps listing." — Brandon [08:52]

2. Website Quality & Web Presence

• Google rewards high-traffic, high-quality, regularly updated websites that gain links or "backlinks" from other reputable places.
• Use GMB's free website tool if you don’t have a site yet—Google loves it if you use their features.
• Regular content posts in your GMB dashboard show Google you’re active.
• Ninja Tip:

  "When you're filling out your Google My Business profile, you want to make sure that you really fill out the complete profile, not just the bare minimum...post any content that you produce..." — Katie [11:15]

3. Citations / Building a “Digital Footprint”

• [12:44] “NAP” Citations: Name, Address, Phone. Register your business consistently on all reputable directories (e.g., Psychology Today, Healthgrades, LinkedIn, Facebook Business, Bing Local, Yahoo Local, Yelp).
• Every consistent mention across the web increases your trustworthiness in Google's eyes.
• Can be time-consuming—some practitioners outsource this step.
• Quote:

  "You have to go out, you have to find all the directories that list businesses, like yellow pages... If you’ve ever Googled your name, you’ve probably come up in Healthgrades.com... Google sends out their bots to crawl the Internet and they find that you have all these business profiles out there that match your GMB listing and they think, 'Oh, you must be relevant.'" — Brandon [12:44]

• Katie likens this to "networking" online, but for introverts and tech-lovers.

4. Social Signals

• [17:00] Google tracks activity and links from major social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest).
• Frequent posts and linking back to your website signal popularity and relevance.
• Social media isn’t only about client marketing—it’s about signaling activity to Google, too.
• Quote:

  "Google pays close attention to social media... They monitor how active you are on those accounts and how popular what you're posting is... It's just one way to kind of prove to Google that people are interested in what you have to provide." — Brandon [17:00]

• Use every blog post as a chance to cross-post and add backlinks.

The Power (and Risk) of Reviews

• Reviews boost your GMB ranking and credibility, but be mindful of ethics rules about soliciting from clients. Instead, gather reviews from colleagues, referral partners, or other professionals who know your work.
• [21:54] Katie shares a case where a practitioner got 50 colleague reviews and saw new client calls "skyrocket."
• Keep reviews local to your practice’s geographic area—if many are from far away, Google might flag them as suspicious.
• Quote:

  "Reviews start to become a big part of that... It's not quite so important in our industry because I think we just... There's not a lot of people who leave reviews for therapists. But... Getting reviews from your colleagues is so, so, so important..." — Brandon & Katie [20:47, 22:44]

Miscellaneous Tips & Memorable Moments

• It’s possible (and valid) to thrive with minimal in-person networking by focusing on digital strategies.
• For online-only practices: create or rent a small, official office space to qualify for a Google listing.
• Quote:

  "Google wants to know that your reviews are legitimate... If you're in one area of the country and you have family [or colleagues] in another... and you're asking them to do a review, Google's going to flag that as a bit suspicious." — Brandon [23:29]

Results & Real-World Impact

• Brandon’s own GMB optimization led to being “booked out for at least a month,” a level of demand he’d never seen before using Google Maps.
• Quote:

  "Ever since I got into Google Maps, I've been booked out for at least a month and that had never happened... I had one client tell me, 'We saw you in Google Maps, so we assumed you had to be the best.'" — Brandon [27:14]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:37] – Why local search matters for therapists
• [08:52] – Step 1: Setting up your Google My Business listing
• [11:15] – GMB profile completion and “post” feature tips
• [12:44] – Step 3: Citations & building online presence
• [17:00] – Step 4: Social signals and social media’s impact
• [20:47] – The importance and strategy of reviews
• [21:54] – Case study: Reviews from colleagues boosting business
• [23:29] – Geographical tips for reviews
• [27:14] – The real-world payoff: more clients from Google Maps
• [28:37] – Brandon’s free ebook & directory resource

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On local SEO shift:

  "Google sees us and views us just like they would chimney repair service or a pizza shop." — Brandon [04:37]

• On reviews:

  "When people contact you, and I always ask, 'What made you decide to reach out to me specifically?' Maybe 50% will be, 'You have really great reviews.'" — Kate [22:44]

• On the potential for tech-averse therapists:

  "There are methods that work that are low cost and relatively easy to implement." — Brandon [26:13]

• On getting to the top of Google Maps:

  "We saw you in Google Maps, so we assumed that you had to be the best." — Brandon [27:23]

Actionable Takeaways

• Claim and diligently fill out your Google My Business listing.
• Build out your “digital footprint” with consistent NAP citations across all directories.
• Regularly create posts and update GMB to remain active in Google's eyes.
• Boost your presence with social media—even if only for Google's bots!
• Ethically solicit reviews from colleagues in your area; don’t ignore the impact for consumer trust and Google ranking.
• For online practices, consider renting a physical location to qualify for Google My Business.

Free Resource from Brandon

• Brandon offers a concise ebook outlining these four steps and includes a directory list.
• Find it at: advocorstrategies.com/therapist [28:37]

This episode is essential listening for therapists who want practical, ethical, and budget-friendly strategies to consistently fill their private practice, delivered with a mix of expert insight and Startup Nation’s warm, supportive tone.