Multiple local addresses for one domain

[Netboost]

Hi Mozzers!

If I have a website that has a separate office in each state that they wish to rank locally for eg: "service CityA" "service CityB" etc

Would it be best to have a separate subdomain for each major city (unique content on each) with the office address specific to that city? Then there would be a separate Google places listing the subdomain as the website.

Or should we just use subfolders? Would Google Places accept the subfolder as the web address?

thanks!

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Joshua,

I was speaking from a Local SEO perspective, but I didn't make that clear. Sorry about that. You write:

"I just have a feeling that Google may see the subfolder landing pages as an attempt to game the Local listings"

Now, typically, when dealing with local clients with multiple locations, I simply create a unique page for each of the locations - just a file, and no need to build out with subdomains or subfolders. It sounds like perhaps you are dealing with a client with more complex needs than this?

I have searched to no avail for any reliable documentation which states that Google would view either subdomains or subfolders with suspicion or favor. I have never seen any discussion of a preference on their part. I'm not sure anyone but a Google Places rep would be able to offer you a reliable answer on this

A final note - be aware that when you designate any URL other than the homepage URL of a website as being appropriate on a Place Page, Google's display is likely to show only the homepage URL, but when you click on the link, it takes you to the page specified.

I'm sorry not to have a better answer to your question. I guess my answer is that there is an absence of data that Google would view either subfolders or subdomains as spammy in relation to Places.

[Netboost]

the subdomain vs subfolder issue was more a question of 'which will Google Places/Local" prefer rather than a question of SEO value.

I just have a feeling that Google may see the subfolder landing pages as an attempt to game the Local listings

Any thoughts?

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Josh!
Thanks for coming to Q&A with your question. I'm the Local SEO Associate here in the forum. You have gotten some excellent feedback on this thread so far. To recap your original question, you are asking whether it's better to use sub-domains or sub-folders for city landing pages.

According to Google Places Help Forum Top Contributor, Archie Watt, there is simply no difference from and SEO perspective. I have never seen any data to the contrary. It's somewhat akin to the concept that Google doesn't care what language your website is coded in so long as they can crawl it thoroughly. Here is a thread on this topic at the Google Places Help Forum:

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Webmasters/thread?tid=3f77dd134ba635b2&hl=en

My advice - do what makes most sense for the user to use and webmaster to manage.

Best of luck!
Miriam

[JGar-28032]

It's really important to take that to heart. I get clients all the time that have had their listings/accounts rejected because they had been advised to game the local system.

But it's also important to understand your client. Back to Marriott, each of those locations is technically a different business (the hotel itself being owned by someone else, operating under the Marriott name).  As an aside, it's also a ton of fun trying to establish and manage hotel Places listings while the brand is attempting the same thing for the same locations. Especially one so authoritative as Marriott.

And to throw another wrench in it, you also have to consider that Google attempts to solve as many problems as they can algorithmically (did I just make that up?). By this I mean that they don't know the inner working of your business/niche, they can only make assertions based on the info they find. I had no idea that all these Marriotts you see on the highway weren't actually "owned" by Marriott themselves until I worked with a hotel management group. The folks on the Local team didn't didn't either for a very long time.

If you're in doubt, or there is even a remote idea that your intentions are to cover more SERP space outside of legitimate reason, it's better to play it safe.

[AlanMosley]

Here is what googles states

Businesses that operate in a service area, as opposed to a single location,
should not create a listing for every city they service. Businesses that operate
in a service area should create one listing for the central office or location
and designate service areas

http://support.google.com/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107528

[Catalyste]

Hi Joshua,

You can use 1 sub folder per City and submit all of your offices to Google Adress. But in my opinion if you want to do things in a better way, I would create one subdomain for each city since they would be more targeted to the city then having multiple subdirectories.

Subdomain + page name + content would be targeted to the queries that people search for this would be more targeted and you can link them indivually in their local communities individually.

Both ways are good for what you want to do, but I do prefer the subdomain approach since for me it seem more targeted.

[Catalyste]

Hi Joshua,

You can use 1 sub folder per City and submitted all of you're offices to Google Adress. But in my opinion if you want to do things in a better way, I would create one subdomain since they would be more targeted to the city then having multiple subdirectories.

Subdomain + page name + content would be targeted to the queries that people search for this would be more targeted and you can link them indivually in their local communities individually.

Both ways are good for what you want to do, but I do prefer the subdomain approach since for me it seem more targeted.

[JGar-28032]

Hey Josh,

This really depends in the situation specifically, but I can give you a few cases I've had in the last year or so.

Generally, it's OK, to have each location on a sub-folder/page specific to that address; along with a Google Places page for that page. But it depends on the type of business, locations, etc. You can kinda ask yourself the intent on adding multiple Places listings as the resulting indicators are what Google will use.

What I mean is, if you have a client that wants to get a bunch of "addresses" so they can dominate a larger area in Google Places, then you are going to run into issues. Google doesn't like PO Boxes and the like (UPS mailboxes, etc.). I've seen/got them listed a ton of times, but they are more likely to run into problems later.

If you have real locations that a person can visit, then you'll usually be ok. I handled the Places pages for a Marriott client, and each location under the Marriott brand has its own Google Places page, with links to the specific page on the primary site.

On the other hand, I just took on a lawyer that was previously advised to get a bunch of FedEx boxes around town and use those for multiple listings. He came to me for a reason.

I'm really thinking that Google takes the business type into consideration, so be mindful of that.

[AlanMosley]

One places listing per web site and location.

but this brings up aproblem of trying to get all this site to rank. Its hard enouth to get one to rank.