Which direction should I go with NAP change?
-
After watching Benu Aggarwal's webinar, I have updated the NAPs for local search for one of my clients. She recommended getting rid of "Inc" for incorporated companies if that is not how the name is displayed in other places. Most of the NAPs already had the Inc, but some spelled out "Incorporated", and a few left out the inc entirely.
So my question is - How much damage do you think is caused by having a minor difference in the name, such as "Inc"? Is it worth my time to edit listing just for that one minor change? I'm guessing yes, but just wanted to hear some opinions.
-
You are welcome Jastos,
This is one of those points on which I wish the guideline language were slightly clearer. If, as you say, your client appears in the offline world just as 'Joe Plumber' then going the route you are going should be within the guidelines. Does the client have a DBA record of their name without the Inc?
To me, I read those guidelines to mean that the name should be the legal business name (Inc included) but that's an interpretation. I agree, you could equally interpret that to mean what you have decided.
But back to your original question - if you've decided to go with the name without the Inc., then I feel it would be wise to make the effort to make that consistent across the web.
Miriam
-
Thank you Miriam. I have gone with the approach of using "Joe Plumber" in the listings because that is how everyone refers to their company online. If Joe Plumber is featured in a home magazine, they will say "Joe Plumber is the best place to get your pipes unclogged". Also, nobody in Analytics is searching for "Joe Plumber, Inc.". Additionally it seems unnatural to use the Inc in the body text of the website.
-
Hello Jastos, Thanks for coming to Q&A with your good question. I'm the Local SEO Associate here in the forum and will do my best to give a thoughtful answer. In the simplest possible terms, a company's legal business name should be the name it is publishing in all places across the web including its website, local business profiles, review sites and etc. Google's exact language on this from their Places Quality Guidelines reads: Business Name: Represent your business exactly as it appears in the offline world. I take this to mean that if your business is Joe Plumber, Inc., then that's how you should consistently appear on all web records. Now, as it happens, your question is one that I've actually discussed with my colleagues in Local. The smartest Local SEO I know says that Google is typically sophisticated enough to understand that Inc. and Incorporated are the same thing....kind of like the difference between Ave. and Avenue. They get what it means. So, is this a huge issue for your client? No. That being said, I think most Local SEOs would agree, putting the time into making the listings and references consistent would be a best practice. It might not be your #1 task to accomplish, but, yes, I think it would be worth it to do the job when you can. Hope this helps! Miriam
P.S. Sorry for the run-on paragraph. Having a little trouble with line breaks tonight in the forum. Hope you can still read that sensibly.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Google Places UK address has randomly changed to a US address in Texas!
Hello, one of my clients has 2 Google Places listings, both UK addresses. However one of them has randomly changed to a US address in Texas, and it won't let me update the country unless I create a new listing.... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/preview#!q=the+43+club&data=!4m16!1m15!4m8!1m3!1d22152595!2d12.5088275!3d47.73855!3m2!1i1440!2i774!4f13.1!7i10!9m1!6e0!10b1!17b1!25b1!6m1!1e1&fid=1 As you can see the second listing is Texas, but it should be: Tall Trees Cottage, Winkfield Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7EX. 0208 144 0166 Any help would be great. Thanks
Image & Video Optimization | | Kerry_Jones0 -
NAP No mail delivered to physical location
Hello, First question here on moz. I live in a small town, and some of my clients do as well. Some mail is delivered to physical locations, however most mail is delivered to PO Boxes. I have tried with some success to get the mail workers to flag Google and others post cards. Otherwise I am not able to verify ownership. Any ideas or help on how to verify businesses that don't get mail at their location would be great. Dave
Image & Video Optimization | | David-Denning0 -
Local: Checking to make sure this NAP is good before launching campaign
Hello, I'm launching a local campaign. Here's my NAP, I want to make sure that it looks good and that there aren't any new developments in local SEO that will effect my campagin. Here's the address we'll use: 913 S Latah St #H, Boise, ID 83705 where H means suite H Any suggestions before we launch this campaign? Thanks!
Image & Video Optimization | | BobGW0 -
How should I handle a company name change at G+
Hello, I am wondering how you would suggest handling a company name change as it relates to a Google Plus page that is already setup and getting listed. Our company went through a name change this year and we want to update that info on our G+ page. Of importance to us, is that we have several excellent reviews that we don't want to lose. So, is the best way to handle this for us to go in an simply adjust the info on our G+ page or will we have to kill our current page and start over - losing our reviews? I would especially love to hear if you have experience with this scenario or a similar one. Thanks in advance.
Image & Video Optimization | | kbates0 -
Whats is going on with Google Places?
I know they recently started rolling out their update of their Places pages but a lot of people, including myself are having problems such as missing descriptions, hours, categories (not updated), etc. Anyone have any insight into when we might expect these issues to be corrected? As far as I can tell Google has not really addressed the problem whatsoever. Their forum is packed with people complaining but so far so they have remained quiet. Thanks!
Image & Video Optimization | | PMC-3120870 -
Google Places - Different NAP on various directories...
My client's veterinary clinic uses a service called Localvets.com which is a division of Yext.com. This service updates listings and sponsors them across various directories. Since this is a referral service (they get paid for new clients) they use a custom phone number and custom website address for these listings. Question: Is this hurting the SEO potential of the Google Places listing since the N.A.P. are not the same? Thoughts?
Image & Video Optimization | | PMC-3120870 -
Google Places Name Change - Duplicate Listings.
Need input on a Google Places change to avoid duplicate listing/phone number issue for a name change. Here is a summary: Company A has a Places listing and ranks week for key local terms. Company A has become a franchise and has a completely new name but same address. A New Franchise listing was created. It has same location but a different telephone (tracking) number. Both listings generally appear in Google Places but Company A (older listing) come up first. For branding purposes I would ideally like to eliminate (or edit) Company A listing and optimize new Franchise listing. We will need to eliminate the tracking phone number and add the old “Company A” phone number to the new Franchise listing. What is the best procedure to delete the Company A listing? I have access to both listings. Do I: -Strip Company A listing of most info…wait and then delete? Do I delete from my account or delete in total? -Just change the name of the “old” Company name to the new franchise name and delete the new franchise listing? An if so, in what order? -or do I just delete the old listing right away and edit the new franchise listing right away? -When do I add the old (and real phone number) to the new franchise listing? This same scenario has played out in other locations with disastrous results. Appears that Google looks at them as duplicate listings if the old Company name is still active and demotes both listings. Trying to avoid that problem that has been created by other companies. -Would adding Google Boost to the surviving listing help? Any input appreciated.
Image & Video Optimization | | AgileInt0