Google Places - Add external location?
-
Hi Mozzers,
We operate in Belgium and just recently we also opened a location in the Netherlands. This is a trainingslocation but there is no staff present.
We want to add this location to our Google Places account. It seems we need to enter it is as different company profile.
Does Google have a problem with the fact that there is no staff present on adres of this company profile and the location is managed by our HQ in Belgium?
-
Ditto that. Sorry got tied up on some stuff & meant to reply. Miriam did a better job than I could have.
-
Hi Wellnesswooz,
I think the answer to your question may be found in the most recent iteration of the Google Places Quality Guidelines, which read:
"Do not create a listing or place your pin marker at a location where the business does not physically exist. P.O. Boxes are not considered accurate physical locations.Your business location should be staffed during its stated hours"
(bolded emphasis mine)
If what you are talking about is a non-staffed location, then it doesn't qualify for inclusion in Google's Local results. Exceptions to this would be something like a self-service ATM machine. Here is a link to the guidelines: https://support.google.com/places/answer/107528?hl=en
I am not quite sure I understand what you mean by 'other working areas'. Are you talking about setting a service radius like a plumber might do to show the different cities he serves? If so, this option is really only appropriate for Service Area Businesses (SABs) which travel to customers to serve them.
Google+ Local is really geared toward companies that transact business directly with customers, face-to-face. If this does not describe your business model or any of your locations, then it will be better for you to rely on organic, rather than Local, SEO. Hope this helps!
-
Interesting view. That would be correct if we where a shop or service provider. Yet we take our subscriptions online and manage everything from a distance. The trainings itself take place at this location. How could I know for sure if Google would find this a problem or not?
In Google Places, I can also select other working areas. Does this have the same effect on local rankings as a separate business profile?
-
I believe your answer will be found by viewing the second location the way an outside client, customer or interested person would. If there is no staff, is there a reason for anyone to come to your location? Does it have sign, or address on exterior door? An image from you and or verified by Google Street view may answer this.
Google Places is intended to be an index of actual physical locations, their attributes and something akin to word of mouth reputation. If your location receives no real traffic and or goes to all "consumers" then you will have a tough time. My Maps might help you determine location value.
So many people used additional locations (phantoms or actual satellites) to game the system so now Google is very suspicious. I have heard of a Google Place Vehicle showing up in a neighborhood mere days after someone edits, adds or changes a place location. Multiple listings can also cause problems for ranking, be careful, you don't want to dilute or bury your brand.
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 Search Console "International Targeting" is reporting errors that are not present on my site
We are currently handling search for a global brand www.example.com/ which has presence in many countries worldwide. To help Google understand that there is an alternate version of the website available in another language, we have used hreflang tags. These hreflang tags are implemented only via the XML sitemap across all geo-locations. Under the “Search Analytics -> International Targeting” section, in Google Search Console, for the Malaysian website (www.example.com/my/), there are a number of “no-return tags (sitemaps)” errors arising. For example, for India as a geo-location, there is one ‘en-IN’ – no return tags (sitemaps) errors listed. The error is listed below: Originating URL - www.example.com/my/xyz/ Alternate URL - www.example.com/in/xyz/ When the XML sitemap for the URL – www.example.com/in/ was checked for the hreflang tags, it was noticed that the implementation of hreflang tags for the URL – www.example.com/in/xyz/ was perfectly fine and it was providing a return tag to the URL – www.example.com/my/xyz/. After the code level verification, it was identified that the implementation of hreflang tags was perfectly fine via the XML sitemap. Even though at the code level it was verified that the implementation is fine, the error still persists in Google Search Console. Kindly suggest a solution to this situation, and also advise the effects of these errors on search engine performance
International SEO | | Starcom_Search0 -
Google Analytics - whats best way to set up to track users on geotargeted sub folders & tlds ?
Hi ive got a client site just about to launch into 2 new territories (German Germany & Turkish Turkey) The existing/main site is in English & targets English keyword usage globally via domain.com and is not geotargeted in anyway. Analytics is set up for this on domain.com and tracking accurately and GWT is set up too. Now we have added a Turkish language site via a subfolder (domain.com/tr/) & the German site (domsain.com/de/) BUT this German subfolder will be domain mapped to a TLD (domain.de) eventually.. So what's best way to configure/set up Google Analytics to track users so can view the international sub-sites as individual sites etc ? (& GWT for that matter) ? Also after doing this i will be setting up in Moz Anlytics as separate campaigns so how do you set up so only draws in the Analytics data specific to these sub-folders ? All Best Dan
International SEO | | Dan-Lawrence0 -
Recent Google Link Scheme Updated ? What's Your Reaction against Link Building, Link Exchanging ?
Many Bloggers and Webmasters are upset over this !
International SEO | | Esaky
Recent Google Link Scheme Updated ? What's Your Reaction against Link Building, Link Exchanging ? https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66356?hl=en What will you Do, if we are good at traffic to our blog and advertiser link will be no-follow - will they accept it ! and guest post also. They need a do-follow link back to their blog or website they hired for !0 -
Understanding the "Index Status" Data Inside Google Webmaster Tools
Currently there are total 2,787 Articles added to my Blog. The Index Status shows the following report under Index Status>Advance Total Indexed = 12,505 Blocked by robots = 8,659 And when I do search for site:techmaish.com in Google.com, it shows; About 12,200 results (0.15 seconds) Now my question. 1:- Is it normal Or there is something wrong? 2:- If there is something wrong then what is that? Thanks in advance. _ Attached is the screenshot of my GWT._ 7dk.png
International SEO | | techmaish0 -
URL Structure for Multilingual Site With Two Major Locations
We're working on a hotel site that has two major locations. Locations currently live in separate domains. The sites target users from around the world and offer content in multiple languages. The client is looking into migrating all content into one domain and creating sub-folders for each location. The sites are strong in organic search, but they want to expand the keyword portfolio to broader keywords regarding activities, which they also market on their sites. The goal is to scale their domain authority as they have a really strong brand. The question is which would be a preferred URL structure in case content is finally migrated into one domain? - (we have doubts about were the lang folder should be placed as each location has different amenities and services). Here is what we had in mind: domain.com – this is the homepage domain.com/location-1 – to target English visitors domain.com/location-2 – to target English visitors domain.com/es/location-1 – to target Spanish visitors domain.com/es/location-2 – to target Spanish visitors
International SEO | | burnseo0 -
How to replace my .co.uk site with my .com site in the US Google results
My customer and I are based in the UK. My customer's site, www.blindbolt.co.uk has been around for years. Last year we launched their American site, www.blindboltusa.com. Searching on google.com (tested both via proxy and using the gl=us querystring trick), a search for blind bolt on the US Google returns our www.blindbolt.co.uk site. We would like it to show our www.blindboltusa.com website in US searches. Webmaster tools has the Geographic Target set correctly for each site. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions please? Thanks.
International SEO | | OffSightIT0 -
Www.google.rs for SERBIA is mising in Engienes
Why you dont have SERBIA in engines for google - www.google.rs You have Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina and Slovenia and Serbia is missing 😞 Best regards kasa
International SEO | | stamparija2 -
Outsourcing development to external agencies
We are a large charitable organisation which has not paid too much attention to SEO guidelines in the past and as such have a number of websites that have been built by external development agencies. The question that we would like to ask is how this is affecting our SEO. The sites that have been built previously have been created on subdomains and we know that this is an issue. Subdomains are considered separate sites by the Search Engines and not all equity is passed from the subdomains to our main sites, especially as our internal link structure is poorly constructed. However if we had put the sites under our main website URL in subfolders would we still be reducing our page rank and link equity as the pages are hosted by the companies that built them often in a different programming language (Open Source rather than Enterprise) and sometimes in a different country. One company that we asked to build pages for us recently said that it was no problem with SEO because they would put the content in an iFrame to one of our main domain URL in a subfolder but I know that iFrames pass all link equity to the company where the site is actually located/hosted. What are the brilliant SEOMOZs communities thoughts on this? Thanks very much. EDIT - 1100hrs. Thanks to all the responses so far, but we've not quite got to the root of the issue - sorry it's probably the way I've phrased the question. Essentially we host our own website but our internal team does not have the resource to build all the functionality required by the business. So if we need a platform that manages our events or a platform that manages our community it has to be built externally then integrated into our existing structure as it would cost too much / take too long / potentially don' t have the expertise to do internally. External companies tend to have the best functionality but then we are directing our visitors to their sites. So we are asking them to integrate their sites into ours for an extra fee but what we are trying to find out is whether or not this is worth it in terms of search equity for our site if we only lose visitors once they have arrived at our site and are then directed off...?
International SEO | | tgraham1