Can you get in trouble/get results by sub-dividing one physical address into suites for local search?

[monkeeboy]

We have a client in our area that offers a multitude of home services -- plumbing, HVAC repair, landscaping, etc. -- out of one physical location. It makes it difficult for them to rank highly for all of their services in local search since many of the competitors that rank highly only offer one of the services that they do.

They have come to me asking if they could create a Google place page for each service by making imaginary suites for their main address. So, for example, plumbing would be located at 100 Main Street, Suite A; and HVAC repair would be located at 100 Main St., Suite B; etc.?

Seems like this is either a great idea or could get you into some Google trouble. Has anyone experienced anything similar?

Thanks

[AlanMosley]

i should also add, i was putting location in the title of the google places, worked well, but now they review them much more closly. i get supspened along with all my clients that i control. not just those that I did the trickk with. It took about 6 weeks to get back on.

[SimonCullum]

Hi There

It seems like your client is requesting something that is considered to be unethical in terms of search. Stripping it back, they are asking if it's Ok to deceive Google Places by creating fake addresses, plus indicating that they are happy to display fake addresses to searchers.

With a well optimized Google Places listing and a well optimized webpage for the listing, it should be possible to show up for more than 1 of those home services.

My advice would be to avoid doing what they are requesting, as not only is is bad practice, it does present a real risk of being caught out, possibly during the verification phase that Google do, bound to get flagged up.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Simon

[AlanMosley]

there was a story in the press about a lawyer who was doing well out of places, utill another lawyer moved into the same building and google merged their places into one, and the phone number was that of the new guy. So they certainly are on the look out for it.