Citation building for service area businesses?
-
Hi Mozzers,
Just recently came up with a situation where a business has a service area, but no address that would be displayed.
Can you do citation building for a service area business like this, and if so, how? Would you just use the (otherwise hidden in Places) address?
Thanks!
-
Hi TechWyse,
You're very welcome, and I'm sorry you experienced a glitch in the reporting system. If it happens again, please comment on that fact on the thread in question.
-
A much belated thanks Miriam,
That's what I thought might be the case. So the citation is still the address, even though it's hidden. Thanks for the thorough response!
(As a side note, I didn't seem to get a notification that a reply was posted, thought I'd get one.)
-
Hi TechWyse,
I want to be sure I am understanding your question correctly. Are you saying that the business has no usable address whatsoever? Not even a home address? Please clarify.
It is totally possible to build citations for service area businesses (like carpet cleaners, landscapers, contractors, etc.), but they do need to have a physical address in order to participate. This work typically goes like this:
-
You create a Google Places Listing for the business and be sure to pick the 'hide address' function during creation. Google does not want service radius businesses to display their addresses on their Google Places/Google+ Local pages.
-
You can then build a variety of citations in other local business indexes. There are two approaches here. Even though Google doesn't want service radius businesses to show their address on Google's products, there is nothing to prevent you from listing that address on other listings, like Yelp, Merchant Circle, Best of the Web, etc. Alternatively, if the client does not want his street address to appear anywhere on these directories, he can stick to publishing his listing only at those directories which allow you to hide your address. Here is Phil Rozek's helpful list of such resources:
Important To Understand
It is perfectly fine, at this point, for service radius businesses to use their home address as their physical address, provided that the address is not being used by any other business. For example, if a husband had an accounting business and a wife had a pet grooming business, both operating out of the home, they could not both use the same address nor the same telephone number. So, both phone and address must be dedicated and unique to avoid problems.
Also, at this point, it is a violation of Google's guidelines to use anything other than a real physical address as a business location. No P.O. boxes, no virtual offices. Despite the fact that Google requires the hiding of the physical address in their system, the address is still entered in the back end dashboard and must be a real location.
Hope these pointers help, and if I've in any way misunderstood your client's business model, please feel free to provide further details.
-
-
Citations need to be for address specific, because they should all match up. So just area specific no, because if it was possible it would allow others to rank up for local terms in any city they would like around the world. So I highly suggest you get an address in some way. Maybe a friends address, a home address of your own, or something in that area you could possibly use as an address. It has to be a location that has never been used with Google local before though.
How did you signup with Google local or place page with no address?
Have a nice day.
MB
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
-
Good Example of Local Pages With Multiple Services
Can I get a site that is well optimized and has a good landing page for a business that serves multiple regions with multiple services. For example they may have construction and mold removal services and serve Indianapolis, Columbus Ohio, Louisville Ky.
Image & Video Optimization | | Atomicx0 -
Does Bing Business Portal still not accept Canadian listings?
I've read a lot of blog posts from a few years ago that Bing Business portal(maps) doesn't accept Canadian Business listings. I figured by now they would be accepting listings however when I try and submit one you cannot pick Canada. It's defaulted to USA. Are they seriously still not accepting Canadian listings?
Image & Video Optimization | | DCochrane0 -
Trying to Merge Google + Local and Google Business Page _ How to?
Hi I have been reading so many posts about merging Google Plus + (Places) accounts and the new Google + Business Pages. I am working with a business who has a verified account in both. How ( and in fact should we try and merge). The old Places page has a review the newly create Business Page does not but is better optimized. Any help would be gratefully received as my head is spinning/ PS based in New Zealand
Image & Video Optimization | | AllieMc0 -
How do you handle local SEO when a business has had multiple names?
Hi, Here is a quite simple question... that comes from a real life example. When a local business, with one phone number and one business location, has been promoting itself with up to 4 different names over the years. How do you handle local SEO? Do you try to update all pages (and directories) on the Web to the new name? Do you keep the existing records as they are and find some ways to show Google - and people - that those are all the same business? Thanks, Adrien O'Leary
Image & Video Optimization | | AdrienOLeary0 -
Multiple businesses under the same physical address
If I am running one business at one address and I start a new business what should I do to avoid triggering spam filters for having 2 businesses using the same address. I've been told by an seo that I trust the best way to do this is create a suite #. If I do this then I have to change all the addresses on the existing campaigns for the Primary business because if I create suite #'s it changes the primary's address by doing this.
Image & Video Optimization | | NormanNewsome0 -
Help - Google places,a service my competitor has used...
I was just doing a bit of detective work on a competitors website and noticed they had employed the services of an SEO company. Anyway, i went on this SEO companies website and discovered they offer a service called "Google places". Now I have an idea what google places is (my company is registered with it) but how are SEOs using Google places as a method for SEO? And how can I copy this service to do this for my own website?
Image & Video Optimization | | copywritingbuzz0 -
My Google Places get mixed with another similar business
I'm having this issue with the keyword "miami printing" raking local for Miami, FL. My website is miamiprintingfl.com and part of my listing, photo, some reviews and etc, belongs to another listing miami-printing.net that last domain is not working at all. Is there anyway to solve this problem? Thank you Here my listing link: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&ix=seb&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1600&bih=799&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=miami+printing&fb=1&gl=us&hq=printing&hnear=0x88d9b0a20ec8c111:0xff96f271ddad4f65,Miami,+FL&cid=13803935199736027265&ei=mxFdT7LKJar50gGPk8WICg&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=placepage-link&resnum=1&ved=0CI8BEOIJMAA And the other website that google its getting my listing mixed: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&ix=seb&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1600&bih=799&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=miami+printing&fb=1&gl=us&hq=printing&hnear=0x88d9b0a20ec8c111:0xff96f271ddad4f65,Miami,+FL&cid=16945901725821376380&ei=mxFdT7LKJar50gGPk8WICg&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=placepage-link&resnum=3&ved=0CJ4BEOIJMAI
Image & Video Optimization | | jpgprinting0 -
Local Keyword vs Business Name in URL
I am working with a local business owner who has purchased multiple domains. One includes the geographic area she serves and the type of business she runs. The other includes her business name and the type of business she runs. She is unsure of which domain she would like to use as the main URL for her business website. When choosing a domain for a small, local business, would you consider it advantageous to have the main geographic area that the business serves in the URL rather than the actual name of the business? What would be the best use of domain name which isn't selected from a SEO standpoint?
Image & Video Optimization | | Neustop0