How should I list my client in Google+?

[JesseCWalker]

My client is a personal injury lawyer with one office in a highly competitive major metropolitan area and another office in a very small town.  They are changing offices in the major metropolitan area in June and will have a new address.

They are already doing well in serps related to the small town but are nowhere to be found in the metropolitan area serps.

Currently I can find unclaimed listings in Google+ Local for both offices.  I cannot find any Google+ business page and they don't know of one.

Given this information and the current state of Google+ how would you proceed to list this client?

Specific questions include:

*Would there be any straight SEO benefit of making a Google+ Business Page for them?

*Would you claim the Google+ Local listing for the Metro office that is going to be moved in 5 months?  or would you wait until the office is moved then create a new Google+ Local listing?

[MiriamEllis]

That's correct, Jesse. You've understood this correctly. Hopefully, we'll see functionality of this kind in 2013!

[JesseCWalker]

Hi Miriam,

Thanks for the help!

I'm still confused about whether or not Google+ Local supports multi-location businesses.

Right now in Google+ local both of my client's offices are listed.  So I'm guessing that what is not actually supported is the linking of multiple Google+ Local listings to one Google Business Page.  True?

Jesse

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Jesse, If you know they are planning to move in the next few months, I would definitely hold off on anything. You don't want to have to go back and re-do the work. Right now, Google+ Local does not support multi location businesses. Multi location businesses and claim/manage their listings via the old Google Places dashboard. I highly recommend a careful read of this post on the subject of merging: http://blumenthals.com/blog/2012/08/10/google-business-pages-to-merge-or-not-to-merge-that-is-the-question/ Hope this helps!