How does an accurate and active Google My Business profile impact a company that does all of its work nationally/internationally through remote consulting?

[seanc1]

I'm trying to convince a client of the importance of their Google My Business profile and other listings. But because they are less concerned about local since they are a remote based B2B coaching group they don't see it as a priority. Any resources to help me unpack the importance?

[seanc1]

Thank you Miriam- thanks for pointing me to those guidelines!

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Sean,

While a local business without a physical premise can do organic local SEO, if your client isn't having face-to-face interactions with its customers, they should not be creating a Google My Business listing. Google states this in their guidelines, which state:

"Eligible businesses

In order to qualify for a Google My Business listing, a business must make in-person contact with customers during its stated hours."

So, while Will is correct in stating that there are still some things a remote/virtual business can do to compete in the organic rankings for local search phrases, building a GMB listing isn't one of them.

[seanc1]

Thank you so much Will! There were several nuggets in both resources that will help me!

Best regards,

Sean

[willcritchlow]

I remember Dana DiTomaso talking about this kind of topic at SearchLove in San Diego. You can see her slides here.

My colleague Tom Capper also talked about local SEO without a physical presence at MozCon in 2018 - slides here.

Hope one of those helps. Good luck!