At our company, Big West Marketing, we get a lot of questions on what Google will or will not allow when it comes to ranking in multiple cities. The following information is based on a combination of many hours of testing and talking with Google employees. I have used that information and hands-on experience to rank hundreds of local service-based businesses in the US and Canada since 2009.
This information does NOT apply to Organic Ranking or Google AdWords Pay-Per-Click.
What CAN I Use as an Address To Rank in the Google Local Listings?
- Single Residential House Address
- Single Residential Apartment Address
- Commercial Office Suites or Units
- Single or Multiple Commercial Address(es)
What CAN’T I Use as an Address To Rank in the Google Local Listings?
- Combination of Residential and Commercial Addresses
- Multiple Residential Addresses (Exceptions for Large Franchises)
- PO Boxes, UPS Mailboxes or other Mailbox companies
- Virtual Offices
- Commercial Address Inhabited by Another Business
Where Can I Rank?
You must have a physical address that is able to receive mail, in the city you want to rank. You must list the actual city, NOT an adjoining suburb, nearby city or county. It MUST be the city that the post office uses when delivering mail. Google will send you a physical postcard to verify that it’s a legitimate address.
What About Surrounding Cities?
Sometimes Google will rank your business in neighboring cities if there is little competition; however, this will most likely be in the Organic Listings. If you want to rank in large, competitive cities or suburbs, then forget about ranking in the Google Maps section unless you have a physical address in that city or suburb.
Can I Dominate the Entire Metro Area in a Big City?
In order to rank a single business in multiple cities, you MUST have a legitimate, verifiable commercial address for each location. These locations can’t have other businesses currently occupying them. To rank multiple residential locations, you must be part of a large franchise.
Or
The only way to really “Fool Google” with multiple residential locations is to have completely unique Google Accounts, Business Names, Phone Numbers, Addresses, Websites and Listings Across the Internet. They must appear to be completely different businesses to a human or Google. For most small businesses, the time and cost involved is just not realistic.
How Is My Competitor Getting Away With It?
From time to time Google will miss the mark and someone breaking the rules will get away with it, especially if they have been ranking for many years. However, it is becoming less and less common because Google now has teams of human employees scouring the Internet for fake business listings or obvious violations of their guidelines.
I have seen people get away with “Fooling Google” for years at a time. I have also seen people get their entire accounts shut down or marked as spam. So, if you are going to take a chance and try to “Fool Google”, just be aware there is a certain level of risk involved. Typically, if you get away with breaking the rules, it will only be for a short time. In my opinion it is not a good long-term solution.
What Happens When I Move or Change My Phone Number?
The MOST important factor in local SEO is having consistent information across the Internet. Therefore, changing your business name, address or phone number is the BIGGEST action that a business makes that affects Google Local Listings section ranking. That’s why it is very important to keep track of ALL your usernames and passwords for EVERY directory or website.
Real SEO companies will put most of their time and effort into creating and maintaining this consistency. The reason most SEO companies don’t do it (or do it incorrectly) is because it is hard, grueling, frustrating, time-consuming work. Regardless of whom you work with on SEO, be sure consistency is addressed and tracked throughout the process.
If you have any more questions, please contact our office at 406-493-1881. We are here to assist you in turning your website into a Job-getting, Deal-closing, 24/7 Money-Making Machine”.
Table of Contents
Intro to Book: The Service Business Money Machine
Chapter 1: The Power of Making It Easy
Chapter 2: Navigation Menus and Pages
Chapter 3: Going Mobile
Chapter 4: Website Look and Feel
Chapter 5: Domains, Hosting and Websites
Chapter 6: Building Trust On The Internet
Chapter 7: Video Power!
Chapter 8: Closing the Deal
Chapter 9: SEO – Understanding the Game
Chapter 10: On-site SEO
Chapter 11: Off-site SEO
Chapter 12: Google My Business FAQ
Chapter 13: Facebook Marketing
Chapter 14: Bringing It All Together
