Are you allowed to have location in business name on Google+ local/business?

[ashleybarrett]

First off, this is my first post on this great forum.(long time reader)

Linda I am also going to sign up for you training in the short term.

Now to my questions, which I'm sure has been asked more than once but could not find and answer.

I am doing some work for a car hire company that has a number of branches, are we allowed to include the location in the business name on a listing?
"good car hire company - something airport" or "good car hire company - city name"

I'm not sure if that is considered keyword stuffing or if there is a rule against it.

A lot of the large players are doing it and seems to be ranking well which makes me question its use. Or does it have to be solely the name of the business and no location modifier?

One company here has even started a whole new website just so they can get double listings. Every location is the same physical location but they change address, phone numbers, website page location.

Anyway, main question is can we use the location in the business name location? Or should it strictly be the business name as it is registered?

 

[whitespark]

Hi Ashley,

No, your business name shouldn't be anything except your actual "doing business as" name. No other keywords. I would report those businesses through the report a problem link AND edit the name in Map Maker.

Here is what Google says in the guidelines:

"Business Name: Represent your business exactly as it appears in the offline world.

Do not include marketing taglines in your business name.

Do not include phone numbers or URLs in the business name field, unless they are part of your business name.

Do not attempt to manipulate search results by adding extraneous keywords or a description of your business in the business name field.
Some businesses may be located within a mall or a container store, which is a store that contains another business. If your business is within a container store or mall, and you?d like to include this information in your listing, specify the container store in parentheses in the business name field. For example, Starbucks (inside Safeway)."


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[ashleybarrett]

Thanks Darren,
I just search the guidelines you mentioned and it does clearly state on to do it. I will report them and link to the business name information and see what google does with that.

I never understood the lengths some (big) companies go to manipulate the local search results. One company has one located at the terminal building another where they physically hand the cars out in the same airport, another under a different name/website but is the same company and another called truck and bus again changing the details slightly and linking to the homepage

All of the above is one company, a very large company and they are not alone. Every airport is the same.

For me it should be one listing per location(city/airport/town) and then list your different categories.


Really makes it unfair for those who want to play fair and stick to the rules as these are big company's with a big web presence an rank well in organic and local.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Welcome Ashley and thanks for joining.

Darren is right. And the guidelines are purposefully vague. They don't come right out and say "don't add city". But it used to be the #1 reason listings got suspended.

Lots get away with it for awhile, just like drunk driving, but many eventually get caught too.

We've been talking to Google too about the fact that the algo places too much emphasis on KW and City in name and therefore creates more folks KW stuffing. Trying to get them to turn that part of algo down a crank to level the playing field. (Not sure if it will happen.)

 

[whitespark]

That makes a lot of sense Linda. There is no reason for them to give any weight to keywords in the title. Would be great for them to turn it right off.


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