Brand + Geo-term in URL not allowed?

[heckler]

Has anyone heard this? I can't find any documentation that specifies this is a violation from Google, but I've now had a handful of GMB support reps tell me this is a thing?

 

[DanLeibson]

What URL? The one you attach to a GMB profile?

 

[heckler]

Yup. We've had a few different GMB reps tell us this, even though it runs contra to everything I understand about how Google handles TLDs and I could only imagine the number of torches and pitchforks a 'change' like this would cause.

So I'm just going to chock it up as local-reps grasping at straws (their heart is in the right place though...right?).

The silence on this post just confirms what I already thought. I've not found anything to even remotely support what they said at large or on the support forums, but it has been fun watching all the 'locksmiths' on the support forum complaining about suspended listings

 

[Linda Buquet]

Very interesting Bryan!

It's news to me too and really does not make sense. If so thousands and thousands of enterprise, chain and franchise locations would have a big problem.

My guess is they misspoke and are thinking GEO in biz name isn't allowed???

It would be great if you would post this over at the GMB Community. Then give me the link here in this thread so I can find it and I'll escalate to Google. At the very least they need to know the support reps are saying this. OR if they've made this change they need to know why it's problematic.

 

[DanLeibson]

So to me this makes zero sense. How else are multi-location companies supposed to structure their locator/location pages? The domain is going to be the brand and the location page is going to be the geo. That just is the best IA you can have from a sensical navigation perspective.

 

[heckler]

Thanks Linda - it really freaked me out at first because we found out about the advanced approval process last week that G is doing in San Diego before their support team even knew about it (they thought someone was trying to fish us when we asked about it).

I'll post it on the GMB community. I know they weren't talking about the business name because they kept stating it was the URL over and over. They might have misspoke if they were confusing URL with the business name... but the listing only includes the legal business name (which doesn't include any geo-terms).

I have a couple theories as to why it was actually suspended; it was just escalated to another team and now I'm just waiting to hear back.

So to me this makes zero sense. How else are multi-location companies supposed to structure their locator/location pages?

Completely with you on this Dan. I can't imagine Google making a change like this, just do some searches for head terms, most of those guys in the local pack are using brand+geo TLDs.

 

[NotForSale]

No. But the GEO thing can be an issue. That's why one might consider naming a new business with the city or keyword in the name. Especially if the Internet is where you do the lions share of your marketing. This will get you in under the radar and produces some very nice natural citations in the process. i.e., Dallas Plumbing Services, Inc. = Dallas Plumbing Services.com etc.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I have found a great percentage of advice from GMB phone support reps are wrong. Especially if they can't back it up with what's written in the actual guidelines.