Brand New Business: Suite, Ste, or # Preferred?

[Michael Charvet]

Hi everyone,

We're working with a client that is launching a new business. The city government just provided them a new suite number at an existing street address -- no other business has ever used that exact address before -- it's a clean slate with no references or citations or any kind, the post office doesn't even know about it yet.

Given that, is there a preferred format for the suite number in listings: Suite, Ste or #?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Michael,

Be sure to put suite on line 2 now. It's in the guidelines.

Don't use Ste for sure, but whether she prefers Suite or # or just a number when you are setting up from a clean slate I'm not positive. I tend to use Suite but I think the Map Maker Experts recommend #.

Let me see if I can find the thread where we went round and round with them about this.

 

[Linda Buquet]

There have been a bunch of threads about it, but in this one Andrew agrees suite is best.

 

[ARKlady ARKtechCo]

We have tended to us # as a general rule so that they match between platforms.

Personally, I think it is the consistency of NAP that is important and that stands firm when things keep changing.

 

[Michael Charvet]

@Linda, ARKlady

Thanks! I've read through the referenced posts and some others as well.

Noticed Google Maps overwhelmingly displays "#", rather the "Suite" or "Ste", but that may not reflect the actual data under the hood.

When a user attempts to publicly edit a Maps listing, they are promptly redirected to MapMaker land, where the suite is left blank even if it exists in the Maps listing -- the user is prompted to enter the suite number in the first line -- in standard MapMaker fashion. See screenshot below: Google twice prompts the user to enter "Suite". But it seems once a "Suite" number is entered, it's re-written as "#" in Maps for brevity.

If I'm reading this correctly, I'm tempted to use "Suite" in the dashboard and citations, and let Google re-write it any way they want for display. Of course, they could be writing out "Suite" simply to explain what they want, rather then indicating any particular formatting preference.

 

[Nyagoslav]

Here is practically the whole answer to your question, Michael:

SBSM Mailbag: Does Google Normalize NAP Data? (Name, Address, Phone)

 

[Michael Charvet]

Good stuff Nyagoslav, thanks!