Debate about hiding addresses for SABs

[Wirenut]

I have listed my home address on hundreds of citations. Most contractors do. I see no reason to hide it. Even if I did hide it, they can Google my name to find my address if they want to know it.

The few times that people asked if they can come by to drop off a check or something, I simply tell them that I will not be here and I will meet them, or to mail it, etc.

 

[djbaxter]

People with children, especially if they might be home alone after school (i.e., older pre-teens or young teens), might well want to hid the address for safety reasons.

Even if you don't have children at home, do you really want to advertise where you live and your working hours (i.e., when you're not home) to alert potential thieves?

 

[Wirenut]

People with children, especially if they might be home alone after school (i.e., older pre-teens or young teens), might well want to hid the address for safety reasons.

Even if you don't have children at home, do you really want to advertise where you live and your working hours (i.e., when you're not home) to alert potential thieves?

If someone is going to take the time to find out if a service business works out of their home in an attempt to rob it, then it will only take seconds longer to find that person’s home even if the address is hidden from all the normal directories.

You can’t hide it, a few keystrokes and clicks on Google will find every business. If someone is worried, they need to set up a different address for the business.

 

[djbaxter]

You can’t hide it, a few keystrokes and clicks on Google will find every business. If someone is worried, they need to set up a different address for the business.

I think you've missed the point. If you hide your address as an SAB on GMB and Maps, people can't find it with a few clicks.

That's actually the whole point of hiding your address.

 

[Wirenut]

I think you've missed the point. If you hide your address as an SAB on GMB and Maps, people can't find it with a few clicks.

That's actually the whole point of hiding your address.

I understand your point, I just respectfully disagree with you. It’s very easy to find the address.

And I maintain the notion that if someone is willing to spend the time to see if a service area business is working out of their home in a plan to rob it, they would also be willing to spend the extra seconds to find the address if that business attempts to hide it.

 

[Wirenut]

Concern:

1. If she is concerned about listing her personal address, how do y’all handle it?

Best regards,
Dana

Dana, I'd like to expand on what I said above.

If there is a concern as djbaxter mentioned above, such as with children at the home or possible robbery during business hours, then it is important your client does not get a false sense of security. Hiding her address in the listings you use for SEO will not keep her private.

There are many ways that someone would be able to find her address. Locksmiths (and a very large portion of SAB's) are often required to be licensed, and that business can be looked up on the state's license search webpage. If that website doesn't give the address of the business, it will still give the full name and town of the license holder.

Chances are that she is going to give out her name herself as any reputable business person would. Every email I send to customers asking questions or when sending estimates/invoices contains my full name in the signature. And that name with the town they live in is enough to find their home address.

If her business has been in business for a year or longer, there will be information on various websites that will come up in simple Google searches.

If someone was going to take the time to look into her business address to see if it's her home and if they can rob it during her business hours, then they would also be willing to spend that little bit of extra time looking her up if her address was hidden. If that is a concern for her or any SAB owner, they should air gap their home from their company. They need a different business address.

 

[djbaxter]

Dana, I'd like to expand on what I said above.

If there is a concern as djbaxter mentioned above, such as with children at the home or possible robbery during business hours, then it is important your client does not get a false sense of security. Hiding her address in the listings you use for SEO will not keep her private.

There are many ways that someone would be able to find her address. Locksmiths (and a very large portion of SAB's) are often required to be licensed, and that business can be looked up on the state's license search webpage. If that website doesn't give the address of the business, it will still give the full name and town of the license holder.

Yes there are ways to find somone if you work at it.

Why make it easier for shady people to find you by listing it and making it visible in GMB, Maps, and search results?

Not to mention that if you are running an SAB and not seeing customers in your own home, your business should be listed as such per Google guidelines. Not to do so leaves you potentially vulnerable to complaints from competitors and then you have something else to deal with.

For example, see

Add or edit your business address for your Business Profile - Google Business Profile Help

To help customers find your business on Google Maps and Search, enter your business address in your Business Profile. You can also set the pin position for your profile. On your profile,

support.google.com

How to change listing to pure service- area business in order to get verification. - Google Business Profile Community

 

[Wirenut]

I agree that the business should be listed as a service area business on google my business. I’m talking about all the other citations.

It would take a matter of seconds to find the OP’s client’s address. Anyone with a computer who can get to the Google website can do it. You don’t have to work at it, all you have to do is use Google to find all of the publicly available data.

if a criminal is both smart enough and savvy enough to use Google in order to find if a business works out of their home and also scrutinize their hours to see when they won’t be home, then they are also savvy enough to Google to find their address if it’s not listed on yelp or the other big directories.

What you are talking about here is a kin to putting three deadbolt locks on a clients door to make them feel safe, while there is a permanently opened window right next to it.

 

[djbaxter]

@Wirenut I think this horse has been flogged long enough.

From the original post / thread starter:

I have a client that is a locksmith, and she works out of her house but works at her clients’ car, address, etc. I’m sure most people have already dealt with these concerns, so I’d appreciate y’all’s help.

Concern:

1. If she is concerned about listing her personal address, how do y’all handle it?

You are basically arguing that she doesn't need to do anything. The client has said she WANTS to hide her address. In that context, your comments are not helpful, even if I agreed with you.

 

[Wirenut]

You are basically arguing that she doesn't need to do anything. The client has said she WANTS to hide her address. In that context, your comments are not helpful, even if I agreed with you.

I am not arguing, I’m simply explaining the facts.

As an SEO professional, the OP should explain to her client that having an address listed on citations might benefit her business. She should also explain that using her home address for the business would still allow anyone to find her home address even if she did not put it in those citations. So the best course of action for both business promotion and personal security might be to use a different address for the business that can be made public.

The idea that not putting her personal address on citations would keep it private is utterly and completely false. A professional should explain it to their client so that they can make a more informed decision.

My comments are both factual and helpful, even if you don’t agree with them.

The OP asked “If she is concerned, how do you handle it?“. My opinion is to explain to her two reasonable options. The first is to do what 99% of other small service area business owners who work out of their house do, and just use the address. No one here can cite instances of that causing criminal harm. The second option is to get some type of other location to use for the business address. That might be beneficial in other ways as well, such as putting the business location in a more prime area to get better business.

 

[djbaxter]

Well that did it. The horse has been pronounced officially dead and disconnected from life support.

 

[Wirenut]

Well that did it. The horse has been pronounced officially dead and disconnected from life support.

I think you are being inappropriate and condescending. It’s clear that you’re being snippy because you do not agree with me, and your behavior is uncalled for. You are out of line saying that my posts are unhelpful and continuing to post about the dead horse nonsense.

 

[djbaxter]

Look:

I have a client that is a locksmith, and she works out of her house but works at her clients’ car, address, etc. I’m sure most people have already dealt with these concerns, so I’d appreciate y’all’s help.

Concern:

1. If she is concerned about listing her personal address, how do y’all handle it?

That was a simple question. Any reasonable person would interpret that to mean:

she is concerned about listing her personal address, how do y’all handle it

Rather than give her a simple answer, you have extended and cluttered this thread to several posts defending why you have not hidden your address on your site.

You're right. I don't agree with you. That has nothing to do with the fact that most of this thread is now off-topic to the original question.

Please give it a rest. Move on.

The original question was already answered here in post #4: Home business privacy issues - Local Search Forum

 

[Wirenut]

Look:


That was a simple question. Any reasonable person would interpret that to mean:


Rather than give her a simple answer, you have extended and cluttered this thread to several posts defending why you have not hidden your address on your site.

You're right. I don't agree with you. That has nothing to do with the fact that most of this thread is now off-topic to the original question.

Please give it a rest. Move on.

The original question was already answered here in post #4: Home business privacy issues - Local Search Forum

I have not cluttered the thread, I have made posts with factual information. You have argued with each one of those posts, yet you’re accusing me of beating a dead horse.

My posts are not off topic, they are spelling out what I think the OP should do. They are 100% on topic.


If you don’t like what I am saying, post some actual evidence of it being incorrect. Or ignore it. But stop behaving childishly like you are. Having it say administrator under your name does not mean that you are always right, nor does it mean I will accept you speaking disrespectfully to me like you are.

Post number four is only one man’s opinion, the thread does not end there just because you say so.

You tell me to move on as you continue to make more posts. It’s clear that you just want the last word, so I will give that to you now. Have at it.

 

[djbaxter]

Thread split from

Home business privacy issues | Local Search

Hi, All. This is partial GMB, Google Maps, citations issue, so I decided to enter it here. I am truly sorry, if this has been answered millions of times, I just want the most current info because I don’t want to put a client into Google penalty. I have a client that is a locksmith, and she...

www.localsearchforum.com

 

[AlchemyClix]

Look:


That was a simple question. Any reasonable person would interpret that to mean:


Rather than give her a simple answer, you have extended and cluttered this thread to several posts defending why you have not hidden your address on your site.

You're right. I don't agree with you. That has nothing to do with the fact that most of this thread is now off-topic to the original question.

Please give it a rest. Move on.

The original question was already answered here in post #4: Home business privacy issues - Local Search Forum

Thank you, for the link, @djbaxter. Sorry, for causing such an uproar.

 

[djbaxter]

It wasn't you who caused the uproar, @AlchemyClix.

You asked a simple question. The rest was not caused by you at all.