Does it make sense to backlink from local citations....

[mikepcservice]

Hey guys, since my bud the onsite heating technician does not wish to have his house address displayed in the GMB and since as far as I am being told google will not rank him in the 3 pack, does it make any sense to focus on local citations backlinking on a monthly basis please?

 

[Mollie]

Hey guys, since my bud the onsite heating technician does not wish to have his house address displayed in the GMB and since as far as I am being told google will not rank him in the 3 pack, does it make any sense to focus on local citations backlinking on a monthly basis please?

Hey Mike, I have not heard that Google does not rank due to no address being displayed. It may just be a competitive market where your friend is located. I have seen SAB's rank in Map Pack. (See attached screenshot. The third business listed is an ac contractor that does not list his address.) I absolutely think that listing him on relevant local citations would be a good idea. Good luck!

 

[mikepcservice]

Hmnn I was told on this forum in one of my threads that google will not rank my bud's site if his "full" address is not displayed. What he has done is opted to put only the street number, city, state and zip code but not his house number so maybe that might be the issue?

This is what I am seeing on google when I search it:

Google requires that you enter a valid mailing address for your business. You canconceal this address from searchers, however, and you can use a different criterion — "service areas" — to define your location on Google Maps.

So maybe he should do that?

 

[Stefan Somborac]

@mikepcservice As @Mollie illustrated with a screenshot, SABs can rank. Obviously, you can't get a pin on the map because a pin represents a specific location, but you can rank an SAB.

There are also a handful of citation sites that let you create a listing without a street address. @Phil Rozek wrote a post listing several. (The post was also updated with a link to a more recent list by Whitespark.)

 

[mikepcservice]

You've hit the nail on the head. I just got off the phone with the bud asking him to clarify. What he told me was he doesn't;t want when anyone googles his phone number that they will see his address, that is the main issue.

I just googled his phone number and I am seeing his full address being displayed on Chamber of commerce and some other local citations in the SERP's so it seems only some local citations are showing his full address.

 

[Wirenut]

My electrical contracting business has always ranked in the 3 (and 7 back then) pack and I never showed an address because I always specified that my business goes out to customer's houses and does not accept people at the business address.

FWIW, with all the other citations I have my address listed and it has never been an issue in any way. I am not sure why contractors and other SAB worry about this.

 

[mikepcservice]

Because some people will show up at the address unannounced without checking with you first, that has happened to other onsite service providers before.