Finding a New Location in New City For Lawyer

[JRS]

Its my understanding you can try and find someone - an office space or office space shared by other lawyers who dont practice in your field and ask them "hi, we're looking to "hang our sign" at your place of business - to use your address and have a phone number associated with it. We're doing this to expand our presence in your city. if we paid you a $200 or so a month, would you allow us to do this? it won't conflict w/ your business." We're doing this because Google frowns on shared office space or a po box and needs a legit location. My client doesn't want to pay for a full office every month. How should I best go about procuring this? Send out emails and / or phone calls? Are there other downsides to this I'm not considering? Such as: hey, look, you need an actual SIGN hanging at this address, you can't just have a phone number piped in. What other things should I be considering in regards to this?

 

[Professor M]

those offices need to have at least a staff member of your client during working hours as just outdoor signage is not enough.

Also, that tactic may create issues for the other lawyers (get suspended) so "it won't conflict w/ your business" is not accurate, and it will not be fun if that happens to them.

 

[johnlavapie_SEO]

I have 2 questions:

1. Are you trying to expand your business presence in the Local Pack or the Organic?
- If organic, making a new listing won't do anything for you. If Local Pack - I mean yeah it will work (but...)

2. Is it worth the risk?
- I tried to think of ways you can get away with this. But if you don't - I don't think it is worth the risk. This is definitely against Google's guidelines if you have no actual office with a staff. And if you get reported/caught - (1) if you are an agency or have multiple clients, all of the profiles under your account can also get suspended including the ones you originally tried to expand their business presence. (2) those businesses in that address could also be affected.

The better practice is to work on your on-site SEO. Make landing pages specific for that neighbourhood or that city/town.