Hide Your Address on Google Places Q & A

[Jo Shaer]

So a client is a masseur who works from a therapy room at her home. So, we know we can't check the box which says she serves clients at her business premises.

But she doesn't serve clients at their locations. So she's not an SAB either.

If we uncheck that one as well, will Google say that we should not have a listing on Google Places at all?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Glad you bumped this old thread Jo because I meant to update it with this, which also happens to apply to your client I think.

See the following comment at this thread:
<a href="http://localsearchforum.catalystemarketing.com/google-local-important/17033-google-places-guidelines-reading-between-lines-changes.html">Google Places Guidelines - Reading Between the Lines and Changes</a>

GOOGLE SUPPORT REPORTEDLY WROTE:

?In order to display your address at a residential location you must have a sign displaying your business name and allow customer walk-ins anytime during your operating business hours?,

?Only locations that have regular store hours and accept walk in customers ?off the street? are allowed to have their address shown?,

?Residential addresses or locations that require appointments are not allowed to show their address?.

Since I assume she only works by appointment since she can't take a new customer while she's in giving a client a massage, then the above seems to fit?

 

[Jo Shaer]

Hi Linda

Thanks for the clarification, the external sign and availability should help business owners who work from home to understand the difference.

She is definitely by appointment only so she can't say she serves customers at her business address.

However, does it matter if she doesnt check the box to say she serves customers at their address because she doesn't do that either

With Best Wishes
Jo

 

[Linda Buquet]

Regardless of home business or hidden address issues, businesses that are by appt only are not allowed to have a Place page.

So ya that's a tough one. Should hide address because home business, YET does see customers there AND does not have a service area.

All you can do is give it your best shot. Always a chance they will see it's a home address and take it down but I think it's a fairly slim chance if no other violations or anything.

Could try in description and on home page of site to make it more obvious this is a quaint, personal home massage studio or something which could help if there is a manual review. (But could also turn off customers - I don't think I'd get a massage from a stranger at their house.)