Home-Based Business & Obtaining NAP Citations?

[russofford]

Hi All,

How do you feel is a good way to approach NAP (name/address/phone) citation building for a home-based business (where client's do not come to the location), taking into consideration the following factors:

1. Google requires the address to be hidden
2. The business owner may or may not want their home address publicized all over the internet.
3. If a PO Box is used for NAP, it could conflict with the address info used to verify the G+ Local listing (and may not provide a 'clean' NAP representation online?)

You input is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Russ

 

[whitespark]

Hi Russ,

If a home based business does not want their address published all over the internet, it's a bit of a problem. You could do partial citations, where you only submit the business name and phone number, but many sites won't let you submit without the address. My recommendation here is to just explain to the client that very few people actually use those sites, and if it's a home based business, no one is going to show up at your door since that's not how home based businesses work.

Don't use a PO box, ever, for anything to do with citations or Google+.

Google might require the address to be hidden, but it has no bearing on the citations. They still collect data about your business from the citations and that address is important for them to be able to associate the citations with your listing.

Hope this helps.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Exactly what I was going to say Darren, and I didn't have to type it.
Thanks! Great answer!

 

[whitespark]

Just trying to look out for your carpal-tunnel Linda!