Local citations for loan officer site beside company site?

[jason2004]

I don’t know how to handle client NAP due to his specific circumstances. He is mortgage loan officer and wants to have own website beside company site to promote his business and generate more leads.

In what format should I add his NAP business info on local citations?

1. Name of business: His name?

2. Address: Can he use the same company address as he works there? Would this be red flag for Google?

3. Phone: I guess that he can’t use current company number? How about using VOIP phone (with local area code) or cell phone?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Jason thanks for posting out here so others can see our discussion.

Kind of depends on situation and I don't know how loan officers are typically set up.

Employees can't have Place pages. If they could some places would have hundreds of listings and muck up the works. Plus duplicate listings cause ranking problems.

If he is INDEPENDENT and has his own business set up and is working in the bank or brokerage, he could have a listing. Real estate agents and insurance agents who are independent working out of same office can all have listings. BUT again if not set up right they compete and don't rank OR knock the brokerage out of the pack.

So before I take time to answer your Qs, I want to be sure we both understand if he's employee or independent with his own business license and listed in industry directories as a business?

 

[jason2004]

If he is INDEPENDENT and has his own business set up and is working in the bank or brokerage, he could have a listing. Real estate agents and insurance agents who are independent working out of same office can all have listings.

So before I take time to answer your Qs, I want to be sure we both understand if he's employee or independent with his own business license and listed in industry directories as a business?

Linda, thank you for your time and help.
My client is licensed mortgage loan originator with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry (NMLS).

 

[jason2004]

And he can only work from a licensed location. The licensed location can be the main company office, or any licensed branch.

 

[Linda Buquet]

OK sounds like he qualifies so to answer your Qs briefly because I'm ill and can't type much more today.

1) Yes his name only unless he has his own business name.

Should not be "Brokerage Name: His Name".

But he can add a single descriptor like Loan Officer after the name.

2) Yes can use same address. But if he bounces around and works at different offices he could also use home address and MUST HIDE IT, then he can set service area for the different offices he works at.

3) VOIP not ideal, too many spammers use it. He can use the business phone.

4) You didn't ask but on his Google listing he should not link to the home page of the main business, it will hurt their rankings. He should link to his bio page on their site if he has one OR his own site if he has one.

 

[jason2004]

OK sounds like he qualifies so to answer your Qs briefly because I'm ill and can't type much more today.

Linda I appreciate your time and I'm sorry that you are feeling ill :-( Hope that you will get better soon.

3) VOIP not ideal, too many spammers use it. He can use the business phone.

If he uses company business phone ? will it hurt company local citations? Same phone number will be used by him and mortgage company?

4) He should link to his bio page on their site if he has one OR his own site if he has one.

Thanks for note. He will link Google local listing to his newsite. That was whole idea to have his own site and promote him ? independently from current place/website where he works.

 

[jason2004]

If VOIP is not recommended ? can we place his cell phone on local citations?

 

[jason2004]

I forgot to mention that my client is having toll-free number also. Would it be better if he use 800# instead of cell# or VOIP for GP?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Like I said before there is no problem using the main # if he has an extension and will get the calls.

Often there are 10 Drs or 20 attys all in same office with same address and phone.

But if don't want to do that cell is better than 800#.

 

[jason2004]

Linda thank you for your input. I appreciate it and looking forward to learn more on this excellent forum.