Local citations NAP for virtual business?

[GoLocal]

How do you handle address in NAP when getting citations for a local business that is virtual or at-home? (where they don't want it publicized but still want to show up in map pack) Thank you for any shared knowledge. ☺

P.S. I've read this so I get the generals: How to Build Citations if You Want to Hide Your Address

Just curious if that's how everyone here is doing it. Thank you.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

Hey @GoLocal ! If you hadn't already referenced the article by Darren @whitespark, I would have steered you that way . His recommendations and advice in that article are spot on. To me, this is the most important paragraph from the article to advise any client that wants to hide their address:

Plus, there is no guarantee that your business address will stay private/hidden online even if you only list your business on sites that let you hide your address. There are many listing sites that get their information directly from government databases, business registries and so on, and these sources will have the registered business address that you used in your documentation. Your address is likely to show up somewhere online no matter how hard you try to prevent it.

There are just too many other ways for a person to find out more information about a business, business owner, reverse phone number lookup, employees, etc. than just from a GBP. If someone really wants to find out where a business is located or where a business owner lives, they can/will find that info out.

IMO, I would just block it on the ones you can and list it on the others if you want to pursue any truly helpful citation building. Good luck!

 

[GoLocal]

Jeff, thank you so much for the reply. That's what I will do then. Follow up, are any of the cheaper co-working sites still an effective solution for this purpose? And if so do you need a dedicated desk or do "hot desk" memberships work? Thank you.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

LOL, you may not realize it but the use of co-working spaces for GBPs, even as SABs, is a subject often brought up on this forum and often times people can get pretty upset with the answers. Just remember that Google makes the rules for GBPs, SABs and how co-working spaces, virtual desks, hot desks, etc. are treated .

To keep the answer as short as possible, is your client a true SAB or will they serve clients/customers at the co-working space, or is it a hybrid? Lastly, would the client be able to keep regular business hours at the co-working space? If you can share their industry, that would be helpful too.

 

[GoLocal]

No I did not realize that, I'm never one to stir the pot. Thank you for explaining that so I understand the context, very grateful for your well thought out replies Jeff.

Well myself for example. I work 100% from home, I'm an O.G. digital nomad. Had my first remote creative director gig in 1999 already. Stayed there for 6 years without ever meeting a single coworker or client.

I do tons of content for business. Logos, landing pages, blogs, videos. Sometimes I get a big gig, like a voiceover for UFC video, but generally 98% of what I did is mom and pop. I never meet them and if I had a co-working space it would be purely for the purposes of not publicizing my home address, I would never meet clients there.

Now bear in mind I would only do things that are good practices. I'm not grey hat, I'm white hat all the way. There's enough ways to win without pushing the line. I just didn't understand the context. I've done tons of SEO learning but haven't had a chance to put a lot of into practice yet so I'm like a guitar player who's read 1,000 magazines but never played in a band, still missing so much of the picture.

Again thank you Jeff. Cheers.

 

[JeffClevelandTN]

Thanks for the additional insight into your business! If you don't already have a GBP you'll need to use your home address. You will simply run into problems immediately or further issues down the road with a GBP using a co-working address based on how you currently operate your business. It is totally fine to use a co-working address as a mailing address for the great majority of citations that are generally available, which I think you already know. The only caveat is making sure that the co-working space permits you to receive mail at their address. Many co-working spaces don't allow or permit using their address as a mailing address.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[GoLocal]

Yes. It was extremely helpful, thank you Jeff!

 

[keyserholiday]

Use your home address if you set up a GBP and do not show the address. It's pointless to use a co-working space to hide the address. To qualify for a GBP at a coworking space, you must have an executive office with permanent signage. Google has changed the way businesses get verified, so you are going to have a difficult time getting verified.

 

[GoLocal]

Thanks for the additional insight into your business! If you don't already have a GBP you'll need to use your home address. You will simply run into problems immediately or further issues down the road with a GBP using a co-working address based on how you currently operate your business. It is totally fine to use a co-working address as a mailing address for the great majority of citations that are generally available, which I think you already know. The only caveat is making sure that the co-working space permits you to receive mail at their address. Many co-working spaces don't allow or permit using their address as a mailing address.

I hope this is helpful.

I launched one, this might make more sense in context. So this is an EMD for a neighborhood and the realtor who occupies the site already has a GMB connected to her main brand site, so my question is whether there are any methods of getting "citations" (or equivalent) for these neighborood sites: Pump Hill Real Estate

I have a few to complete, Ideally I'd like to get them as far as I can for each realtor organically, so I can hand them off already in top 10-20 or whatever. I just launched that one it's 29 I think so long way to go. I don't want to just pump in a bunch of links that will make them think they are ranked then fizzle out, I want to give them solid assets. To be clear I don't "make more" but I want my clients to succeed.

Appreciate all the wisdom you have shared Jeff. I realize I'm pushing on a sore topic here. But as you can see my motives are pure. I'm not trying to fool anyone, just trying to lift these small sites at least over the thin robopages that clog the top ten. I did that video from scratch (that's my voice), I put a bit of effort into it, to try and genuinely generate a better alternative to those robopages for whatever it's worth.

I'm not trying to trick the system or do parasite, these are all genuinely good realtors, the type you would buy a home from.