Multi Location question

[chicoelnino]

I've a lead gen site in a city and the current GMB is on the outskirts of that city.


My client has provided me with addresses that I can use to get 3/4 more GMB listings in different parts of that city.


My question is when setting these up, apart from having the individual location pages on the site for the GMB URL + unique phone numbers, do I have to set up each new GMB with a different gmail account, or can I add them in the backend of the current listing under the "add location" tab?


Never done this before with a multi location GMB, so figured I'd ask here.

Hope this makes sense

 

[JoyHawkins]

Lead generating sites don't qualify for Google My Business listings, unfortunately. Usually the more you create, the more likely it is that Google (or a competitor) will catch it and they will all get suspended. My advice is to not go down that road.

 

[chicoelnino]

Don't qualify? How do you mean?

I've 27 lead gen sites currently, all with GMBs associated with each.

 

[JoyHawkins]

According to the Google My Business guidelines, you have to do face-to-face contact with customers in order to have a listing. Lead generation listings don't qualify. We see them get reported and removed constantly on the Google My Business forum.

 

[chicoelnino]

Yes, and all my lead gen sites do face to face contact with customers. My client who rents the site+GMB listing looks after all that.

 

[SEOExpertBrad]

Please send me the sites, I will be happy to look into things. But in order to fully help I need the other lead gen sites you mention as well.

 

[chicoelnino]

Hey Brad, Thanks for the reply.

I can't expose any of my sites for obvious reasons.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Hey [MENTION=8625]chicoelnino[/MENTION],

So just to make sure we're referring to the same thing. I'm assuming you're talking about the following scenario.

Let's say I have a lead generating site called Awesomest Plumbers in Chicago and I build a domain and get it to rank on Google. Then when I get leads, I send them to Bob the Plumber in Chicago (a business in chicago) and he sells them.

According to GMB guidelines, I would not be allowed to create a listing for Awesomest Plumbers in Chicago. Google would be fine with Bob the Plumber having a listing for his business.

To clarify how I'm certain these are against guidelines, here are some examples from the GMB forum where Google removed these types of listings:

Example 1


Example 2

Example 3

These types of listings are sometimes caught by Google and removed automatically but I find usually they get flagged when someone reports them. It's usually a competitor or a Maps user in the area.

I think it's important to be aware that Google doesn't want these listings on Maps so if you create them, there is a good chance that some day they will removed overnight. I can't tell you if that will be tomorrow or 2 years from now, but it's likely to happen at some point.

 

[chicoelnino]

If we were to all play by Google's rules Joy, then this forum wouldn't even exist!

I'm well aware of most of Google's policies etc. But the truth is that if we're involved in even helping a local business rank (lead gen or client site) then that's in violation of Mr.G's policies.

 

[JoyHawkins]

If we were to all play by Google's rules Joy, then this forum wouldn't even exist!

I'm well aware of most of Google's policies etc. But the truth is that if we're involved in even helping a local business rank (lead gen or client site) then that's in violation of Mr.G's policies.

How so? Google isn't against marketing agencies that follow their guidelines. If they were, they wouldn't have invested so much time in building out the new GMB agency dashboard (which is literally aimed at agencies).

 

[chicoelnino]

I'm not disputing that Joy. I'm merely saying that Google has often violated their own policies (caught buying links numerous times in fact).

I just asked a question in my OP but it's kinda got side tracked here a little

 

[JoyHawkins]

Maybe I read it wrong I thought based on your questions you seemed surprised to hear that the listings were against guidelines, which is why I went into detail clarifying.

I am not sure many of our forum members will know how to go about setting these types of listings up.

 

[SEOExpertBrad]

Shame, I was going to report them. If you need lead gen sites like this to keep clients, I would say to reevaluate your business plan and its longevity.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

I think maybe this got sidetracked a bit.

Do you mean a "lead gen site" as in is your customer's website? That term is used a lot and technically speaking, any local business website is a "lead gen site".

I believe Joy meant lead gen sites that aren't actually a local business and are meant to spread business between multiples businesses.

If your locations are staffed during normal business hours, are for an actual local business, and don't violate any other GMB policies, you should be fine.

 

[Bobster]

I think maybe this got sidetracked a bit.

Do you mean a "lead gen site" as in is your customer's website? That term is used a lot and technically speaking, any local business website is a "lead gen site".

I believe Joy meant lead gen sites that aren't actually a local business and are meant to spread business between multiples businesses.

If your locations are staffed during normal business hours, are for an actual local business, and don't violate any other GMB policies, you should be fine.

He obviously still does the ole "rank and rent" GMB business model. He said he has 20 something said sites.