Multiple SABs out of same home address

[SSMMatt]

Hi All,

We have a client who has multiple (3-4) businesses out of his home. He ended up successfully creating another GBP out of his neighbor's house because Google would not verify the profile at his home address. It seems the reason likely was overlapping categories since his other profiles had some form of tree service and/or landscaping categories. Well, a change to his GBP profile out of his neighbor's house resulted in a suspension. Now we want to shift the address back to his home address (all citations were built with that address) and get it verified.

Our concern is that in trying to reinstate the suspended profile, we might cause a suspension for one or all of the other profiles. An expert suggested removing the overlapping categories. Should we be removing any possible overlapping services that might be listed, as well? Any other issues to be concerned with?

As always, we want to do everything correctly and follow the guidelines.

Any help is appreciated.

Best,
Matt

 

[Professor M]

Sorry to say, but what he is doing seems highly against the guidelines, so sooner or later all his profiles will be suspended or disabled.

The only solution is to have only one profile.

 

[ElizabethRule]

@Professor M is 100% correct - I am shocked he managed to get 3 or 4 listings verified to a residential address. Does he have separate business license, insurance, registration for all of these businesses? Beyond the risk of suspension, which is very high, he is probably running into Local Filter issues which would prevent these listings from showing in maps correctly Is Your Google My Business Listing Getting Filtered? - Sterling Sky Inc

Depending on what each of these businesses does, he would be best to have 1 listing for his services as that would likely rank better than 3 or 4 at the same location.

 

[SSMMatt]

Thanks, y'all. Oh, the joys of GBP...lol.

They are totally separate businesses, each with their own business licenses, insurance and registrations. They are different lines of business too, with some sort of overlapping categories. They all have different websites and one of his GBPs does pretty darn well and the others do ok.

 

[ElizabethRule]

Ok then if they qualify that's good! But he should NOT be using a neighbors address to verify a listing if he has no rights to use that address. I would abandon that listing

 

[SSMMatt]

Agreed, he shouldn't have done that. He had someone helping him who was doing all kinds of crazy things. So that's the one that we were going to move to his home address by changing the address and then hiding it again. However, you think we should just start over? I believe he had tried several times at his home address to get the profile verified and it never worked, obviously.

 

[Professor M]

If they have overlapping categories, I still stand by my opinion. Google already suspends business profiles with unrelated categories at the same home address. I am not saying this to be a pessimist, I have just seen many of these types of suspensions and there is a risk of that address being blacklisted.

 

[SSMMatt]

Thanks, Professor M. I know you're not being a pessimist and appreciate the candor. Trying to get this done correctly, following the guidelines and protecting his businesses.

 

[ElizabethRule]

I agree with @Professor M - if the businesses are technically & legally separate BUT have overlapping services that can be a reason Google suspends them all. I personally wouldn't risk having more than 1 business verified to my home address, let alone 3 or 4. If he does go that route, he should have legal proof of all businesses ready to share with Google incase they decide to take action in the form of suspension. Without ample legal proof these are separate and distinct businesses he risks not being able to get them reinstated.

Especially since these are all SABs it can be really tough to get those reinstated.

If I were him I would look into getting an office to work out of and that would qualify him to have a seperate address for one or more of the businesses.

 

[SSMMatt]

Thanks, Elizabeth. What do you mean with the last part? "...qualify him to have a seperate address for one or more of the businesses." Can he have multiple profiles in address that is an office and not his home?

 

[Professor M]

I agree with @Professor M - if the businesses are technically & legally separate BUT have overlapping services that can be a reason Google suspends them all. I personally wouldn't risk having more than 1 business verified to my home address, let alone 3 or 4. If he does go that route, he should have legal proof of all businesses ready to share with Google incase they decide to take action in the form of suspension. Without ample legal proof these are separate and distinct businesses he risks not being able to get them reinstated.

Especially since these are all SABs it can be really tough to get those reinstated.

If I were him I would look into getting an office to work out of and that would qualify him to have a seperate address for one or more of the businesses.

I agree with @ElizabethRule 100%, I couldn't have said it better!

I know you knew a lot about SEO but by reading the threads in this forum I noticed that since you started in Sterling Sky you have become a Jedi Master for Google Business Profiles, great to see people working very hard to know a little more every day. Never stop doing that! it's a rare quality these days.

 

[SSMMatt]

Hi @ElizabethRule You have me on the edge of my seat -- I'm not sure if you saw my last reply "What do you mean with the last part? "...qualify him to have a seperate address for one or more of the businesses." Can he have multiple profiles in address that is an office and not his home?"