Practitioner's Page - Using a Cell Phone number for the listing

[Ryan Steinolfson]

Will you please help me better understand what this sentence from Google My Business Guidelines means regarding the practitioner's page?

• They can be contacted directly at the verified location during stated hours.

So for example this means a lawyer or real estate agent can list their cell phone number rather than the business number?

We understand that an individual is not able to list their home address even if they work out of it, because a home address is against Google guidelines.

Therefore can a lawyer or real estate agent list their cell phone number and have their home address hidden but be able to have a practitioner page?

And if they do that can they link the practitioner page to their main office GMB listing, if they want to?

For reference here is what the Guidelines say for Individual practitioners (e.g. doctors, lawyers, real estate agents)

An individual practitioner is a public-facing professional, typically with their own customer base. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, financial planners, and insurance or real estate agents are all individual practitioners. Listings for practitioners may include title or degree certification (e.g. Dr., MD, JD, Esq., CFA).

An individual practitioner should create their own dedicated listing if:

• They operate in a public-facing role. Support staff should not create their own listings.
• They can be contacted directly at the verified location during stated hours.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Will you please help me better understand what this sentence from Google My Business Guidelines means regarding the practitioner's page?

• They can be contacted directly at the verified location during stated hours.

I think that guideline is more referring to the practitioner being present at the physical location of the business and not the phone number, per se. If a real estate agent has a GMB that says they are open 9 to 5, Google expects that person to be at the stated location during those hours.

So for example this means a lawyer or real estate agent can list their cell phone number rather than the business number?

We understand that an individual is not able to list their home address even if they work out of it, because a home address is against Google guidelines.

A practitioner is fine to use a cell phone if that is the best way to get a hold of them. Home addresses are fine to use as long as the address is cleared from the dashboard.

Does that help clear some things up?

 

[Ryan Steinolfson]

I think that guideline is more referring to the practitioner being present at the physical location of the business and not the phone number, per se. If a real estate agent has a GMB that says they are open 9 to 5, Google expects that person to be at the stated location during those hours.



A practitioner is fine to use a cell phone if that is the best way to get a hold of them. Home addresses are fine to use as long as the address is cleared from the dashboard.

Does that help clear some things up?

Hi Colan,

Yes, this clears things up. Thank you for providing clarity with this.