Residential-Based Business With Multiple Locations

[Lloyd Silver]

I have a client that has a daycare business. There are multiple daycare providers who are part of the business and each operates the daycare out of their home.

Since we're dealing with residences, I'm assuming we hide the address.

But what is the best way of handling the multiple locations? She actually has a few of these locations listed with a GMB page currently, but I'm suspecting that's outside of guidelines.

Is there any way of handling this type of business besides just perhaps listing the zip codes as the service area, which I don't think will help the page rank in the pack in the areas outside of the primary location.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Are all these other daycare providers employees or full partners?

How far apart are the locations? Same city or different?

 

[Lloyd Silver]

Most are employees and two have equity in the company.

There are 14 locations, of which 10 are in their own city and the rest second locations within a city.

 

[Linda Buquet]

That's what I thought. I don't believe the employee locations would be considered kosher by Google. But I could be wrong. Even the ones with equity, I'm not sure.

Let's see what others think tomorrow. This is gray to be and I've never dealt with this type of situation before.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Wow, crazy situation.

From Google's perspective, you would think they would want to know about all the locations so they can feed them to people searching for them. But then again, each parent probably knows exactly where to drop off and pick up their child so they wouldn't need it.

I would think they would probably just want one location that's representative of the whole at that point.

I'm not going off any guidelines here, just my logic.

 

[BCLocal]

Seeing as each location takes in "clients", wouldn't Google want to break each unique location out separately? Back in the old days if you had a unique address and phone number you were good to go. Now with all the My Business changes it may be different. Thinking as a parent/client I would want the address to be searchable. IE if I had to send my sister to pick up my kids. This is definitely a unique situation though, because of the out of the home model.

Any other thoughts on this?

 

[JoshuaMackens]

You raise a good point about the other person needing to know the address to pick up the kids.

I think that would be more of a Google Maps function. Google Local attempts to connect local consumers looking to fulfill a purchasing decision.

However, the two are integrated at this point so I'm not sure what you would do. Linda is probably the expert on this topic.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Sorry I'm just not sure. It's too gray and crosses too many lines.

Home business - but they obviously do see clients there. Plus the fact that it sounds like some of the locations are employee's homes and there is the issue with small businesses not setting up additional locations.

All I can suggest is to post at the G forum and give me the link in this thread and I'll ask some other TCs for their opinions or maybe escalate.

 

[Lloyd Silver]

Thanks for the insights. It definitely seemed grey to me and I think that's one conclusion we've definitely reached.

 

[BCLocal]

Thanks for the insights. It definitely seemed grey to me and I think that's one conclusion we've definitely reached.

Please post a link in here to the Google Forum if you do end up posting there. I'd love to see what they say!

 

[Lloyd Silver]

Here's a link to the post in the Google forum:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/business/need-advice/USN8jXRJcK0

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks Lloyd. Great title and nice succinct summary.

I just added a little more over there and said:

"In thinking about it some more Lloyd, I don't think it should be a service area business, even thought it's home-based, because they don't go out to do child care. All clients come to them and they do the work right there.

So it is like a B&M business, in that all their clients come to their location and that's where the work is done.

So that leaves 2 issues.

1) Is the location staff to accept walkin traffic during stated business hours?
I assume the answer is yes.

2) So I guess that leaves the other main issue which is, do all the locations, even though home addresses and especially the ones that are employee's homes qualify for a Google+ Local listing?"

Then I asked if any other TCs could weigh in with opinions.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Lots of extra details and good feedback at that G forum thread for anyone that is interested.