Should I Create a New Email Address For Citation Work?

[Kevin Marshall]

I'm beginning to do some citation work for my client. What email address do you normally submit to the citation websites? I was thinking about creating a new email address on his domain specifically for creating accounts with some of these directories.

I would probably forward the emails from this new email address to his primary email address.

The client has not been especially responsive to many of my emails over the last six months, so I have some concerns about using his email address and having to work with him on verifying submissions.

At this point, I'm mainly just working on getting local links for his domain, and I started by looking up local directories for Richmond, Virginia where I am located.

What email address do you think I should use for citation listings?

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Kevin Marshall, definitely. You'll want the dedicated email address - preferably on your client's domain - not only for convenience, but also because the alternative is for your client to get hammered by annoying emails from the various directories.

If you're not able to get a domain email address (for whatever reason), consider creating a Gmail account that looks relevant to the client's brand: kevin.examplebusinessname@gmail.com

 

[Mike Vannington]

@Kevin Marshall, definitely. You'll want the dedicated email address - preferably on your client's domain - not only for convenience, but also because the alternative is for your client to get hammered by annoying emails from the various directories.

If you're not able to get a domain email address (for whatever reason), consider creating a Gmail account that looks relevant to the client's brand: kevin.examplebusinessname@gmail.com

I don't understand why an LSEO would even consider using the email address of the domain. I doubt there's any SEO benefit, and a gmail account goes wherever you go, and if the business relationship terminates it's a simple matter of giving the (former) client the U/N and P/W. In general I abhor domain email addresses, and find no reason to ever have them.

Is there any reason to have an email address bound-up in a domain name? I have the same opinion regarding email addresses with Internet Service Providers, in fact I think the reason why they offer them is to make it as difficult as possible to extricate yourself from them. Unless I'm missing something here.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Mike Vannington, besides the simple reason that you own a domain email and aren't subject to Google's policies and whims, the benefit of a domain email is that the "support" people at a given directory are more likely to act on your requests. It's clearer that you're associated with the business and are trying to claim or fix a listing for that business.

 

[Mike Vannington]

@Mike Vannington, besides the simple reason that you own a domain email and aren't subject to Google's policies and whims,

The features of "domain" email are inferior to that of Gmail. Sorting, spam filtering, rules for various received emails, interface with mobile devices, archiving, etc... Also if you are a paid SEO, having full control of the registering accounts is a bargaining chip if in the event the client decides to terminate your services, leaving a balance unpaid.

If someone from "the company" messes up the email system (which I've seen), you have to wait for whoever they have, or hire, to fix the problem, or negotiate access to their website and fix the problem yourself.

I just believe that the registering accounts belong to the SEO until the relationship is terminated.

...the benefit of a domain email is that the "support" people at a given directory are more likely to act on your requests. It's clearer that you're associated with the business and are trying to claim or fix a listing for that business.

If in the event that this situation occurs, and it's a "one-off" situation, special access to the business domain email can be made. Meaning, if it's important enough to attempt to get typically non-responsive citation/directory "support staff" to respond. In general, I just disbelieve that there are any human beings behind those citations and directories, and will continue to do so until someone proves they exist. *I've* never seen them, along with an entire list of imaginary creatures and entities which include unicorns and Santa Claus.

Point here is, the price you pay (degrade in email functionality)
to have a contingency plan in case something goes wrong. If a domain email ever becomes truly necessary, you can make one. Took me about 5 minutes, once I had spent several hours learning how to set up the domain email system on a word press site. If necessary, the Owner of the company can simply forward the SEO's request from their "domain email", if that gives them some kind of special "persuasive power". I would think that the fact that the account is claimed and presumably verified by the business would be enough, since these citation/directory services sites establish their own standards.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Mike Vannington, everything is a trade-off. Sometimes a dedicated Gmail address is the way to go, for the reasons you mentioned. But it just depends on the particulars (the client, who's working on the listings, how much of the work is clean-up vs. creating new listings, etc.).

 

[Mike Vannington]

Another thought I had on this is that if a client has hired a Web Site Designer, and is possibly paying them a monthly fee, or whatever, and things go wildly off the rails (for whatever reason), the person that controls the website also controls the emails. Some web design businesses go out of business, or they don't pay the bills, or they fraudulently charge their clients for work they don't perform, etc... and so when a dispute over the money happens, they've got control over the A) website B) Domain name registration (maybe), C) the webhosting service D) the emails from the domain, and E) the email account used to do the SEO, cites, etc...

I recommend all business owners have control over all of these, and to never engage in a contractual relationship with anyone that won't give that control to them. This comes from first hand experience, where I was hired in the middle of the wreckage of the last guy. The lesson I learned, on behalf of my client, was "never again".

 

[Yan Gilbert]

Set up a domain based email, and then have it forward (and connect it) to a dedicated Gmail. That way you can access whenever you want and you won't have to login to a dedicated email portal to check things.

 

[djbaxter]

Another thought I had on this is that if a client has hired a Web Site Designer, and is possibly paying them a monthly fee, or whatever, and things go wildly off the rails (for whatever reason), the person that controls the website also controls the emails. Some web design businesses go out of business, or they don't pay the bills, or they fraudulently charge their clients for work they don't perform, etc... and so when a dispute over the money happens, they've got control over the A) website B) Domain name registration (maybe), C) the webhosting service D) the emails from the domain, and E) the email account used to do the SEO, cites, etc...

That shouldn't be the case, unless it was the designer who set everything up including the hosting and did not give you access. As long as you, the client, has access to the server (host) and the registrar, no contractor can hold you hostage because you can change passwords and access at any time.

 

[Mike Vannington]

That shouldn't be the case, unless it was the designer who set everything up including the hosting and did not give you access. As long as you, the client, has access to the server (host) and the registrar, no contractor can hold you hostage because you can change passwords and access at any time.

Well the web designer obviously almost always sets things up. You think a doctor, or a Lawyer, or a Plumber is going to do all (or even any) of that? And as long as someone other than the owner of the website, the domain name, the web hosting service and the "domain" email accounts that go with it, that "someone else" can always change the PW and lock their client out. Also there's a big difference between "shouldn't" and what actually happens IRL. Unless you are stepping in as pure SEO to someone's already-established business, which frequently means you have to go through someone else (that's not the Owner of the business, website, etc...) in order to get access. No matter what, I still maintain the owner of the business should have full possession of everything unless it's necessary to give access to someone else, most particularly to include the domain email accounts, which are inferior in their functionality to gmail.

 

[djbaxter]

First, I did say

unless it was the designer who set everything up including the hosting and did not give you access

That said, I agree the business owner should have access for a number of reasons but I think you're talking about extreme circumstances. I don't think most designers or SEO guys have any interest in holding their clients hostage and if they do they're not likely to reamin in business very long.

As for

the domain email accounts, which are inferior in their functionality to gmail.

I'd much rather deal with domain accounts than Gmail, which I really dislike, but if you are a Gmail fan you can always forward those accounts.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

I'd use a domain email if you have the time to get it set up. It honestly won't matter more than likely.