The latest SAB guidelines

[Blueviolet38]

We use SABs with a hidden address. It seems to us based on how we rank that even though the address is hidden; Google still uses it when deciding when to rank/display our listing but it seems this has now changed... I've read that SABs can now be registered in the US without ever needing to verify an address or that another address can be used for verification only. Is this correct?

Is there an option to add a real address and then hide it later so Google can still use your address when ranking your listing?

Are citations not necessary for SABs or are they still worth doing? Again, based on my experience adding citations helps even with a hidden address.

I have some other questions as well but it would be a great start getting these answered

This forum has been a great help so far. Thanks to all the contributors.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I've read that SABs can now be registered in the US without ever needing to verify an address or that another address can be used for verification only. Is this correct?

No, that's definitely not true. There are providers out there that manage to get around Google's guidelines by practicing things that are really shady. Unless you want your account suspended, I would suggest avoiding these types of people.

 

[Blueviolet38]

No, that's definitely not true. There are providers out there that manage to get around Google's guidelines by practicing things that are really shady. Unless you want your account suspended, I would suggest avoiding these types of people.

Thank you. I wasn't intending to bend the rules but this article confused me a little - How to Set Up and Optimize Your Service Area Business in GMB ? It makes out like no postcard would be sent.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Yeah, it would still require you to verify the listing and then the ranking of the listing would still be based on the address you used.

 

[Blueviolet38]

Yeah, it would still require you to verify the listing and then the ranking of the listing would still be based on the address you used.

Gotcha. Is it best to hide the address immediately or after verification or does it matter?

If Google is still ranking listings based on the hidden address I'm guessing citations still hold some weight?

 

[JoyHawkins]

When you're setting up the listing, you want to select the options that hide the address. The ranking still is based on the address entered and in my experience, citations have very little, if any weight.

 

[Blueviolet38]

When you're setting up the listing, you want to select the options that hide the address. The ranking still is based on the address entered and in my experience, citations have very little, if any weight.

Interesting. This is true of SABs and normal visible listings or just SABs?

Also, a random thing I want to figure out as I'm sorting my mail providers. Does Google deliver postcards via USPS or UPS?

 

[JoyHawkins]

It's true for all listing types. I have no idea what Google uses to deliver their postcards.

 

[Tim Colling]

In the USA, Google uses the USPS to deliver the postcards.

 

[djbaxter]

And in Canada, they use Canada Post, or at least that was true the last time I needed to use it.

 

[brettmandoes]

When you're setting up the listing, you want to select the options that hide the address. The ranking still is based on the address entered and in my experience, citations have very little, if any weight.

I've found that if the category that was set up with our citations is incorrect, then Google will multi-source the data and determine the primary category you've entered into GMB is wrong and change it to match the citations. I had an HVAC client that I took over whose primary category had been set to "lighting supply store", and if we changed it Google would revert it back automatically. The only message GMB would give us was that they got the correction from "another source". After some digging we found their citations all had that designation. We cleaned up their citations and got the correct category inserted, after which we were able to make the change in GMB and it was accepted. This happened less than a year ago, and it occurred across all ten or eleven of their listings. Same problem/solution for each one. Have you ever had this issue?

 

[JoyHawkins]

Yeah, this happens when you're using a 3rd party platform that integrates with Google My Business. I saw it happen to a business using Yext.

You can see what apps currently have access to change your account here: Sign in - Google Accounts. Look for things listed under the third-party apps section that say they have access to manage business listings.