They say it's not a co-working space but...

[JSammon512]

Hi All,

I have a client evaluating office space options.

Here's the address:

4200 Regent St, Ste 200 Columbus, OH 43219

The rental business says that they will offer them a private office option at this address. Additionally, they will have a sign in the lobby that says that the business is listed at this address. Additionally, they claim that they never have had issues with clients getting GMB listings.

My gut still says to advise my client not to purchase office space here because:

1. There's no unique features to the addres (box number or suite number). All businesses are listed at that address
2. They offer co-working options but my client wouldn't be utilizing this
3. Other businesses have claimed their GMB listings at this address (at least 5-6)

What are your thoughts? Would you tell them no too?

John

 

[Colan Nielsen]

@JSammon512 It sounds like they have checked-off all the boxes to make it a legit use of a location for GMB. With that said, from our experience they will likely experience more suspensions than if you were to rent your own dedicated space because having signs on a location doesn’t prove that you are staffed there regularly. It’s frustrating but I currently do not suggest any type of address sharing to clients we work with due to the fact that we want to avoid suspensions and also don’t want the listing to get filtered.

We did a write-up about this exact scenario - Are Coworking Spaces Against the Google My Business Guidelines? - Sterling Sky Inc

 

[JSammon512]

Thanks, Colan!!!

 

[Conor Treacy]

While I agree that it can come off as a potential concern, we have a few dozen clients at various "permanent office colocation facilities" and haven't had an issue with any of them. "permanant office" is the key here, they're not a virtual office. They have a lockable door and it's only their room. We've not had any issues with verification or suspensions of accounts.

We do encourage clients to have their own physical building if financially available, however for some, spending $1500-$2500 on a location in a strip mall vs spending $600 on an office in a co-working place, that can make all the difference at the bank account.

 

[Cherie Dickey]

Something else to think about is whether or not there are competitors in the same building. Suspension issues aside, if you are competing for the same terms, there will be filter issues.

 

[Yan Gilbert]

Be sure to upload images of the signage onto your GMB listing. This avoids a lot of potential issues and even the front line GMB staff will often times see the image as proof if it gets reported for some reason.