Using 0800

[Andreza]

Hey guys .. I had to use 0800 in some of my gmb pages and I've heard that using this number results in loss of ranking. Is it true? Even in Brazil?

Thanks.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Google doesn't explicitly say that a business can't use an 800 number for their local listing. This is an excerpt form the guidelines:

Provide a phone number that connects to your individual business location as directly as possible, and provide one website that represents your individual business location.

Use a local phone number instead of central, call center helpline number whenever possible.
Do not provide phone numbers or URLs that redirect or "refer" users to landing pages or phone numbers other than those of the actual business, including pages created on social media sites.

A local number is ideal, however. And in Google's eye's, a local business, serving a local market, should have a local number.

 

[Andreza]

Thank you Colen! I've one other problem .. Google isn't showing the first 0 of the 0800, even though I registered right. Is that normal?

I printed the page:

 

[Colan Nielsen]

I can't say for sure, as I am not familiar with phone number formatting in Brazil. I suspect it is not an issue as long as it is correct in the dashboard. Google often spits out the data a little differently than how it is entered into the dashboard.

Anyone else know?

 

[Priya Chandra]

Hi Andreza

It looks to me as if Google thinks you're accessing that page from outside Brazil and so they've added the area code and removed the leading 0.

I see this a lot when looking at US or UK pages - there's usually a +1 or +44 in front of the number, as I'm viewing the pages from Australia.

It definitely won't harm your listing at all.