Is it ok to put a strapline on every website page or does it confuse the bots?

[mfrgolfgti]

We have just started doing SEO for a new client. Their web design agency has built a cms website for them and in the footer area of each page there is some global content which contains:

a) the company's address

b) a strapline, ie "family law specialists"

I have 2 questions:

1. I have understood from previous SEO classes I've been to, that putting the same keywords on each page of a site is a no-no as then Google won't know what page to bring up for that keyword.  However, is it ok to put an address on every page and can Google tell that it is just an address?

2. What about the strapline?  Family law specialists isn't actually a keyword I'm currently tracking but I could add it to SEOMoz.  however is it a problem having on every page or is it ok because it's in the footer?

[RobertFisher]

Maureen

First given that the "strapline" or, as we call it in the states the tagline, is in the footer you can say it likely will have little impact positive or negative. (Google knows what a footer is - links there are discounted). Secondarily the address on every page is a plus in my opinion from a local SEO point of view. 
As to SEO classes and using same keywords on each page, think of it this way: A site selling auto parts is going to have a hard time not having the word auto on nearly every page but what pages rank for will be the individual types of parts.

Since Family Law is the core competency of the firm, I would leave it for that reason too. Simply put, not everything on a page can be SEO driven, unless you realize that a given message and quality content are, ultimately, SEO. So, keep the strap line and give it a go.

Best

PS As part of my ongoing quest to improve open source development...please ask your design firm if they used any open source plugins and if they contributed to them. Let's keep open source Open.

[mfrgolfgti]

Thanks Robert, that makes total sense. I'll go ahead and keep the tagline and the address - I agree about the Google Places local search thing.