Google Places Question......

[RankStealer]

Hi Guys.

I am working with a photographer they do not have a studio they shoot on location.

However I noticed many photographers within their industry have their home address listed in their google places, and they too shoot on location.

My client doesn't want their home address listed so I wondered what options there would be?

Do you think renting mail forwarding address would suffice?

[jgower]

Well, you aren't supposed to have a business address that customers can't visit, so no...plus those photographers with home addresses shouldn't have their home address listed unless they actually operate their business from there (studio in their home).  From the Google Places Quality guidelines:

Do not create a listing or place your pin marker at a location where the business does not physically exist. P.O. Boxes are not considered accurate physical locations. If you operate from a location but receive mail at a mail box there, please list your physical address in Address Line 1, and put your mail box or suite number in Address Line 2.

http://support.google.com/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107528&topic=1656880&ctx=topic

I used to do on-location photography and listed my home address for a while.  Google called me to verify it and asked some questions regarding if people could actually visit it.  I gave answers like 'I occasionally do photography there'.  He acted annoyed but let it go.

[RankStealer]

Hmmmm kinda sucks......

I just performed a search for wedding photographers in London and lots of google places adverts came up (many of them residential addresses) now none of those photographers can shoot a wedding at their home (studio or not)

So that doesn't make ANY sense whatsoever....oh well I guess its a no no then.

[BedeFahey]

I agree with Jeremy. If they don't want to list their home address, and don't have an address they can serve people at, like an office, then hide it. Google seems to be calling more often recently to see if businesses can serve people at the location listed.

Luckily, there no longer seems to be a ranking penalty for hiding your address. http://blumenthals.com/blog/2010/11/03/google-places-search-hiding-address-no-longer-buries-listing/

[jgower]

Huh, I didn't even know that was an option, but I see it there on the quality guidelines now.  Definitely what the photographer should do, list their home address, then hide it.  Good answer, I learned something.

[MiriamEllis]

In my opinion, what you are describing is the same business model as a plumber or carpet cleaner who operates out of his home. He serves all clients remotely - none come to his home office. So, if the client lists the home address and phone number and then chooses the hide address function, that is signalling to Google that all work is handled remotely, but that in-person contact does take place, in compliance with the guidelines.