Google Places/Affiliate/Partner Site

[TP_Marketing]

Hello,

We are looking at the possibility of renting or leasing a small office but we're not quite at that point yet. We would like to take add Google Places/G+ by adding an address & phone number giving us more real estate for the small Brand we are trying to build. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we could add?

Thanks in Advance!

[rishil]

If you decide to go down the route of creating a fictitious address, you may find hard to get a real one approved if you get caught out. They are getting stricter. In the past you could use a mailbox if you didnt have a real place

[TP_Marketing]

We Do currently have a PO Box but Im not sure it will work? If we do eventually rent a space how hard is it to change?

[BlueprintMarketing]

Google has access to property records they can figure things out pretty quickly I would not try to trick them.

According to Google you have to do face-to-face business at your Google local place of business.

No one has ever accused Google of  being a stupid company and I would suggest following their guidelines. Which state that you cannot use a PO box for Google local

https://support.google.com/places/answer/107528?hl=en

how to create a listing and remember they will send you a postcard most likely.

https://support.google.com/places/answer/142906

If you are on the up and up and you want to start off right with Google local wait until you have legitimate place of business there.

Think about  damage could be done if you are caught doing the wrong thing. I would wait until you meet the guidelines and then sign up for Moz local after creating a G plus local page

Sincerely,

Thomas

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Little Bigman,

You've asked a good question. Let me refer you to Google's own guidelines regarding this scenario:

Business Location: Use a precise, accurate address to describe your business location.

• 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.Your business location should be staffed during its stated hours.
  • Exceptions to the above are self-serve businesses such as ATMs or video-rental kiosks. If adding these locations, you should include contact information for customers to get help.
• If you need to specify a mail box or suite number within your physical location, please list your physical address in Address Line 1, and put your mail box or suite number in Address Line 2.
• Use the precise address for the business in place of broad city names or cross-streets.
• Do not create more than one listing for each business location, either in a single account or multiple accounts.
  • Individual practitioners may be listed individually as long as those practitioners are public-facing within their parent organization. Common examples of such practitioners are doctors, dentists, lawyers, and real estate agents. The practitioner should be directly contactable at the verified location during stated hours. A practitioner should not have multiple listings to cover all of his or her specializations.
  • Departments within businesses, universities, hospitals, and government buildings may be listed separately. These departments must be publicly distinct as entities or groups within their parent organization, and ideally will have separate phone numbers and/or customer entrances.
• Businesses that operate in a service area should create one listing for the central office or location and designate service areas.  If you wish to display your complete business address while setting your service area(s), your business location should be staffed and able to receive customers during its stated hours. Google will determine how best to display your business address based on your inputs as well as inputs from other sources. Learn how to add service areas to your listing.
• If you don't conduct face-to-face business at your location, you must select "Yes, this business serves customers at their locations" under the "Service Areas and Location Settings" section of your dashboard, and then select the "Do not show my business address on my Maps listing" option.
• Do not include information in address lines that does not pertain to your business’s physical location (e.g. URLs, keywords).
• Anytime the address for your business changes, you’ll have to verify again. You also won’t be able to update the business’s name until the verification process is complete.

So, basically, it's fine if you rent a small office, so long as it is staffed and accepts walk-in traffic during your listed business hours. Any other arrangement (with the exception of ATM machines!) is not allowed. Using virtual offices or P.O. boxes is strictly forbidden. Better to use your home address if you're just starting out and then go through the procedures for trying to have the address not displayed, if you have privacy concerns. Fortunately, this is one area in which Google's guidelines, above, are totally clear. Hope it helps to read them. You can access the complete guidelines here: https://support.google.com/places/answer/107528?hl=en

[BlueprintMarketing]

I think Miriam nailed it.

Smart advice as well using a home address is not a bad idea at all. Think of all the fantastic companies that started it either in the garage Which Google would consider their home / place of business.

If you have a legitimate local listing your all set as you grow and acquire an office or whatever type of facility it is that you need to do business in you will have no problem with Google when making the change.

Sincerely,

Thomas