Google My Business - two businesses, same location

[nathangdavidson2]

I have client that has developed a new brand targeting a specific segment of their wider market - the more price sensitive customer. They have launched a website for this brand, which specialises in promoting special offers.

Both operations have the same physical address and the new brand - that targets this niche, I believe has been set up as a service-area business on Google My Business. I think they should change this as they do publish their address on their website and do on occasion welcome customers on their premises.

My question - at last! - is that can both businesses exist on Google Maps - with the same business address and is this the right way to proceed if I want to target directory listings for the new brand.

Any thoughts welcomed!

thanks.

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Nathan,

If I'm understanding this right, your scenario is like a General Appliance Repair company that repairs all appliances, but has now separately branded just Washing Machine Repair as its own business. Both brands are actually just one company, operating from the same address. Is that right?

If it us, unfortunately, no, the business should not be trying to run two Google My Business listings. The General Appliance Repair company is forbidden by Google's guidelines from creating listings for each service it offers (as in 1 for washing machine repair, 1 for stove repair, 1 for dryer repair, 1 for water heater repair) regardless of the number of websites/brands it creates for these service categories. The guidelines read:

Do not create more than one page for each location of your business, either in a single account or multiple accounts.

Likely outcomes should this business try to run 2 GMB listings as though it were 2 separate companies could include:

• Competitors or Local SEOs reporting the practice to Google or Google noticing it on their own

• Google taking down 1 of the 2 listings, and possible penalties

• Even if Google does not catch this now or even for years, Possum may simply cause the second listing to be hidden due to shared location/categories

So, the outlook isn't great for this scenario (please let me know if I've misunderstood details of the scenario).

This brings up the question - how can a business branch out in a Google guideline-compliant way? With these 4 things:

1. Don't build a separate brand of the same company - build a legally distinct second company, registered with government agencies. In other words: General Appliance Repair is one legally registered business and Washing Machines R Us is a second legally registered business.

2. Operate at a separate location

3. Have a separate phone number for each business

4. Have a separate website for each business, with no duplicate content and avoid cross-linking/cross-promotion

This approach is risk-free and completely guideline-compliant.

Hope this helps.

[nathangdavidson2]

Thank you for your comprehensive response - you understood the situation perfectly and I can now advise the client with confidence.

[MiriamEllis]

So happy it helped, Nathan!