NAP - standard mailing address format

[shauna7084]

I have a client that is based in Dallas TX but has a physical location in Farmers Branch (technically inside Dallas according to the client).  He wants me to make his address Dallas TX even though the standard mailing address should read Farmers Branch.  Is this safe to do?

[Martijn_Scheijbeler]

Check out this: http://schema.org/LocalBusiness it might be able to help you out with finding out how they'd like to see certain information around local businesses.

[RobertFisher]

Real Address is 123 HoHum Ln, Ste. 123, Farmer's Branch, 75244

Desired 123 HoHum Ln, Ste. 123, Dallas, 75244

If by safe you mean 100%, I would say no; but, probably 90 - 95% safe. The non Terms of Svc. issue will be ensuring you keep it as Dallas in every occurrence and citation sites will populate the name field by crawl OR by zip correlation - that means 75244 would be Farmers Branch and that could lead to a NAP that is different everywhere. So, if it were our client we would say we will do this and you must agree that any negative effect from this is not our responsibility.

Hope that helps,

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Shauna,

This is a great question. I am understanding your scenario this way, but please correct me if I'm wrong:

• Your client's house is in Dallas.

• Your client's office is in Farmers Branch

• Your client would rather be listed in Dallas than in Farmers Branch.

If this is incorrect, please let me know, but if correct, please read on.

Google does not consider Farmers Branch to be inside of Dallas, according to Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dallas,+TX/@32.8601609,-96.9429002,11z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x864c19f77b45974b:0xb9ec9ba4f647678f

Farmers Branch is outside of the city borders. So, in Google's eyes, we know that Farmers Branch is considered a unique entity - not a part of Dallas. Given this, your client's safe options are based on his business model:

1. If this is a brick-and-mortar business, the client has no alternative but to list it in Farmers Branch on his website and citations.

2. If this is a service area business that customers don't come to (like a plumber) then your client has a choice of whether he'd like to base his operations out of his Dallas home or his Farmers Branch office. Google is okay with home-based businesses, provided that the phone number is dedicated to the business and is staffed during normal business hours by someone who answers the phone with the business name rather than just saying "hello" like a resident. There are very obvious benefits for the client of basing himself in Dallas instead of outside of Dallas, but this is only an option if nobody comes to the business in person. If people come to the business in person, you're back to option 1.

Any variation on the above two courses does put the business at risk, and so, as the SEO, it's our job to let the client know of the guideline-compliant options and of the risks of bending guidelines. Hope this helps!