Local Listing - Service Business with Three Areas Served

[maghanlinchpinsales]

A client of mine owns a business that is a service (i.e. they do not have a storefront). They service three major markets - Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Nashville, TN. When talking to the Google My Business team, they said we needed to set up only one listing based on where we were headquartered (which is Atlanta) and then list that we service the other markets so that it shows in the listing. So we have one business listing set up as a service but headquartered in Atlanta and show the service area as Atlanta, Nashville and Charlotte. Does this seem correct? There is a lot of competition for them so looking to boost local search as much as possible. Thanks!

[MiriamEllis]

Hi There!

Here's a few tips to help you create a good strategy:

1. Know that Google's local product hinges on your physical location, not on any location in which you lack a physical location. So, even if you set a service area, do not expect to rank in the local packs for Charlotte or Nashville. When it comes to Google's local rankings, you'll be specifically focusing on what you can do to earn visibility for searches that either contain the word "Atlanta" or stem from Atlanta-based devices. You are allowed just one listing, for your physical location in Atlanta. Creating any additional listings would violate Google's guidelines

2. Your multi-state service area is too large to utilize Google's service radius setting in the GMB dashboard. That tool is appropriate to something like a plumber located in Atlanta who also serves Decatur and Sandy Springs - not to a business serving three different states. So, don't attempt to set a service radius like that in your GMB dashboard.

3. Because you can only expect to rank in the local results related to Atlanta language or devices, your options for publicizing the availability of your products/services in any other area are:

• Creating organic content supporting these other service areas, in hopes of achieving organic (not local) rankings

• Investing in PPC for these other areas

• Utilizing social media to engage with audiences in these other communities

• Offline marketing in these other communities

4. Eventually, your brand may determine that opening additional staffed, physical offices in places like Nashville and Charlotte is essential, in order to compete for local rankings, but until then, Google's bias towards physical location will limit your local pack presence to Atlanta.

Hope this is helpful info!

[DickensLawGroup]

Had the same question, this answer was really helpful, thanks!

[MiriamEllis]

Nice coincidence! Thanks for letting me know, DickensLawGroup. So glad it helped.