Ranking Penalty in Google Places for Primary Cell Phone Number?

[keethgee]

Say a business runs out of a home (so, technically, the address of the business has a land line). But the business owner works outdoors all day long and so really runs his business off his cell phone.

Is it OK in Google Places to list the mobile phone as the primary contant number, and list the home phone as a secondary number?

Or will Google penalize the business's ranking in local search results for using a cell number as the main number?

[Mikpam]

Google or the other engines should not care if you use a cellphone or land based unit. What would have an impact in your local search results is if you use this number consistently for your profile. The NAP(name,address,phone) should be consistent on all submissions,profiles,mentions,citations etc. Another factor that could affect local rankings is the area code that your mobile number has ex. if i was targeting los angeles i would want my area code to start with 323,213,310 etc . which is representative of the area. I hope this helps you out .

[Goetzman]

With all the porting of phone numbers, I'd think it would be mixed all over the place and not a great method to punish someone. Prehaps consider getting an 800 #

[MaryAnneG]

Using an 800 number may have a negative impact on local rankings - especially if it's the only phone number.  http://www.davidmihm.com/local-search-ranking-factors.shtml#62

Cell phone number shouldn't be a problem - especially if the area code matches the address.  Per Google's own Places quality guidelines:

"Provide a phone number that connects to your individual business location as directly as possible, and provide one website that represents your individual business location.
Use a local phone number instead of a call center number whenever possible.
Do not provide phone numbers or URLs that redirect or “refer” users to landing pages or phone numbers other than those of the actual business."

(http://www.google.com/support/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107528)

A business cell phone should meet that criteria.

[keethgee]

I agree about the 800#; many resources advise against it as a primary number.

Ultimately, I chickened out and used the land-based line, listing the cellphone under "other numbers." He can employ his wife or use call forwarding to get calls to his cell, and give his cell to prospects upon talking with them. My understanding that a key component in local search listings is consistency, and I didn't want and confusion with online phonebooks and what have you.

Although I'm not using it in this case, I think I also might advise cellphone-heavy small businesses to establish their business with a local "virtual office" provider (an office park). You get your own land-based phone number on their switchboard, a non-PO-Box mailing address, and even an administrative assistant to answer the phone as your business, in some cases. I'm not suggesting non-local-seeming-local trickery; just getting your business out of your house and cellphone and into a land-based business environment. It can also make your business seem bigger to have someone answer the phone; and if you have a thick overseas accent (as one of my clients does) it can help combat first-impression prejudice or comprehension difficulties to start out the business replationship with a "local voice" kicking it off. Some virtual office set-ups even let you use a conference room, when necessary, for a small hourly fee.

I'm guessing, like anything else, something good like this could be used for evil in the hands of some local search people – but life is too short for all that black-hat nonsense. I'm just saying that if a local roofer lived near an office park, he might want to run his businesses out of a local virtual office setup rather than out of his attic, or while on top of his roof...and maybe the whole approach would help some local search issues (e.g., primary phone, map showing home address) to boot.

[Mikpam]

Phone numbers either landlines or mobile phones should not have a difference for the search engines in local search. As I have stated in my first response it is the use of the number consistently accross all your profiles and citations. I also believe a 800 number will be much less effective than a local number .  If you use this number to forward to your other numbers that should not be an issue as long as the end users are served well while accesing this number. The last thing you want is a review that says this number is no longer working

[echo1]

What about having a local an a 1800 number? Would that affect the local rankings too? About 2 -3 years ago, having a 1800 number listed meant that you are a trusted business not just a flight-by-night company with its cell phone as their main number.

[KeriMorgret]

Hi Echo1, I suggest you open a new thread for this question. This system doesn't show new activity on old questions, so people are unlikely to notice it.