Web Design Company, Lounge Lizard, Discusses The 4 Local Seo Practices You Need To Avoid
NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Lounge Lizard is globally recognized as a top web design company within the web design and development industry. Lounge Lizard's brandtenders are creative, tech-savvy, and passionate in developing innovative strategies that drive conversion for both startup and established clients of all industries, making them the "best of breed since 1998."
There has been a lot of press about the Local SEO practices you should use to be successful, but what about tactics and methods that you shouldn't use? Google has published very clear guidelines that cover quite a few things that a business shouldn't be doing unless you want to incur their wrath. Rather than finding out about it after-the-fact, it makes much more sense to be proactive in this regard. Today the NY based web design company, Lounge Lizard, discusses the 4 Local SEO Practices you need to avoid if you want to steer clear of penalties.
Sharing phone numbers. There is not an acceptable reason to make use of the same phone number for different businesses or different locations for the same business. Google's guideline in this regard clearly states that you need to provide a phone number that connects to your individual business location as directly as possible. That means the number needs to be under direct control of that business or entity and should go directly to that person or location and not a general 'front desk' line or central call center. Google has been known to call and check business phone numbers for verification so you do not wish to confuse them or customers.
Using ineligible addresses. An eligible address according to Google is an actual, real-world location which your business occupies and operates out of. This means that post office boxes or any other mailbox locations are not acceptable. To do otherwise invites Google to remove your listing over concern that it is false or being used by a spammer. For anyone who has accidently done this they should contact Google to correct the listing and remove an ineligible one to avoid future penalties.
Outdated multi-practitioner listings. Practitioner listings were created as a way for businesses like lawyers, doctors, or dentists to accurately list offices that have multiple practitioners under the same roof. The problem occurs when people leave the group which can then create duplication issues because Google doesn't simply remove the outdated practitioner. This can cause ranking issues because you are all competing for the same keywords. If your listings are outdated then you need to ask Google to correct the situation after you un-verify the old listing. Google can also merge two listings and remove listings for people who have passed away. For those setting up practitioner listings, carefully read all the guidelines and then make a decision if this is even necessary for your business structure as they can be a headache down the road when things change.
Keyword stuffing. Per Google's guidelines it is a violation to add any extraneous keywords in the business name field of a Google My Business (GMB) listing. That means your listing needs to include your real-world business name and nothing else. Some people are stuffing neighborhood names, areas, or even specific services into this field to try and ensure people find them more easily, however doing this could cause Google to suspend your listing for a rule violation. If you need a more descriptive name then consider re-naming your business and corresponding website, stationary, etc. rather than breaking the rules.
Lounge Lizard is an award-winning, high-end design boutique specializing in website and mobile app development, UX/UI, branding, and marketing. Lounge Lizard excels in creating the ultimate brand strategy, fully loaded with expertly crafted visuals that work together to increase sales and effectively communicate a client's unique personality.
Media Contact: Ken Braun, Lounge Lizard, 631-581-1000, [email protected]
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