Local listing | Virtual office

[echo1]

Hi Miriam (and all Local SEO mozers), I read a couple of your answers where you advice people in different situations not to consider a virtual office when creating their Google Places listing and I would like to know if you would apply the same advice in my case. This is the scenario: I have a client who's in the limousine service in Orlando, he just bought the URL and registered the business with the City using a "virtual office" in Orlando. This virtual office provides him a physical address, local area phone number, 411 listing, a listing for the businesses in that building and an office to have his meetings. This is the part where it gets confusing when I read your answers and I will give you an example. You said here:
 _The requirements in order to qualify for a Google Place Page are that you have: __1. A legal business name__2. A local area code phone number__3. A physical street address (not a P.O. box or virtual office) to which customers either come to do business with you or from which your employees depart in order to serve customers at their locations (think chimney sweep, landscaper, etc.)_Number 3 says "A physical street address (not a P.O. box or virtual office) to which customers either come to do business with you".
My client is going to rent one of those virtual offices, which does have a physical address, on as-needed basis. This office actually does exist. Why would Google have anything against it?
One of the reasons why he chose that location is because he is running the business from home and he does not want the clients to see it.
Another reason is the image he wants to create for his company by having a different address where he can hold meetings and such. The phone number will be either a local land-line or a local cell phone number, in any case, it will be a _local area code phone number. _
So this is where we stand: he dispatches the cars from home (he does not have a garage, the cars stay with the drivers 24 hours) but he meets his clients and business partners at the other address. There is nothing fake about it, he does have a legal business name, a local area code number and a real place where customers come to do business with.

Which address should I use for his Google Places listing?

[SimonCullum]

Thank you Miriam

And likewise, some excellent points from yourself.

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Echo,

Honored to be so quoted in your post

Simon has made excellent points!

Here are my questions:

Is the office space being simultaneously used by other businesses? If so, then it is likely sharing an address, unless as Simon notes, each address is being assigned a unique suite number to which mail can be delivered. This is quite important, as the business will more than likely have to deal with postcard verification.

Additionally, is the landline located within the office? Or is it re-directing to elsewhere so that it can be answered? The truth is, if Google offers a postcard-only verification option, the whole point about what type of local phone number it is becomes somewhat moot, because they aren't calling you. But, in the event that they request phone verification, you could run into a problem if the the phone isn't a direct landline.

From your post, it is clear that much of the criteria is being met. The business owner is holding meetings with clients and employees at this location, so that is one of the key metrics for inclusion. But the business about the address on an as-needed basis gives me pause as it sounds as thought other people are using the same space, meaning the scenario could turn into a real mess if the address is not unique to the business.

Please, feel free to give more details.

[SimonCullum]

You're welcome.

If the address is exactly the same then it raises suspicions as each business should usually have it's own unique address.

Though if it is just very slightly different that will be fine, e.g.

• Suite 4, Example Center, Example Street...
• Suite 4a, Example Center, Example Street...

those are different addresses so would be fine and not against the Guidelines as far as I know, so long as the other criteria are still met such as a local landline phone number...

Regards

Simon

[echo1]

Thanks Simon,

"So long as that exact same real address is not shared with another business" Did you find that this is against Google's guidelines?

[SimonCullum]

Hi Echo1

It sounds like you already know the answer, well done for checking though.  It's not always straight forward and best to check.

From what you've said, there is a real physical location from which the business owner meets clients and does business, the office that's being rented.

So long as that exact same real address is not shared with another business, plus the landline is at that address, then it will be no problem with the local listing as all the requirements are met incl. a real legal business name, a local landline phone number and that real physical address where business activities take place.

Unless something changes from what you've described, all criteria appear to have been met for a local listing for the office that's being rented.  Give it a go and chances are all will be fine with the listing.

Regards

Simon