Let’s start with the basics of how your physical address intersects with your business goals. If your organization offers products or services to customers in a geographic location, then your physical address is important. It’s hard to say you’re a ‘denver coffee shop’ if your only location is in Wyoming. Users would find that misleading.
Conversely, if you offer goods or services nationally or internationally and you don’t have customers stopping into your location you might think your business change of address doesn’t matter much. The SEO around your location is a little more nuanced than you might think, and it isn’t only related to your website. Today we’re sharing some tips on those nuances.
Let’s start with the basics: Google wants the information about your organization to be consistent and up to date. Due to many attempts by website owners to game the system, conflicting information about your organization can be taken as evidence that you’re not a reliable source of information. Here are some steps you can take to avoid this outcome.
Website
Keep the information on your website up to date. Any place you share your contact information, address or service area should be updated once your business change of address is official. That includes your ‘about’ page, ‘contact us’ page and even your footer if you have any of that information shared there.
Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest…anywhere you have contact information should be updated. If you’re not sure what information is out there, task someone with finding out. Nothing will cost you a new customer faster than an unanswered message due to a change of phone number, address or email.
Local Search
You may or may not be aware of the local search profiles that exist with information about your organization. Claiming, verifying and updating local listings can seem like a rabbit hole, so start with the big three: Google, Bing and Yelp.
To begin the process, search for your organization’s name on Google Maps, Bing Maps and Yelp. If there is a listing that hasn’t been claimed by your organization already, claim it and make sure the listing is complete and accurate with your new information.
We’ll follow up this article with a little more detail on Local Search, but for now, be aware that you’ll need to update your information in more than one place or people may head to your old location for months to come!
If you have questions about website updates, Local Search or anything else related to SEO or SEM, get in touch, we’d be happy to help you weigh your options.