As a customer, nothing is more frustrating than performing a local search for a company online, and driving to the location they have on file only to find out they have moved. Thousands of companies relocate every year for a myriad of reasons. Several move due to a raise in rent, others, like us at Big Red SEO, move due to growth. Unfortunately, only a few business owners comprehend the importance of updating the address record with directories before or after a move.
If performing any type of search engine optimization yourself, at Big Red SEO, we recommended to update your new address in the local SEO search listings immediately. This will help reduce confusion for customers, vendors and local service companies. Below, our SEO team has put together two steps you can perform to update your local listing data. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at (402) 522-6468.
Step 1: Research Where You are Located
Google is likely assessing data from the resulting queries to update your Google Plus Local information. Perform a manual local search for your company name and old address or phone number.
For organization reasons, we suggest to track the results you find in an excel form. Consolidate information on every site that retains your business information.
If a website you found while performing a local search requires a username and password to be created, choose a generic email address to simplify the process. Make sure not to provide any personal data (this includes security questions). Lastly, be sure to check Google Maps (Google Listing) and your Google+ Local account if you have performed a merge with these accounts.
Step 2: Review All Directory Listings, Including Local Listings
When you perform your local searches in step one, you will more than likely notice that your company is listed with several free directories. This could be the result of a search engine optimization campaign you performed. In more cases than not, it is due to the search engines providing your company data to external websites.
When updating your company records on the discovered directories, verify your company’s information during this process. Google will feed external websites, like Acxiom, Infogroup and Localeze. Those three supply most mobile apps like Apple Maps and Foursquare as well.
Local Search Listings Look for Consistency
Your end goal should be to make sure Google and other search engines display your new address for all prominent website and mobile local search results. Simply editing your Google Plus Local page isn’t enough. It is very common for Google’s Local to index pieces of data and merge them from a number of sources. They ultimately look for consistency in Name, Address and Phone information (NAP). Variances in any three will factor into how easy or difficult it will be to update your local listing.
Your NAP is essentially your digital post office address, much like your IP address. Believe it or not, inconsistencies in NAP can actually lower your SERPS (search engine results pages) rankings for keyword queries you’re targeting. If you maintain the same phone number when you move locations, this should assist Google and other search engines to verify your changes.
Contact Big Red SEO at (402) 522-6468
Need help updating local search results for Google Plus Local and other search engines? Contact our SEO Team at Big Red SEO (402) 522-6468. Our mission is to help businesses be found where their customers are looking. More than ever, potential customers are searching for services in their local area. We help you get the results you deserve.
Want more details regarding SEO or WordPress website design? View our YouTube channel for value-add videos.