Local Listings with Virtual Address [Lead Gen]

Capital

Accumulation.
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
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1
Hey guys,

So I'm beginning next journey by creating a small portfolio of local lead gen sites. Nothing too fancy or major. Just something to show clients and make a few bucks in the process.

Thus far, I'm pretty familiar with how the legit local game goes.

The roadblock I'm hitting now is how to get my sites on Local Listings without being banned. Although my sites will be service area businesses, I'll still need a physical address for each of them to qualify.

Now from what I understand, the Big G doesn't tolerate PO boxes and/or virtual addresses. It might take them a little while to figure it out, but I have no doubt they already have an ever-expanding database of virtual office/address suppliers.

So my question is this: how do you get local lead gen sites listed? Do you just say "fuck it" and go the virtual address route until you're burned? Or do you not even bother, skip citation building, and just rank off of locally targeted pages (foregoing NAP consistency altogether)?

Any hints would be appreciated. Hopefully this question isn't asking ppl to divulge too much secret info.

Thanks!
 
Hmm, lots to explain.. But I can help. Let's chat.
 
@Broland hopefully this is one you can answer in public since I think it'll start to impact people generally. I've seen a few businesses (though it's not come up for a client... yet) where they have their actual business at what's also a shared/virtual office type location. Have you seen cases where that legitimate business decision (eg they're always there, customers can come anytime etc... just like a 'permanent office' they're just using the virtual facility to scale up and down etc..) hurts a business because Google won't show them in local?
 
Yea, let's see how it goes and what we come up with and then I'll leave it mainly up to OP as to what he wants to share. A lot of this local SEO business involves more specific details of the business, website, strategy etc.

There are also a couple main probIems many of us have run into sharing some of the better tips, tricks, loopholes etc. on public forums. I don't mind answering some general questions here when time allows.

To your question above (not sure I totally understand your phrasing) No I haven't really seen this hurt a business. There are occasional cases of competitors or others reporting a location, it getting marked closed or something and having to get it re-verified. If you work at stuff and aren't negligent or totally spammy there isn't much to worry about here. As long as these virtual offices also have options to rent monthly office space, there isn't a way for Google to know or check which are actually there - aside from manual checks/calls either randomly (in competitive niches), or from being reported.
 
Update:

Basically what Broland said above.

He's got this stuff on lock. Besides virtual offices there is another, newer, more nebulous method of scoring addresses and getting verified (which is honestly the biggest pain in the local lead game from where I'm standing). Hit Broland up, or figure it out yourself.

Pick your poison. :wink:

But yeah, regardless, addresses are a bitch.

lol
 
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