Hi guys, I currently have a home based business (Web Development and Graphic Design Services). I dont have any customer coming to my home address, we meet in a public location or I join them at their office. What I would like to know is if I am located in New York (this is just an example) do I have any chance against the competition to rank for : Web development in New York ; Graphic Design in New York (Local niche keywords) . Even if I dont have any physical address on my website (I just put some like this : Company Name, New York, United-States. ) and even if I dont have a Google Place ? On google place I cant show my address publicly because it's my home address and I can't submit it to google either and hide it because it's not even in the location I want to rank for, I live in a near suburb and I offer my service in New York (for example). So what are my chance to rank ? is it possible only with On-Page optimization, Contents and backlinkg/anchor text targeting the local city I want to rank ? Or a physical address is a must-have and required to rank for local seo ? Thank You.
To rank on local results you need google business verification otherwise you will have just organic results.
Yes but can I outrank my competitors that are on both results ? I think they will havw a huge advantage over me since they are on google place too.
Why don't you go over to UPS or USPS or other such company and get a PO box for your company? Most PO Box companies will allow you to use their street address and a suite number for the address instead of putting in PO Box ###. This will give you your needed local address and it won't cost much. I have a PO box that I use for returns (safer than our warehouse mail location) and junk mail that costs me about $40 for 6 months.
Depends. Some local business may be google map registered but not on local results when you type for certain "results" So what can you outrank are the organic results only. The local ones you can't. Those will always be there ahead of you where is competition, where is interest.
I think SEO Local rankings need physical Address because if you want to list your business at any local classified,it needs physical address.if you don't have any physical address now then you can use your own home address.if you can use more valuable unique content in your site ,then you must be ranked as per google webmaster guidelines.
To achieve visibility and traffic in local search results so you need to provide all the required details as per guidelines which give you good improvement in business point of view so either you put your home address or try to find an alternate address to get properly business location.
The whole point of local rankings is to give an edge to established businesses with a physical presence. Sucks for us freelancers but it's all part of the game to ensure good websites get promoted over non-business spammy websites. You may find that you can't get around it satisfactorally and you just have to work harder on the points where you do have an advantage.
In my honest opinion you can't pull it off on Google places, on some other business listing sites that does not require a real physical address and details you may have a chance.
I hate to repeat what others have said, but the truth is that a physical address is essential and will become even more important. When it comes to local search results, and office building is as good as gold. You might be able to register a small office space for a very minimal fee in a shared building. Good luck!
It would be REALLY difficult to outrank them. You can always try, but according to me, it's impossible, you should go further.