Having multiple google+ local listings

I would advise against it UNLESS your client can show multiple physical locations. Google places is finicky as it is, so it's not worth the risk in my opinion.

here's a short story, I had a client that had 3 different places pages that google auto generated for whatever reason. My claimed 1 of the listings. I began building citations & getting the listing to show up in the 7-box with 5 Star Rating so it stood out.

I was proud.

One day, google decided to take all the reviews & ratings and shift it over to one of our "unclaimed listings". The listing I had worked so hard to get ranked went POOF. But only temporarily.

I had to go in and claim the other 2 listings as mine, then delete them. It took around 6 weeks for them to be taken off the maps, and to restore the reviews and star ratings to the original listing. At this point we're full steam ahead and #1 or #2 in the 7-box for most keywords.

Places can make you feel like a genius one day, and a total FOOL the next.

Personally, if my client did NOT have or at least create a 2nd physical location (ie. rent a room in a building next door on the cheap to get an additional address), I would not even attempt to manage multiple places listings for the same address. To me its suicide. But maybe someone with experience managing multiple listings for the same physical location can chime in.

Also, I've 'heard' that google is currently doing away with the places 7-box/5-box/3-box. And they're supposedly rolling it out slowly across the nation. But haven't seen it happen in my market yet, although I've noticed some distinct changes.

You can do it my most clients have multiple address for their businesses but you need every info like real for each of biz. like phone physical address, location pictures, in your website it should be described have other locations in other areas. etc.

I encounter this same situation, whenever I see an existing business list(with all the same contents location,phone number, address) of my clients I skip and give a remarks whenever I do my reporting. I'm not in favor of multiple listing. But if your business is in different locations, I think it works.

Always be above board with your business and you'll be rewarded for it. I also suggest you make it plain to clients how easy it would be for them to be hurt by such tactics and that you will not risk their good name... or your own. The right clients will appreciate your integrity.

If a business doesn't have an office space in another location, don't create a listing.

yeah, totally agreed with aboves, never risk with multiple listing, because google is going to penalizes fake multiple listing soon.

However, if your clients insist, then the only way going forward is to find virtual offlices addresses, and get phone number with twillio or firecall, and make it looks like a same company are operating in different locations/different braches, if that make sense!

Anyway, still prefer not to over do it.

Hope it helps.

I don't know why anyone would try to get one over on Google nowadays. They can slap you with a penalty that will crush your traffic for a long time, maybe even indefinitely. Just not worth the risk. Also, what happens when you help your client cheat, and then Google penalizes him, who's he going to blame? Customers can file refund disputes from 6 months ago (or longer).

I wouldn't want that risk looming over my head.

I agree with everyone above, Google is cracking down more and more on faking listings. Sometimes it doesn't seem like it but eventually they will get rid of those fake listings and clean up the search results. Be safe, follow the rules and you will never have an issue.

Oh goodness, will people never learn. Like cheating on your spouse, you're going to caught and the end result is not pretty.