One of the first concerns of Google+ optimization for web hosts is the choice between setting up a Google My Business local business page or brand page. The correct direction is determined by the particular situation for a business. For some industries, this decision becomes complicated. A perfect example is the hosting industry.
Local business or brand – concerns & factors
Web hosts have the following, sometimes conflicting concerns, which really apply to all of their branding and marketing efforts:
- Want to show up in local listings
- Want to get more reviews
- Don’t want to have to keep multiple local pages updated.
Factors influencing the decision of local business vs. brand include:
- Offer colocation (use of the host’s data center with the client’s own equipment, primarily used locally) and international services
- Have one office and multiple data centers in different locations, increasingly common in the age of cloud computing.
- Do they service the world or a local market?
A hosting company may not be a typical local business like a mom-and-pop pizza shop, but it may still want to reach a local audience. However – regardless of colocation and multiple data centers – the perspective of two of our Google+ colleagues make it clear that a brand page is the right choice.
Face-to-face & service areas
Lloyd Silver, a Level 5 contributor to the Google Product Forum and executive at Cairn Marketing in Walnut Creek, California, recommended that a hosting service should typically not choose a local page. He commented, “Local pages are intended for businesses that interact with customers in-person.” Since a hosting company primarily interacts with customers online or over the phone, it is only eligible for a brand page.
Silver added that if a hosting company were to meet with customers face-to-face at its headquarters, it could qualify for a local page. He also specified that if you do choose a local page, do not add service areas across the country: “That’s not the intent of a service area business.”
Conclusion – Probably a brand page.
Industry norms & Google practices
Google Top Contributor Linda Buquet of Local Search Forum essentially agreed with Silver, but she also cautioned hosting companies to consider industry norms. Since hosting companies don’t typically meet face-to-face with their clients, “even if you do, your listing would be at risk to be taken down because that’s not the norm.”
She also referenced current Google practices: the search engine does not even show local results for “Las Vegas web hosting” (i.e., with A, B, C, etc., designating pins on the map). Buquet remarked that the inability to search web hosts locally “also kind of goes to show that they don’t consider web hosting a ‘local’ business.”
Conclusion – Definitely a brand page.
Exceptions to the rule?
There always has to be an exception. For some web hosting companies, they may only have a data center (and clients visit frequently) or others that only offer hosting services to a specific locale (like UK only 34SP), in these cases, having a local page can be a boon for a web host. They can speak directly to a local clientele, be discovered on maps and clients can easily get driving directions.
The right angle for our new social world
The decision between a local business and brand page can sometimes get a little confusing. However, it’s critically important to understand and optimize Google+:for authenticity and authority, this will define the next generation of search relevance.
Use our free Google Plus Brand Page Audit Tool to check if your page is properly connected to your website and how that connection can potentially be improved.
