Putting Name, Address, Number on page--necessary?

[TeenAngel]

Posting your site/businesses' name, address and phone number (PAN) is practically white hat 101. But is it really necessary for setting up a local niche site? Especially if you aren't located in the area?

Local number: sometimes $40
Post office box: $15/mo, virtual office much more.

That can wind up being hundreds of dollars per year. Then you're counting counting the time spent, and that's before you build the site or start linking.

Does anyone do this? Any local search guys want to share their method or is this PAN advice basically crap?

 

[TeenAngel]

Bumping with great anger and furious vengeance, as no one has been able to answer this question and it could really improve my margins/reduce startup costs on my local sites.

 

[TeenAngel]

Last bump. Any info?

 

[jimmyjimmerson]

I would say it is essential yes.

It gives your site more credibility and people often want to speak over the phone as well.

 

[jascoken]

Not really sure what you're asking, but NO, of ocurse you don't need to put your contact details on. As long as they have a form or email to contact you then that's fine.

If you're promoting a proper business and want to get calls/leads call-in - that 's different. But you said 'niche'. So I'm thinking that you're building a niche marketing site to use AdSense/CPA/Click Bank etc? If so, then NO; do NOT use a telephone no or address. A simple contact form or email address will suffice.

If you're taking direct payments then the water gets muddier. Yes, then you want to imbue some trust in your clients. But this still doesn't necessarily mean phone and address. No-one uses addresses now - unless it's a legal letter, and web forms or email are the standard way of communicating.

If you want to offer it because you think it will help - then that's one thing; but you don't need it in the majority of cases. BTW: I own over 500 sites and 3 'proper' companies - so I'm not just talking here. Only my 'proper' companies have address, phone and legal info.

 

[TeenAngel]

Not really sure what you're asking, but NO, of ocurse you don't need to put your contact details on. As long as they have a form or email to contact you then that's fine.

If you're promoting a proper business and want to get calls/leads call-in - that 's different. But you said 'niche'. So I'm thinking that you're building a niche marketing site to use AdSense/CPA/Click Bank etc? If so, then NO; do NOT use a telephone no or address. A simple contact form or email address will suffice.

If you're taking direct payments then the water gets muddier. Yes, then you want to imbue some trust in your clients. But this still doesn't necessarily mean phone and address. No-one uses addresses now - unless it's a legal letter, and web forms or email are the standard way of communicating.

If you want to offer it because you think it will help - then that's one thing; but you don't need it in the majority of cases. BTW: I own over 500 sites and 3 'proper' companies - so I'm not just talking here. Only my 'proper' companies have address, phone and legal info.

Thanks for this. The only reason why I would want to put the name, phone number and address on the site would be for SEO purposes. If you say it's not necessary (and your indication is that it's not), then it will save a lot of money + start-up costs for me not to put it on. Or maybe I could just include fake numbers + addresses.

The sites will promote local businesses, but it's not neccessary for my contact details to be on there, only theirs.

I appreciate the info! +Rep you you.

 

[SEOWhizz]

Thanks for this. The only reason why I would want to put the name, phone number and address on the site would be for SEO purposes. If you say it's not necessary (and your indication is that it's not), then it will save a lot of money + start-up costs for me not to put it on. Or maybe I could just include fake numbers + addresses.

The sites will promote local businesses, but it's not neccessary for my contact details to be on there, only theirs.

If you're building client's sites, having a local business's name, address and phone number is important if they wish to rank in Google Places (GP), e.g. for a term like: plumber las vegas.

If you wish your own 'company' site to rank locally in GP, e.g. for a term like: SEO san antonio, then the same applies.

It really does depend what terms you wish to rank for and whether they are local, national or international.

PO box/fake address is not advisable for a business address for GP.

 

[TeenAngel]

If you're building client's sites, having a local business's name, address and phone number is important if they wish to rank in Google Places (GP), e.g. for a term like: plumber las vegas.

If you wish your own 'company' site to rank locally in GP, e.g. for a term like: SEO san antonio, then the same applies.

It really does depend what terms you wish to rank for and whether they are local, national or international.

PO box/fake address is not advisable for a business address for GP.

I set up a fake post office box and work out a deal with the person in charge to accept mail (and a Gxxgle places postcard, assuming they even send it) to a very similar address:

Instead of:
123 main street po box 255A

I put in:
123 main street apartment 1A
It should work and avoid the po box ban by Gxxgle, but I just don't want to pay for it. I've ranked sites similar to what you mentioned to #1 without an address or phone number. I'm not sure thousands of dollars per year (what a real virtual office costs) is worth a Google places listing.