One Business, Two Websites, Two Google Business Listings same address?

[David GB]

Hi . I am a vet with a specialism. I have two websites with completely different domain names. One that is targeting the general public locally and the other is targeting other vets who may wish to refer to me from further afield.

The first, site, targeting the public, has had a GMB listing for 7 years and does reasonably well in local searches. The second site doesn't perform as well when search terms such as "(my speciality) referrals" or "my speciality" are used.

The two sites do not have duplicate content, have separate websites and contact telephone numbers. The site targeting the public is XYZ clinic and the referral site is XYZReferrals. The referral site is much smaller as it is only targeting other vets mainly.

I am soon to be setting up on my own, rather that operating through a private veterinary practice and will be changing the address on my current GMB listing which uses the first site . I was also considering setting up another GMB account for the referral side of the business. This will be running from the same address. Will Google allow this? Provided there is no duplicate content and the referral site concentrates on the referral service (the other site uses language more directed to the layman), will it harm the SEO of the first site?

You may ask, why not just have one site? Main reason is, that if vets see the first site, which offers second opinions, they may be less inclined to refer, plus the first site is targeting people locally!

 

[Community]

From my experience in dealing with my own and clients sites there is no problems with multiple listings providing they offer identifiably different services, they have different brand names, different URL's which have unique content on and different phone numbers.

Then externally all references to the businesses, need to match the GMB details.

When you set up on your own, the knock on effect of changing the address and contact details will mean that ever other referance from around the web such as business directories, will still contain the old details and will disrupt your NAP. This means your local map pack rankings will most likely be effected by such a move and those references around the internet need to be updated to give you the best possible chances of keeping any kind of map pack standing.

 

[David GB]

Thanks for the tip. Luckily in my profession there is only one business directory which will change the address immediately I move.

If I do this, the two listings would share part of the name i.e "Name "Clinic and "Name" Referrals. Google would be OK with this? I have read stories of people loosing BOTH listings if they break the rules. I wouldn't want that to happen as my existing "Name" Clinic listing is performing fairly well.

 

[Community]

When you say there is only one business directory, I would recommend checking for other references around the web, typically any registered business will be distributed to hundreds of business directories when registering as a limited business or similar. Those will all be contributing to your over all NAP for GMB business listing rankings.

Providing both businesses are indeed separate entities, for example Different brand/business name, different phone number, providing different services, different website and content and the only common attribute between the two is the address.

I see nothing wrong with that, Google understands that businesses operate from the same buildings.

When you say they are different, will they be separately registered limited companies ? If they are then again I see no problem.

If they are not however that's where it may fail to qualify for GMB listing because it's arguable that you could have separate sections of one website.

 

[David GB]

I think you’ve answered my question unfortunately. They are not 2 distinct limited companies, but they are offering 2 distinct services. As I said, as one website is targeting the general public and the other is targeting vets (and the work involved would be different) I have always thought it best to have two distinct web sites and have done this for 6 -7 years.

The only other way I could possibly see it working is if I use my home address for the referral web site and list my local clinic as just one of the clinics I work from (as I may well be doing clinics at other practices, working peripatetically in future )

 

[Community]

Is your home address in the same town/target radius ? If so you could do one from your home address and set it as a service area business so the address isnt shown on the GMB listing.

But If you were to do that, I would recommend doing that on the one which isnt currently ranking very well and keep the physical business location for the GMB listing which is ranking well.

 

[David GB]

Home address is in same town. I take it that if I do as you suggest that even if the second referral site is registered as service area business so that address isn’t listed on GMB they would still send the post card to my home address with the link to confirm the business? Then how would it appear in a Google Business listing? Just sort of hovering over my town?

May be it’s not even worth attempting two separate google business listings even if I keep the two separate sites. Certainly, the site targeting the public generates much more business.

 

[Community]

If you are set as a service area business you basically give the radius/towns/regions of which you want to target. They still appear in the map pack but do not physically appear in a set location on the map.

Is the referral business targetting local custom ? Or is it more of a national reach ? If so then yes you may be better starting off with two websites, but keeping the main one as the GMB, if your target market is primarily local then I would seriously consider either two listings if its viable, or combining the two websites and optimising the main listing and organic searches to cater for that second service.

We are generalising based on senerio though and not able to see the current GMB profiles so an audit of the current situation by a professional might be good idea to make recommendations based on the real thing.

 

[David GB]

The referral site is really aimed at vets in the whole of central England. The other site is aimed at people in the East Midlands but the site does appear in google searches all over the country so I’ve had second opinions from clients as far as 100 miles away.
As I’ve said, I’ve had the 2 different sites for 6-7 years but setting up on my own rather than working within an existing practice has made me look at the whole thing again. I’ve just had the main website completely rebuilt and am in the process of getting the referral site rebuilt.