Do you have a virtual office for your law firm? Then, you need to know this about Google.
I was recently asked if Google penalizes businesses with virtual or satellite offices. For those of you that don’t know, here’s what a virtual office is.
What Is A Virtual Office?
A virtual office is a service that allows business owners and their employees to work from home or anywhere that has internet access.
Running a law firm can be expensive. Using a virtual office instead of a renting an office space allows legal professionals to cut the expenses of operating a physical location.
A lot of overhead expenses and rent costs are eliminated with this kind of business. Virtual offices are a rising trend in today’s workforce due to their flexibility and affordability.
Unfortunately, Google doesn’t like businesses that use mailbox stores.
This stems from Locksmiths. They used to get a virtual office in every zip code possible, so their business would show up in a Google search no matter which city was searched.
Google caught on and began to penalize companies without a physical location.
How Can You Rank In Google If You Have A Virtual Office?
It’s not impossible to rank with a virtual office, but it’s extremely difficult. If you’re using a virtual office for your law firm, then your Google rank could be suffering.
We found a solution for our clients with virtual addresses that works.
If you have a virtual or satellite office and can afford it, then you can rent an executive suite. Having a physical location for a few months can greatly improve your search rank.
Google won’t penalize you in the searches for having a virtual office when you have a real physical location.
I recommend not going with a Regis executive suite if possible. A lot of people rent these suites and Google has taken notice.
Google is also using third parties to verify physical address locations.
A client of ours recently had a Facetime chat to verify that he really was at the physical location that he claimed his office was located at.
This means that Google is serious about favoring businesses with physical addresses. If you can afford to rent an execute suite, then it’s something you should consider.
Most people looking for an attorney today will turn to Google to help them find one. You need to improve your search ranking if you want to be visible to your potential clients.
