As more and more businesses and organizations make the transition onto the web, there is a growing debate as to whether having the physical address on the website has any value. Does your physical address help your rankings with Google, or improve your overall conversion rates? Search engine optimization is a melting pot of factors and the physical address on a website does appear obsolete at first thought. But how the surface appears doesn't necessary represent what lurks in the depths. This article will look at the value of including your physical address on your website.

Local Value:

Google Local is a ?local business center? that allows businesses to list their information online and, in essence, be found by customers. It coordinates with Google Maps so that your information pops up with the red balloon, displaying your location. Millions of people search Google Maps everyday, so it is important to have your business look its best. It will provide your potential customer the benefit of coming to you in person, if they choose not to convert online, or aren't able to complete a transaction online. As for organic ranking value, the physical address is not an on-off switch for rankings, but it certainly isn't hurting your placement. There are still consumers who use the web to find where they want to shop in person, instead of buying online.

SEO Value:

It is not required to have your physical address on your site, nor does it act as a negative, but having on-site addresses that match up with the registration does act as a positive. Think of including your physical address as a part of a website's overall ?trust score?. Trust has become a component in Google's algorithm that helps determine whether a site is trustworthy. If you use fake or false data and Google finds out, you will risk losing your domain. If Google recognizes your real address, especially in its Maps, you will benefit even greater in Google's ?did you mean? attribute. Using a post office box does not suffice, seeing as Google isn't able to locate them on a map.

More Value in the Future:

You may have noticed that Google comes just short of twisting your arm in creating a profile. One of the two methods that Google uses when verifying an account is through your telephone number. Google may soon be using the same technology to verify your address data on your site as a next step for account verification. Using your real world, physical address on your business website will increase its chances of appearing more algorithmically trustworthy to Google. You may not experience immediate effects in the rankings, but it is one of the small things that you can do to your site that acts as a bonus point. This gives you an advantage over any of your competitors that haven't done the same.

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