Business with Alternative Names - GMB profile options?

[HoosierBuff]

I have a customer with a weird issue:

He has a strange name - like "sk8 gr8 " . He shows up just fine if the user types it in just like it is "sk8 gr8" but, if they type in Skate Great, they don't show up at all.

Is there any way to help them show up for their real name. I was thinking of putting the english name in parentheticals, even though that is probably against Google guidelines.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@HoosierBuff, Google's unlikely to remove that alternate name, partly because competitors are unlikely to try to edit it out. (It's not a "keyword," exactly.) So in that sense your plan probably will work.

The trouble is "Skate Great" isn't very distinct, and it may still be hard for Google to recognize that it's a search for a local business. Even locals may see only a bunch of search results for "How to ice-skate" and "How to roller-skate." (Of course, that anyone would type in "Skate Great" in the first place is a problem with the name "Sk8 Gr8" and other leet names.) Including the alternate version in your GMB name may not be enough.

I'd just mention it in the title tag(s) and prominently on the homepage. Probably some reviewers will refer to your client as "Skate Great" in the reviews. That should do the trick, with or without changing the GMB name.

 

[HoosierBuff]

hmmm, Would be interesting to see if I can get the business to show up without changing the GMB!

I will let you know!