Is it an SEO Problem to Show Multiple Phone Numbers on a Website?

Sometimes one client might have multiple phone numbers. Is that a bad thing for SEO?

Video transcript:

Tricia: I wasn’t sure about your thoughts for SEO and setting that up, instead of putting their cell numbers and having multiple lines listed.  

David: I think it’s ideal to have one number that filters through to everybody.

Tricia: Yeah.  

David: I think it would help NAP consistency. I think it makes a better, clearer call-to-action because everything’s focused. And then setting up a phone tree like you’re describing, I think would be the ideal way to do that. We’d have to invest in technologies for that. But yeah, I just think that would be easier for everybody and to take the time to explain to the client the advantages of that. This is why so many aspects of SEO are really about advising the client.  

Tricia: Yeah.

David: They’re used to doing business a particular way. They have two different phone numbers, and it’s working for them, or they wouldn’t have asked you. It might be that they didn’t realize that there is a better way to do this. And this kind of goes back to the idea that clients are really paying us for our expertise. And to be able to give them a recommendation and just say, “No,” in a polite way, “that’s not a great idea. Here’s a better idea,” is what they’re really paying us for. That’s where we bring value. We can just roll over and do what they say, and sometimes they will insist and make the wrong decisions all the time. But we can push back and say, “Yeah, let’s push everything through one phone number.” In the case of a real estate agent, I can totally see that both of those agents are probably out doing their own personal networking, getting their own referrals from their own happy clients, and they do want their own name out there. I could see that. Like, I’m building my name. But for the people who don’t know their name yet, don’t make me choose because your picture is prettier than the other agent’s picture, or something fickle and unfair you come first on the list on the website.

Tim: Yeah.

David: Nobody should be happy with that. So, it’s a solution. So, let’s just make it easier for the customer and get more leads.

Tim: Well, their whole brand is that they’re a family and that you’re going to get both of them, actually. They’re a mother-daughter team, so they share all the roles and responsibilities. You might see one home with one agent and another home with the other agent, depending on who’s available. Plus, one is licensed in PA and in Maryland, and the other one’s licensed in Maryland and West Virginia. So, there is a little bit of that specificity about how to determine who to work with, but there is crossover in Maryland as well.

Tricia: Now for the website, I’m assuming you’re having them make the main website for the team, and then on the agents page, they’ll have a link to the mother’s information and link to the daughter’s information?

Tim: A bio within the same site, yeah.

Tricia: Yeah. So, then I would assume that’s where for each one, you would list the areas and what they do. Now in that section, I would be okay with putting their direct cell numbers, to say call blah on her cell or text her, because I have a lot of agents that like that now.

David: I think that offers another opportunity for you. So, when we’re talking about optimizing the site, the homepage would be optimized for Maryland because both agents serve in Maryland. But the one who can serve in Maryland and Pennsylvania should be optimized for Pennsylvania because only she can serve in Pennsylvania. And the one in West Virginia and Maryland should be optimized for West Virginia because only she can serve in West Virginia. So that way, you get a broader reach.

Tim: Oh, wow. Okay. Good point.

David:  That way, you’re saying to each person, “Hey, you can work with us if you’re in Maryland. But if you’re in West Virginia, you get to work with this one. And if you’re in Pennsylvania, you get to work with that one.” And now you’ve got the problem of trying to optimize your website for three different locales, which is always a challenge.

Tim: Yep.

David: Now, you kind of solved that problem. And then you can have their cell phone number for West Virginia. Maybe it’s not even a West Virginia number. I don’t think that really matters. But you could use phone call tracking and use the West Virginia area code.