Will switching to VOIP hurt local, search rankings?

[clean image]

So, I am looking into VOIP for all my business lines.

My concern is when the numbers are ported to VOIP service provider, will google no longer see them associated with with a physical address, and hence hurt my rankings?

I purchase a company recently, and keep their number at their location and RCF it to my location.

Same also with my main number. previous address.

The reason is for call tracking, and lower costs.

 

[PrimaDonna]

I don't think so. We have had VOIP for over 10 years. We transferred the business land line number to the VOIP. Have kept the number through multiple move and are no longer in the area that has that exchange. Might be different if your originating number is VOIP??

You can "claim" your company listings on sites like google, YP, Yelp etc. that feed into the search engines so I think by doing that and listing your VOIP number, you would be fine. We have updated our address on these listings each time we moved.....

 

[Hoody]

Google cares more about if the number is local area code and local exchange and they don't like 1-800 numbers for listings. Local area code and exchange validate more that your business is from that area. The type of phone service doesn't matter. You could use a local Google Voice number that you forward to your phones if you wanted to.

 

[clean image]

thanks Meg and Steve

Steve, I get the area code, What do you mean by the local exchange?

 

[Hoody]

The three numbers after the area code. 555-555-1234

 

[clean image]

Gotcha, thanks

So. If there is no risk in google ranks changing.

Any reason I should not go VOIP?

 

[knoxclean]

What providers do you VoIP users reccommend

 

[Dan]

I've been happy with voipo.com.

 

[PrimaDonna]

We've been using Vonage for about 10 years.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I've had the same business landline number for 45 years. That number was Murray's original prefix, and was important in the early years. The surrounding "rural" exchanges in the county were difficult and rather useless in marketing. As the town grew subsequent prefixes identified you as a newbie to town

Only in the last decade has having an original prefix or even a landline phone number lost some of their importance. However, for continuity I've kept that number and had it RCF to one of the cell numbers.

 

[J Scott W]

Magic Jack has worked well for my phone for several years. You should be aware that if your computer / internet service goes down you can lose the VOIP as well. That was fairly common in rural Tennessee with lots of spring storms. It has not been an issue in Utah.

 

[kingjoelking]

My work # has always been a Google Voice #. So the answer has to be no.