82 replies to this topic

[torka]

You can also use "suite" "Box" "office" or "#" as a box descriptor, instead of "PO Box" which is very good too.

I seem to vaguely recall something about how in the US you can't do that. There was some sort of code you had to put in there to indicate that it was a private PO box. (Such as PPB or something like that.) At least, the USPS was trying to institute something like that at one time. IIRC, they were going to stop delivering mail to any addresses such as this that didn't include the "code".

Unfortunately, I don't remember if they were ever successful at instituting this new rule, and I'm a bit rushed at the moment and can't look it up. I'll try to remember to check it out when I get home and see... or maybe someone else can shed some light before then.

(Now, wasn't this an informative post? )

--Torka

[ephricon]

I have another question regarding the city + state and the Google results. If I do a keyword search with keyword1 + keyword2 and keyword3 [2 and 3 being my kind of service] with the additional of city + state, I'm in oblivion.

But if i use the same keywords but put the city + state in quotes, I'm on page 3. Any idea why the results would be so different?

Different search = different results. Its my observation that many "average" web users often use quotes and end up frustrating themselves more than helping. My fiance does this all the time. She'll put a six word string in quotes and get no results...

Keep in mind that anything in quotes narrows the search to JUST sites that have that EXACT phrase associated with it.

My guess is that you are doing this search for a non-major city. If you search for say:

podunk idaho lawyers

...you'll get different results than

"podunk, idaho" lawyers...

b/c the second one is looking for that exact term. If your site says all kinds of things about podunk, and all kinds of things about idaho, but not exactly "podunk, idaho" than you are out of the mix.

In your case it seems as though this narrowing has helped you, bringing you from nowhere to page 3. Thus, in comparrison your site is better optimized for the phrase in that order. Let's say you are doing Chicago, Illinois instead of Podunk, Idaho. There are many sites that would likely have "Chicago, Illinois" in that order, thus quotes or no quotes theres lots of competition. However, with a small city there are still likely many sites - but more likely sites that might talk and be really really relative and optimized for Idaho, and just mention Podunk once or twice somewhere in passing or on one or two links. Here, your site moves up significantly as all these not-as-evently-relative-to-the-entire-search-phrase (hahaha) sites now drop out, leaving fewer sites which mention it exactly in said order.

Hope that is at least moderately clear.

[msdetta]

b/c the second one is looking for that exact term. If your site says all kinds of things about podunk, and all kinds of things about idaho, but not exactly "podunk, idaho" than you are out of the mix.

In your case it seems as though this narrowing has helped you, bringing you from nowhere to page 3. Thus, in comparrison your site is better optimized for the phrase in that order. Let's say you are doing Chicago, Illinois instead of Podunk, Idaho. There are many sites that would likely have "Chicago, Illinois" in that order, thus quotes or no quotes theres lots of competition. However, with a small city there are still likely many sites - but more likely sites that might talk and be really really relative and optimized for Idaho, and just mention Podunk once or twice somewhere in passing or on one or two links. Here, your site moves up significantly as all these not-as-evently-relative-to-the-entire-search-phrase (hahaha) sites now drop out, leaving fewer sites which mention it exactly in said order.

Hope that is at least moderately clear.

Thanks so much! I understand the difference now, and what you've said makes sense.

[mcanerin]

Re: PO box,

That was interesting so I looked it up.

Outline of the Issue: http://www.postalwat...e_cmra_main.htm

Current Rules: http://www.postalwat..._08_09_d042.pdf

So it looks like in the US that you have to use the PMP or #, instead of suite or whatever. (I would use #, personally) In my case I have a resident agent in the US, and in Canada we don't have this silly rule.

Good call, Torka!

Ian

[Scottie]

Jill Whalen is the inventor of the #... I wonder if the post office is paying her royalties?

[mcanerin]

They should!

Ian

[torka]

Hey, Ian, thanks for looking that up for me. I knew there was the "PMB" type thing; I hadn't realized they also offered the # option.

Nice to know that my memory (vague as it may be) hasn't deserted me entirely!

--Torka

[ephricon]

Thanks so much! I understand the difference now, and what you've said makes sense.

Glad to help