Should your page be public or private?

Public is right for a business page, because being findable is the point. But public means exactly that, so it is worth deciding what belongs on it before you publish.

What public actually means

Anyone with the link can open it, and search engines can list it unless you turn indexing off. There is no half-public, and anything you put on it should be information you would put on a sign.

What not to put on it

• A personal address you do not want visitors at
• A personal phone number you do not want on a public page
• Anything about a specific customer
• Photos of people who have not agreed to appear

Indexing is a separate choice

You can be public and still ask search engines to skip you. That is useful if the page is only for people you send it to, like a page for one event or one client.

If you work from home

Use the areas you cover rather than your address, and take bookings rather than visitors. A map link is not compulsory.

Check it the way a stranger would

Open your own address in a private browser window, signed out. That is what everyone else sees.