Guide
Service area business or shop address
This one decision on your Google Business Profile affects where you show up and whether strangers call to your house. It is worth five minutes of thought rather than clicking through it.
When to hide the address
If you travel to customers and work from home or a yard, set up as a service area business and hide the address. You still verify with your real address, Google just does not display it.
This is the right setup for most plumbers, electricians, carpenters, roofers and landscapers.
When to show it
If customers come to you, showing the address is essential. A showroom, a workshop people collect from, a shop. Hiding it in that case loses you walk in trade and map directions.
You can be both. A premises people visit that also does call outs shows the address and lists service areas.
Setting service areas sensibly
List the areas you would genuinely travel to. Covering the whole country when you work within an hour of Dublin makes you look less relevant everywhere rather than more relevant anywhere.
Counties and towns work better than vague regions.
Mistakes that cause real trouble
These come up again and again.
- Using a virtual office or a friend address in a town you want to rank in
- Creating separate listings for each town you cover
- Showing a home address you did not want public
- Listing a service area but leaving the address visible anyway
Matching it on your website
Whatever you choose, your website should say the same thing. If the profile hides the address, the site should present your areas clearly rather than a full postal address in the footer.
Keep the phone number identical in both places.
Common questions
Can I have a Google listing without showing my home address?
Yes. Verify with your real address and set yourself up as a service area business so the address stays hidden and your areas show instead.
Can I create a separate listing for each town I cover?
No. Multiple listings for one business breaches Google guidelines and can get them all suspended.
Where to go next
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