If customers come to you, use a storefront profile and show your address. If you go to customers, use a service-area profile and hide your address. Getting this wrong is one of the most common reasons local businesses get suspended or never rank on Google Maps.
Here's how to choose, from a local SEO company in Denver that sets these up every week.
The difference
| Storefront | Service-area business | Hybrid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Customers visit you: dentist, salon, shop | You visit customers: plumber, roofer, cleaner | Both: a garage that also does mobile repairs |
| Address on Maps | Shown | Hidden | Shown |
| Service area | Optional | Required | Added |
| Staffed hours at the address | Required | Not required | Required |
Google's rules are in its guidelines for representing your business.
Do you need someone at the address?
For a storefront, yes: the address must be staffed during your listed hours. For a service-area business, no one needs to be there to meet customers. But the hidden address must still be a real place where you run the business, such as your home or a real office.
Why virtual offices and mailboxes get suspended
Google doesn't allow these as business addresses:
- Mailbox services and PO boxes, even with a "suite" number
- Virtual offices you don't actually work from
- Coworking spaces where you have no dedicated, staffed space
- Someone else's address
Google checks these addresses, and the public can report them. A suspended profile disappears from Maps until it's reinstated, which can take weeks. Read what to do in Google Business Profile suspended.
How verification works
Google usually asks for a short video to verify a business. Plan to show, in one continuous recording:
- The outside of the location, with the street or nearby landmarks
- Signs of your business: equipment, branded vehicles, tools or work materials
- Proof you manage it: keys to the premises, business documents, or you signing in to your business accounts
Someone has to record this at the address, so the address must be real and accessible to you.
Where you rank as a service-area business
Setting a wide service area doesn't make you rank everywhere in it. Google still uses your hidden address to judge distance. You'll rank best near that address and weaker further away. To reach more of the Denver metro, add helpful city pages on your website and earn reviews from customers across the area.
Online-only businesses
Businesses that only work online, with no in-person contact with customers, aren't eligible for a Business Profile. If you meet clients in person, even occasionally at their premises, you can qualify as a service-area business.
FAQ
Can I switch from storefront to service-area later?
Yes. In your profile settings, remove the address from public view and add a service area. Google may ask you to verify again.
How many areas can I list?
Up to 20. Choose the cities and neighborhoods you really serve, ideally within about two hours' drive of your base.
Will hiding my address hurt my ranking?
No. Hiding it is correct for service-area businesses. Google still knows the location and uses it for ranking. For the rest of your profile, use our Google Business Profile optimization service or checklist.
