If you have a mobile business – like a plumbing service, landscaping company, traveling dog grooming service, or any other company that is on the move – we have good news for you.
Google wants to help service area businesses (SABs), meaning those who serve multiple areas, by showing their service areas and business information on Google Search and Maps. You can enter the areas you generally serve by submitting a list of zip codes in Google My Business.
Where to Add Service Areas in Google My Business
When creating your Google My Business account, you’ll see this question:
Do you want to add a location customers can visit, like a store or office?
If the answer is yes, it will then show you options that are tailored to fit the needs of a mobile business.
Note: if you already have an account on Google My Business, you can log in and edit this option from your dashboard.
If You Have a Storefront and Multiple Service Areas
The best part about this feature is that it allows business owners to separately edit their storefronts and service areas. So, if your business has a physical location and provides mobile services, you can highlight both on the search engine results page (SERP) and on Google Maps.
If your address isn’t applicable to your business, you can simply clear it. Just be aware that clearing your address will turn your listing into a service area business and will remove the directions icon, remove the maps pin, remove the listing from the Google Maps API and hide your address from the public.
If you have a service area business and your address was automatically cleared by Google, attempting to add it back will require you to re-verify it. However, if you leave the address out, Google still knows where you are but will hide your address from the public. The old service area radius is replaced with a list of zip codes or cities. It’s important to know that rankings are still based on your address (whether you like it or not). If you move, you should add your new address back, re-verify it, then clear it. Otherwise, your ranking will be based on the old address.
Questions? We Can Help.
Google My Business offers a wealth of benefits for companies both big and small. If you have never used this feature or you’re interested in improving your Google rankings overall, we welcome you to call Envoca today.