If you're a plumber, electrician, cleaner, or any business that travels to your customers, you probably don't want your home address plastered all over Google Maps. But you do want customers in your service area to find you easily.
That's where the Service Area Business (SAB) setting in Google Business Profile comes in. It allows you to hide your physical address while showcasing the precise cities or regions you serve.
In California, where privacy matters and service areas can span multiple dense cities, configuring this correctly is a game-changer for Local SEO.
Let's walk through exactly how to set it up—and how to optimize it to get more local calls.
1. What Is a Service Area Business?
A Service Area Business is a business that serves customers at their locations, not at a storefront. Think:
If this sounds like you, then you're an SAB. And Google has a special setup just for you.
2. Why Hide Your Address?
Bad: Showing Home Address
• Privacy risk: Customers showing up at your private residence.
• Accuracy: Your home isn't where the transaction happens.
• Google Penalties: If you don't have permanent signage and staff at the address, Google can suspend your profile.
Good: SAB Profile
• Privacy protected: Address is completely hidden from the public.
• Professionalism: Showing a broad service area looks established.
• Compliance: Follows Google's strict guidelines for non-storefront businesses.
The Verification Reality
Even if you hide your address, Google still needs to verify your business location. They'll send a postcard or require a video verification showing your work vehicles/tools at that location. That address stays private—only you and Google see it.
3. Step-by-Step: Set Up Your Profile as a Service Area Business
Sign In
Go to business.google.com and sign in with the account managing your profile.
Edit Profile
From your dashboard, click the Edit profile button.
Location Tab
Scroll down to the "Location" section and click the pencil icon next to your business address.
Clear Address
Toggle the switch that says "Show business address to customers" to the OFF position.
Set Service Area
Go to the "Service area" section and add the specific cities, zip codes, or counties you serve.
Save & Wait
Click Save. It may take up to 3 days for the changes to fully update on Google Maps.
4. What Your Profile Looks Like Now
Here's how customers will perceive your business after configuring it correctly:
Mike's Plumbing
Plumber • Service Area Business
Google GuaranteedNote: No physical address is displayed, preventing unwanted walk-ins.
5. Service Area: Cities vs. Radius
Google restricts you to a maximum of 20 service areas. You must be strategic about how you use them.
- By City / ZIP: Pick specific cities or postal codes. This is best if your service area is fragmented or you want to explicitly highlight high-income suburbs (e.g., "I serve Pasadena, Arcadia, and Glendale.")
- By County: If you cover a massive continuous area, selecting the entire county (e.g., "Orange County") uses only one of your 20 slots.
Pro Tip for California
Google states your overall service area should not extend farther than about 2 hours of driving time from where your business is based. If you're based in LA, do not select San Diego as a service area—Google's algorithm will likely ignore it because it's unrealistic.
6. Common Mistakes to Avoid
SAB Errors that Hurt SEO
• Using a virtual office or P.O. Box: This is a massive red flag for Google and leads to instant suspensions.
• Listing cities you don't serve: Google tracks where users interact with your profile. Fake areas dilute your relevance.
• Creating duplicate profiles: Creating a new GBP for every city you serve will get all your profiles banned.
Best Practices
• Match your website: Ensure the cities listed in your GBP match the "Service Area" page on your website.
• Update regularly: If you expand to new cities, update your GBP immediately.
• Get reviews from all areas: Reviews mentioning different cities validate your broad territory.
Is Your GBP Configured Correctly?
A single wrong setting in your Google Business Profile can tank your local rankings. Let us audit your SAB setup for free.
Request a Free Profile Audit