Google Business Profile for builders and trades

Service-area or shop-front?

Google’s help page on service areas describes a service-area business as one that visits or delivers to customers directly but doesn’t serve them at its business address. A hybrid business serves customers at its address and also visits them. Google says that if your business doesn’t have permanent on-site signage, it’s not eligible as a shop front and should be listed as a service-area business.

Your address

• Google says that if you don’t serve customers at your business address, you should remove the address from your profile and enter only your service area (Google).
• Its guidelines say a rented postal address you don’t operate from (a virtual office) isn’t eligible, and that service-area businesses can’t list a virtual office unless it’s staffed during opening hours.

Your business name

Google’s guidelines say your name should reflect your business’s real-world name, as used consistently on your shopfront, website, stationery and as known to customers. Don’t add keywords or locations that aren’t part of the real name, such as “Best Builder London”.

Keep it consistent with your website

• Same business name, phone number and website address on the profile and the site.
• Service areas on the profile match the “areas covered” page on your website.
• Opening hours match what you say on your contact page.
• Photos are your own work.
• Reviews are genuine. Asking customers for reviews in return for incentives can break both Google’s rules and UK law. See reviews and the law.

Questions people ask

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