Google My Business Guidelines Updated For Service-Area & Virtual Offices

Feb 22, 2017 - 7:59 am 3 by
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Google has updated their Google My Business guidelines specifically to clarify how a business should list their address for service-area businesses and virtual offices. The new section is in the expandable "address" section and titled "Service-area businesses."

The new guidelines clarifies who can use that feature:

Service-area businesses - businesses that serve customers at their locations - should have one page for the central office or location and designate a service area from that point. Service-area businesses can't list a "virtual" office unless that office is staffed during business hours.

Some businesses, like pizzerias that have both have restaurant seating and deliver pizza to customers, are hybrid service-area businesses. These businesses can show their storefront address and designate a service area in Google My Business. If you serve customers at your address and want to set a service area, your business location should be staffed by your team and able to receive customers during its stated hours.

Google will determine how best to display your business address based on your business information as well as information from other sources. Learn more about service-area businesses.

Marissa from the Google My Business team said in a Google My Business Help thread "we were able to get those clarifications added in the help center article with our guidelines."

Forum discussion at Google My Business Help.

 

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