How to set up your Google service area correctly

Service-area, hybrid or storefront?

Google says a hybrid business needs permanent signage at its location; without it, list yourself as a service-area business. Businesses selling age-restricted products such as alcohol need a storefront.

The rules for service areas

• You can add up to 20 service areas.
• Define them by city, postcode or another named area. You can't use a radius around your business.
• Keep the overall area within about two hours' drive of your business.
• A service-area business can have only one profile for the whole area it serves.
• Only keep your address on your profile if you serve customers there.

To edit: open your Business Profile, select Edit profile, then Location, and next to Service area select Edit. Choose or type each area and save. Google says approved changes can take up to 48 hours to appear.

Do service areas help you rank?

Mostly, no. Your service areas tell customers where you work, but Google's local results still depend heavily on the distance between the searcher and your business location. In Whitespark's expert survey, distance is the second-strongest map ranking factor, and an address shown on the profile ranks seventh.

Sterling Sky's 2025 study of 8,186 businesses also found hiding the address was linked to lower “near me” rankings. That doesn't mean you should show an address customers don't visit: it breaks Google's guidelines and risks suspension. If you genuinely serve customers at a signed location, a hybrid setup lets you show it.

Common mistakes

• Showing a home address or virtual office customers never visit.
• Adding areas far beyond two hours' drive, or whole regions you rarely serve.
• Creating a separate profile for each town you cover.
• Using a radius from an old setup. Google says you'll need to redefine it by city or postcode.