Google Service Areas: What They Do and Don't Do for Local Search Visibility

Google Business Profiles allow companies to identify areas served without displaying a traditional storefront address. Service-area businesses, like plumbers and HVAC companies, travel to customer locations, while hybrid businesses serve customers at a physical location and also travel.

According to Google's guidelines, service areas can be identified using cities, postal codes, or other geographic areas. A profile can contain up to 20 service areas, with the recommended territory being within approximately two hours of driving time from the business's base location.

Brett Thomas, owner of Rhino Web Studios in New Orleans, emphasizes that service areas don't automatically establish strong local search visibility within a city. He notes that adding a city as a service area does not suddenly make a business local to every search taking place in those communities.

Thomas highlights the importance of distance in local search, stating that Google considers how far a potential search result is from the location term used in a search. This creates an important consideration for companies covering large territories, as listing multiple communities within service areas can accurately tell prospective customers that service is available there, but does not necessarily place them on equal geographic footing with competing companies.

To establish more realistic expectations for Google Business Profile performance, businesses should understand the distinction between service areas and local search visibility. This involves creating accurate profiles, using relevant categories and services information, and including location-oriented content that provides meaningful information about communities regularly served.