One of the most common myths I hear from independent contractors, mobile mechanics, plumbers, and landscapers is this: “Gayle, I run my business out of my house and my truck. I can’t put my business on Google Maps because I don’t want strangers showing up at my front door!”
It makes perfect sense. Your home is your sanctuary, and you don’t want a customer pulling into your driveway at 7:00 AM on a Sunday looking for a quote.
Because of this fear, many mobile business owners avoid Google Maps entirely. But by doing so, they are cutting themselves off from the single biggest source of local leads.
The Good News: You Are a “Service Area Business”
Google understands that not every business has a brick-and-mortar storefront or showroom. They built a specific feature for businesses that travel to the customer: the Service Area Business (SAB) profile.
When you set up your Google Business Profile as an SAB, you get to completely hide your residential street address from the public.
How It Works:
Instead of a red pin dropping on your actual house, you define your “Service Area” by selecting the cities, zip codes, or counties where you operate (for example: Poulsbo, Kingston, and Port Gamble).
Google then uses this data to show your business to people searching for your services in those specific areas. You stay 100% private, but your business still ranks right at the top of the search results when a homeowner needs a plumber or a roofer.
Don’t Leave Money on the Table
If you have been holding off on claiming your Google Maps real estate because of privacy concerns, it’s time to get off the sidelines.
Setting up a Service Area Business correctly can be slightly tricky to navigate the first time. If you want to ensure your privacy is protected while maximizing your local search rankings, let the experts at MapYourBiz handle the setup.
Learn more about our Google Business Profile Setup & Optimization services