Is a Google My Business Virtual Office address allowed?
According to Google’s official guidelines for the presentation of your company at GMB:
If your company rents a physical mailing address but is not shown by this location, also referred to as a virtual office, this place is not entitled to a business profile.
There they – very cut and dry. Since a virtual office is technically only an address in which a company can receive mail, and the employees do not really work out of the office, The address should not be used for the Google business profile.
However, some argue that an area of employee, which is also known as SAB, may use a virtual office, since the address on Google is not displayed. Here the discussion becomes interesting.
Can a Service Area Business (SAB) use a virtual address for Google My Business?
The quick answer is no that the use of a virtual address for Google My Business is against the guidelines. Here it comes directly from Google’s guidelines:
Service business or companies that serve customers at their locations should have a profile for the central office or the location with a designated service area. Company business cannot list a “virtual” office, unless this office is occupied during business hours.
This section has been updated many times in recent years. However, the actual rule has not changed. Google simply tries more clearly that Google Business Profiles virtual offices are not permitted.
Instances in which users tried to use a virtual office of a Google Business profile
A few years ago I was part of a very long thread in the Google My Business Forum. The main question that tried to be treated in the thread was the following:
If I have a service area that is not necessary for a personnel location from Google, can I use a virtual office as the main location? The virtual office address is my main address in all my business documents with the state. In addition, according to Google guidelines, my address is hidden on MapMaker.
One of the comments that has been deleted from the thread since then interpreted that virtual offices were okay for service transactions:
Google says: … to qualify a company, it must personally contact customers during the specified business hours. Note that it “does not” say that personal contact must take place under the address listed in the profile. A service business like 5280 Radon reduction has in contact with customers in the GMB profile during the specified business hours. Therefore, they qualify under Google’s guidelines.
Things became more complicated when the list in question was repeatedly suspended and then resumed, which made it unclear whether they actually violate the guidelines. This is a common pattern on Google My Business Support, with which I have to do regularly. It is really common for an employee to believe that a list of guidelines violates and stands out and that the other is not agreed and restored. It is quite frustrating for those of us who work in this area to try to support in Google and encourage business owners to adhere to the guidelines if Google cannot properly enforce them.
Further clarification you should not use a virtual address for Google My Business
I asked Google to comment on the thread and Marissa (our community manager at the time of the Google Business Profile -Help Forum), which in updated GBP not OK.
Since the forum was moved and old threads were deleted, I copy what was said below:
“After we have discussed with the team of guidelines, we do not want pure service area companies to use virtual offices. According to the Google My Business Guidelines, virtual offices are only permitted if they are occupied during business hours. Instead, we recommend using a home address, setting the service area and hiding the address. If you have a hybrid business, which means that you have an office where people can come in and speak to them, you can set the address as a hybrid and then set the service area. “
Marissa Nordahl, Community & Social Media Manager, Google My Business – February 10, 2017
Already in 2017 you also updated the Google My Business Guidelines. They added this part in the address section section:
Service business tip List a “virtual” office unless this office is occupied during business hours.
Some companies, such as pizzerias that have both seats in restaurants and deliver pizza to customers, are hybrid company business. These companies can show their shop addresses and set a service area in Google My Business. If you want to operate customers at your address and set a service area, your business location should be filled by your team and receive customers during the specified hours.
This topic was again addressed in the local search forum in 2020, so I turned to Google again and it publicly confirmed that business areas are still not allowed to use virtual offices, so this guideline has not changed in the past 3 years.
A service area should not use a virtual office for checking, unless the company in question is occupied during the hours listed. It looks like you have already found these guidelines, but you can also display them here: https://t.co/zsetlhclvd. Thanks! – allies
– Google my business (@Googlemybiz) February 3, 2020
Craig Mount too shared some communication from Google, my business If you use an address that a company offers virtual office services and normal office space, you have to prove that your location is not actually a virtual office and is occupied. You can do that through:
- Real World Existence of the facility, even if the dealer is not available. This includes a permanent presence in the building of the building directly.
- Proof that it is occupied by Department employee And go for a walk for customers during the specified operating times. Virtual office employees are not considered the dealer employee.
- The telephone number must be a direct line for the business
All of this to emphasize that a Google My Business Virtual Office address is now not permitted, and it is also not allowed for StoreFront companies and SABs.
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