How to Add a Service Area in Google My Business

Setting up your Google Business Profile is a game-changer for getting found by local customers, but if you don’t have a physical storefront they can visit, it can feel a bit tricky. This is where the service area feature comes in. This guide will walk you through exactly how and why to add a service area to your profile, making sure the right customers in the right locations can find you for the services they need.

What Exactly Is a Service Area on a Google Business Profile?

Think of your service area as the digital fence for your business on Google Maps and Search. It tells Google - and potential customers - the specific geographic locations where you offer your services. This is designed for businesses that travel to their customers, rather than having customers come to them.

There are three main types of local businesses in Google’s eyes:

• Brick-and-Mortar: A business with a physical address that customers visit, like a retail store, cafe, or doctor's office. Their physical address is their most important location detail.
• Service-Area Business (SAB): A business that serves customers at their locations. Think plumbers, mobile dog groomers, or cleaning services. They have no storefront for customers to enter, so their address should be hidden.
• Hybrid Business: A business that has a physical storefront but also serves customers at their locations. A restaurant that offers both dine-in and delivery is a perfect example, as is a hardware store that also offers in-home installation services.

For service-area and hybrid businesses, defining your service area is one of the most important steps you can take to attract relevant local traffic. It tells Google precisely where to show your business when someone searches for a service you offer "near me" or "in [your city]."

Why Defining Your Service Area Matters So Much

Skipping this step or getting it wrong can lead to missed opportunities and customer frustration. When set up correctly, your service area works hard for your business behind the scenes.

1. You Attract the Right Customers

Imagine you’re a painter based in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City. You’re happy to take jobs in Brooklyn and Queens but don’t want to travel to Staten Island or New Jersey. By setting your service area to "Brooklyn, NY" and "Queens, NY," you filter out inquiries from outside your operational zone. This saves everyone time and ensures your leads are from customers you can actually help.

2. It Boosts Your Local SEO

Google’s primary goal is to provide searchers with the most relevant, useful results. When you clearly define your service area, you're giving Google powerful data about your business's relevance to location-specific queries. A user searching "electrician in Silver Lake, Los Angeles" is much more likely to see your profile if "Silver Lake" or its ZIP code (90026) is listed in your service areas. You are directly telling Google where you belong in the local search landscape.

3. It Builds Trust and Manages Expectations

Nothing sours a potential customer relationship faster than finding out a business doesn’t serve their area after they’ve already decided to call. Displaying a clear service area map on your profile sets accurate expectations from the start. Customers can quickly see if they fall within your range, making the entire interaction smoother and more professional.

4. You Compete More Effectively

In a crowded market, clear communication is everything. While your competitors might have lazy or overly broad service areas defined, a well-defined, specific list of towns, cities, or ZIP codes shows that you have a deliberate strategy and a clear understanding of your market. This precision can make your profile stand out to both Google’s algorithm and curious customers.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Adding and Editing Your Service Area

Ready to update your profile? The process is straightforward and only takes a few minutes. Follow these steps to set your business up for local success.

1. Sign In to Your Google Business Profile

First, you need to access your profile. The easiest way is to search for your business name directly on Google while signed into the Google account that manages it. You'll see a management panel appear right in the search results. You can also go to google.com/business and sign in.

2. Go to "Edit Profile"

In the management panel, look for the main buttons like "Edit profile," "Read reviews," and "Messages." Click on "Edit profile."

3. Navigate to the "Location" Tab

You will now see several sections for your business information, such as "About," "Contact," and "Hours." Click on the "Location" tab.

4. Manage Your Business Address and Service Area

This is where you'll make the critical distinction. You'll see two key options:

• Business location: Your physical address.
• Service areas: The regions you serve.

Here’s how to handle each business type:

For Service-Area-Only Businesses (e.g., Plumber, mobile-only detailer)

Your goal is to hide your physical address (which is likely your home) and show only your service area. To do this, click the pencil icon next to "Business location" and make sure the toggle for "Show business address to customers" is turned off. Once you clear the address, Google will only display your service area outline on the map.

For Hybrid Businesses (e.g., Pizzeria with dine-in and delivery)

You want customers to see both your physical location and the areas you serve. Click the pencil icon next to "Business location," enter your address, and make sure the toggle for "Show business address to customers" is turned on.

5. Add Your Service Areas

Now for the main event. Click the pencil icon next to "Service areas." A box will appear where you can start typing in the locations you serve. You can be specific or broad, and you can enter locations in several ways:

• Cities: "San Diego, CA," "Phoenix, AZ"
• ZIP Codes: "90210," "10001"
• Counties: "Orange County, CA"
• States or even Countries: "Arizona," "California" (Use this sparingly unless your service genuinely covers a vast area.).

As you type, Google will suggest verified locations. Select the correct one from the dropdown menu. You can add up to 20 service areas, so feel free to be thorough. If your business serves multiple neighborhoods or towns, add each one individually for maximum clarity.

6. Review and Save

Once you’ve added all your service locations, take a moment to review them for typos or errors. When you're happy with the list, click the "Save" button. Google may take a short time to review and update your profile, but the changes are typically live within a few minutes.

Best Practices for an Optimized Service Area

Just adding a couple of towns is a good start, but following these best practices will help you get the most out of this feature.

• Be Honest and Specific. It can be tempting to add regions you might serve to attract more eyeballs, but this can backfire. Only list areas you can genuinely and efficiently service. It's better to list 10 specific ZIP codes you dominate than an entire state you barely cover. Customers appreciate accuracy.
• Mix and Match Location Types. Don't limit yourself to just cities. If you serve a specific metro area, consider adding the main city ("Denver, CO") as well as several popular surrounding ZIP codes or suburbs ("80202," "Aurora, CO," "Lakewood, CO"). This helps you cast a wide yet relevant net.
• Don't Keyword Stuff. Google explicitly warns against this. Your service area should only contain real geographic locations. Do not enter phrases like "Best roofing in Dallas" or "Emergency plumbing 24/7." It’s against the terms of service and can get your profile suspended.
• Think in Clusters. Rather than defining a single, huge circular radius (which Google's tools used to do), list the actual clusters of communities you serve. This polygon you create by listing cities and ZIP codes gives Google a much more accurate map of your true service footprint.
• Keep it Updated. Did you just hire a new technician and expand your service reach? Did you decide to stop serving a town that’s too far away? Keep your service area list current. Revisit it once every few months to ensure it reflects your real-world operations.

Final Thoughts

Setting up your service area on your Google Business Profile is a small task that pays huge dividends for any business that operates on the go. It’s a direct line of communication to Google's powerful local search algorithm, helping bring the right customers - the ones you can actually serve - straight to your phone and inbox.

As you refine your local online footprint, remember that your other platforms need the same strategic attention. Just as your Google profile builds trust through local search, a vibrant social media presence builds community and connection. Our goal at Postbase is to make managing that part of your brand as simple and effective as possible, with tools for scheduling today's video-first content, managing all your messages in one place, and seeing your performance at a glance. We help you stay organized and consistent, so you can focus on running your business.