How to Remove an Address from Google My Business

Running your business from home or on the go? Your home address doesn't need to be public information on your Google Business Profile. This guide will walk you through exactly how to remove or hide your physical address from your Google listing, whether you're a service provider who travels to clients or you've recently closed a physical storefront. We'll cover everything from the step-by-step process of clearing your address to updating your service areas so you can reach the right local customers without compromising your privacy.

Why Would You Want to Remove Your Address from Google?

Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression a potential customer has of your brand. Displaying the right information is not just about accuracy - it's about building trust and setting the right expectations. For many businesses, broadcasting a physical address is unnecessary and can even be a liability.

There are mainly two types of businesses when it comes to location, and understanding which one you are is the first step.

Brick-and-Mortar vs. Service-Area Businesses (SABs)

A brick-and-mortar business is one that customers physically visit. Think of a coffee shop, a dentist's office, a retail clothing store, or a hair salon. For these businesses, the physical address is essential. It's how people find you, get directions, and verify that you're a legitimate local establishment. If you run this type of business, you should not remove your address.

A Service-Area Business (SAB), on the other hand, travels to its customers to provide goods or services. Examples include:

• Plumbers
• Electricians
• Mobile car detailers
• Landscaping companies
• House cleaners
• Consultants who meet clients at their offices
• Photographers who work on location

If you run an SAB - especially from your home or a home office - showing your address is problematic. At best, it's irrelevant and unprofessional. At worst, it's a major privacy concern that invites unexpected visitors to your front door. Google specifically designed the service-area feature for businesses like yours, allowing you to hide your physical location while still showing up in local search results for the areas you serve.

Also, What About Hybrid Businesses?

There's a third category: the hybrid business. This is a business that serves customers at its physical address but also delivers or travels to them. A classic example is a pizza restaurant that offers both dine-in and delivery. For a hybrid business, you would keep your address visible but also define a service area to show customers how far you'll deliver.

Before you proceed, decide which category fits your operations. If you're a Service-Area Business, let's get that address cleared and set your service area up correctly.

Step-by-Step: How to Clear Your Address & Set a Service Area

This is the most common scenario for freelancers, home-based businesses, and mobile service providers. You aren't closing your business - you're just switching it to a service-area model so your home address isn't public. Follow these steps carefully.

1. Log in to Your Google Business Profile Manager

First things first, you need to access your profile's dashboard. The easiest way to do this is by searching for your business name directly on Google while signed into the Google account that manages it. You should see a management panel appear right at the top of the search results. You can also go to google.com/business and sign in.

2. Go to “Edit Profile”

Once you see your business management panel, find and click the bubble that says “Edit profile.” This will take you to the main information dashboard where you can change details about your business.

3. Navigate to the “Location” Section

In the edit profile menu, click on the “Location” tab. This is where your physical address and service areas are managed. You should see "Business location" with your current address listed.

4. Clear the Address

Click the pencil icon next to your business address to edit it. You are looking for a button or link that says “Clear address.” After you click it, the input fields for your street address will be removed.

Note: If you don't see a "Clear address" button, try manually deleting the information from the street address lines (Line 1, Line 2). Once the fields are empty and you try to save, Google should understand you're trying to remove it. You must leave the city, state, postal code, and country filled in.

5. Define Your Service Area(s)

After you clear your physical address, Google will not let you save the changes until you define a service area. This is how you continue to show up in local searches. Google needs to know which communities you serve, even if you don't have a public-facing storefront.

In the “Service area” field, you can add locations in several ways:

• By City: Type in the names of the cities you serve (e.g., "Brooklyn, NY," "Austin, TX").
• By County: Add an entire county to cover a broader area (e.g., "Travis County, Texas").
• By Postal Code: This is a great way to be precise about neighborhoods or specific regions you're targeting (e.g., "78704," "78701").

You can add up to 20 service areas. Be realistic - don't add an area you don't actually service just to show up in searches there. Google prioritizes proximity and this could hurt your rankings if the information is misleading.

6. Save Your Changes

Once you've added your service areas, click the “Save” button. Google may review these changes before they go live, which can take a few minutes or a few days. You'll know it's working when your profile on Google Maps still shows your business pinned in your general city but no longer displays a specific street address. The Map will show an outline of your service area instead of a single pin.

What If My Business Has Moved or Permanently Closed?

If you're not a service-area business and have simply closed your physical location for good (or moved), the process is different. You don't clear the address, instead, you mark the location as permanently closed. This preserves a record for customers who may be looking for you, informing them that you are no longer at that location.

How to Mark Your Business as Permanently Closed:

1. Log in to your Google Business Profile Manager as described above.
2. Click on "Edit profile."
3. Navigate to the "Hours" tab.
4. Next to the "Opening hours" header, click the pencil icon.
5. You'll see options for "Open with main hours," "Temporarily closed," and "Permanently closed." Select "Permanently closed."
6. Click "Save."

Your business profile will now show a prominent red "Permanently closed" label in search and map results. Be aware that the listing doesn't instantly disappear. It will remain visible for some time so that any customers have a chance to see the update. Eventually, its visibility will decrease significantly.

Common Issues and Frequently Asked Questions

Managing Google Business Profiles can sometimes be tricky. Here are solutions to some common hurdles you might encounter.

"I removed my address, but it's still showing up."

First, be patient. As mentioned, it can sometimes take a few days for Google's review process to complete and for the changes to show across all services. You can try a few things in the meantime:

• Hard Refresh: Clear your browser's cache or open your profile in an incognito window to see if the information has updated.
• Check on a Different Device: Log out of your Google account and check for your business profile on a different device to see what the public sees.
• Wait 72 hours: If it's still there after a few days, you may need to contact Google Business Profile support for help.

"Will hiding my address hurt my local SEO?"

Not at all - as long as you set up your service area correctly. In fact, providing accurate information helps your SEO. Google's goal is to connect users with the most relevant local business for their needs. For a user searching "plumber near me," Google is looking for plumbers who serve that area, not necessarily whose office is physically there. Defining your service area is the correct way to signal to Google which customers you are trying to reach. This tells the algorithm you're a legitimate SAB and helps you rank for relevant local searches within your territory.

"I've moved my business to a new location. Should I mark the old one closed?"

No! If your business has moved to a new public-facing physical address, do not mark your old profile closed and create a new one. This would mean losing all your valuable reviews, history, and search engine authority.

Instead, simply update your address. Go to “Edit profile” >, "Location" and change the business location details to your new address. Google will likely ask you to re-verify your new address (usually by sending a postcard with a code to the new location), but this process correctly transfers all of your SEO value and reviews to your new storefront.

Final Thoughts

Managing your address on your Google Business Profile is a simple but important step in presenting your business professionally and protecting your privacy. Whether you operate a service-area business from home or need to update a closed location, following the correct procedure ensures that customers find accurate information and see your business in the best possible light.

Properly setting your business's local signals on Google is just one piece of building a strong digital presence. The other is how consistently you show up where your customers spend their time: on social media. After spending years managing marketing teams, we built Postbase to solve the chaos of juggling multiple social platforms. We provide a clean, visual calendar to plan and schedule all your content for Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more, all from one place. It helps you maintain a professional, active presence without the daily scramble, freeing up time so you can focus on what you do best.