Can you have a Google Business Profile without a storefront?

Google's guidelines for representing your business say a business is eligible when it has a physical location customers can visit, or when it travels to customers where they are. The second group is what Google calls a service-area business: there is no signed storefront, but the team goes to the customer's home, office or job site.

Google also describes hybrid businesses, which do both. Its example is an auto repair shop that has a garage for repairs and also offers roadside service. A hybrid business can show its address and set a service area at the same time.

• Service-area business: travels to customers, has no storefront customers visit. Hide the address and list service areas.
• Hybrid business: customers visit a location, and the team also travels to customers. Show the address and add service areas.
• Storefront: customers come to you during stated hours. Show the address.

Yes, if customers do not come to your home. Google's guidelines use the example of a plumber who works from home and say that business should clear the address from its profile. The Manage your service areas page puts it plainly: if you do not serve customers at your business address, remove the address from your Business Profile.

Google's Manage your business address page adds that hiding the address is meant only for service-area businesses. Once it is hidden, the profile shows your service area instead. If you have not entered one, Google picks a local area for you, which you can change later.

Google's help pages describe the steps from your Business Profile:

• Open your Business Profile and choose Edit profile, then Location.
• Select Edit next to Business location and turn off the option to show the address to customers, then save.
• Add your service areas by choosing Google's suggestions or typing the cities, postal codes or other areas you serve.
• Keep the areas specific and accurate. Google allows up to 20 service areas, and says the overall area should not be more than about two hours of driving time from where your business is based.

Yes. Hiding an address controls what customers see, not what Google knows. Google's Manage your business address page says that to verify a business you must enter an address Google can find, with full street and unit details. If Google cannot find it, you can correct the highlighted parts or set a map pin.

That address has to be real and yours. Google's guidelines say PO boxes and mailboxes at remote locations are not acceptable, and a rented mailing address where the business does not operate is a virtual office that is not eligible for a profile.

A desk in a co-working space only counts as a business location if it has clear signage, receives customers during business hours and is staffed by your team during those hours. Most shared desks used for laptop work do not meet that bar.

A business that only works online and never meets customers in person does not fit Google's eligibility rule, which asks for either a location customers visit or travel to customers. Those businesses should put their effort into their website, content and the platforms their customers search instead.

A hidden address does not stop a profile from appearing in local results for the areas you serve. What helps is the same work any profile needs: an accurate business name with no added keywords, the right primary category, service areas that match where you actually work, steady reviews and a website whose service pages match the profile.

Be careful not to overreach on service areas. Listing towns far beyond where your team travels does not match Google's guidance and gives customers in those towns a promise you cannot keep.