Getting found on Google when you do not have a storefront

If you work from a van and a home office, you may wonder whether a Google listing is for you. It is. Google treats businesses that travel to customers as eligible, and gives them a way to appear without publishing a home address. This guide walks through the setup choices that matter most for plumbing, electrical and cleaning businesses.

Google’s help pages carry no publication dates, so each source below shows the date we read it. Google can change its rules, so check the linked page before you act.

Set up as a service-area business

Google’s guidelines say a business is eligible if it has a physical location customers can visit, or if it travels to customers at their locations. A plumber who drives to jobs falls in the second group. In Google’s words, businesses that serve customers at their locations should generally have one profile for the central office, with a designated service area. See Guidelines for representing your business on Google (read 12 November 2026).

Two limits are worth knowing:

• Virtual offices, which rent a mailing address without operating from it, are not eligible.
• P.O. boxes or mailboxes at remote locations are not acceptable.

Keep to one profile per business. If you have a second crew in a different town with its own staff and service area, Google allows a separate profile for that location, but do not create duplicates for one operation.

Hide your address

If customers do not visit you at your address, hide it. Google’s address page says that when you hide it, your profile shows only your service area. The steps, as described on Manage your business address (read 12 November 2026), are:

1. Go to your Business Profile and choose Edit profile, then Location.
2. Next to Business location, choose Edit.
3. Turn off “Show business address to customers”.
4. Save.

With the address hidden, customers see your service area instead of a street address.

A hybrid business, such as one with a shop that customers can walk into and a van for call-outs, can show its address and also add a service area. Most owner-run trades businesses will not be in that group.

Choose your service areas carefully

Your service areas tell Google where you work. Google’s page on managing your service areas (read 12 November 2026) sets these rules:

• You can set up to 20 service areas, based on cities, postal codes or other areas.
• You cannot set a service area as a radius around your business.
• Google advises keeping the overall area within about 2 hours of driving time from where you are based.
• Be as specific and accurate as you can.

Practical advice, which is ours and not Google’s: list the places you will truly drive to for a normal job, and leave out towns where you would turn the work down. A customer who finds you and then hears “we do not go there” has wasted both your time. The same list should match what your website and phone answer say.

Pick the right categories

Categories tell Google what kind of business you are, and they shape which searches you can appear for. Google’s page on managing your business category (read 12 November 2026) says:

• Choose the one primary category that best describes your business, and pick a specific option from the list. Its example is “Nail salon” rather than “Salon”.
• If no specific option fits, choose a general category. You cannot create your own.
• Add additional categories to tell customers about special departments or services, but use only a few. Do not add a category for every product or service.
• Adding or editing a category may require you to verify your business again.

For a plumber, that means choosing the plumbing category that fits your main work as primary, and adding only a few more if they describe real parts of the business. Browse the list inside your profile to see the exact names on offer.

Use your real business name. Google’s guidelines say the name should match the real-world name used on your website, stationery and by customers, and that extras such as service descriptions, location details, taglines or phone numbers do not belong in it. Unnecessary information can lead to suspension.

Add photos that show the work

You have no shopfront to photograph, so show the work, the crew and the vehicle. Google’s page on business-specific photos (read 12 November 2026) lists “photos at work” as a category and suggests at least three that show your team and specialty services. It also suggests at least three team photos in a relaxed style that helps people get to know the business.

The format rules on the same page:

• JPG or PNG, between 10 KB and 5 MB.
• 720 pixels tall and wide is recommended; 250 pixels is the minimum.
• Photos should be sharp and well lit, with minimal editing, filters or AI. They should represent reality.
• Your business must be verified for photos to appear.

Good subjects for a trades business: a tidy finished install, a branded van parked at a job, the crew in uniform, before and after shots of a clean (with the customer’s permission). Do not show a customer’s face, house number or valuables.

Earn and answer reviews

Reviews help customers choose, and Google gives clear rules on getting them. On Tips to get more reviews (read 12 November 2026), Google says you can:

• Ask customers to leave a review by sharing a Google link or QR code.
• Reply to reviews to show feedback matters.
• Accept all reviews. Honest, balanced feedback, including some negative reviews, can seem more trustworthy.

It also says that offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews, or to change or remove them, is considered fake and misleading content and is strictly prohibited. Customers need a Google Account to leave a review.

When you reply, Google advises staying professional, polite and concise, writing specific replies rather than generic thanks, and avoiding offers and promotions. For a negative review, do not share private information or make personal attacks; acknowledge mistakes, explain what you can and cannot do, and apologise where appropriate. If a review breaks Google’s content policies, you can flag it.

A simple habit works: ask at the end of each finished job, while the work is fresh, and reply within a day or two.

A short checklist

• One profile, set up as a service-area business, with the address hidden.
• Up to 20 named service areas that you really cover.
• A specific primary category and only a few extras.
• Your real business name, with nothing added.
• At least three real photos of the team at work, and more as you finish jobs.
• A review link you can text to every customer, and replies to every review.

Where BuzzyCrew fits

BuzzyCrew is an AI platform for plumbing, electrical and cleaning businesses, and it is in early access. It is not open to the public yet, so we cannot manage a Google profile or take live calls for your business today. At launch, review requests are planned for every plan: once you mark a job complete, the customer gets a short message with a link to leave a review. We do not write reviews or offer to post fake ones. Details are on the review requests help page, and you can join the list from the early access page.

Common questions

Can I use my home address for a Google Business Profile?

Yes, if you travel to customers and do not serve them at that address. Google's guidelines say service-area businesses should hide their address, so customers see your service area instead. P.O. boxes and mailboxes at remote locations are not acceptable.

How many service areas can I list?

Google's help page says up to 20, set by city, postal code or other area. You cannot set a radius around your business. Google advises keeping the overall area within about 2 hours of driving time from where you are based.

Can I offer a discount in return for a review?

No. Google's review tips say offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is considered fake and misleading content and is strictly prohibited. Ask every customer you have served, and accept the reviews you get.