Getting your business listed on Google Maps increases inline visibility even if your business is entirely mobile or online. If you aren’t operating a brick-and-mortar storefront you want not want to post an address, and you don’t have to! Listing your business on Google Maps is done by setting up a profile in Google Places for Business, now called simply Google My Business. During this process, you can choose to suppress your street address and list service areas instead.
Create a Google Places Profile
Step 1
Sign in to Google Places for Business with a valid Google account for your business. A Gmail account will work too. If you don’t have a Google or GMail account, you can create one for free.
Step 2
Enter your business phone number and click on “Find Business Information.” If Google already knows something about your business, this step will find it. Don’t worry if the information listed is incorrect as you’ll have an opportunity to update all the information related to your business once you verify ownership.
Step 3
Fill out all the required fields in the basic information area on the following page. This will include your business address. Google requires that you enter a valid mailing address for your business. You can conceal this address from searchers, however, and use a different display method called service areas to define your location on Google Maps.
Step 4
Select “Yes, this business serves customers at their locations” in the service areas and location settings region on the page. This will expand a form with options that allow you to hide your mailing address. This is the option you must select if you don’t want an address listed.
Step 5
Select “Don’t show my business address on maps listing” in the expanded form.
Step 6
Select “Distance from one location” if you offer mobile services, and enter the number of miles or kilometers you are willing to travel to meet customers. Otherwise, select “List of areas served and enter a zip code, city, county or state. You can include international locations too. Click the Add button. You can repeat this to add as many areas as you would like. This information will appear on your profile in place of your street address.
Step 7
Fill out or skip the remaining optional information. This includes hours of operation, payment options, photos, videos and additional details. Your listing is advertising so the more information that you include with your listing, the more effective it may be. You can return to this to add or edit it later.
Step 8
Click the Submit button. This will take you to the verification page.
Step 9
Check that all the information shown on the verification page is correct and click the finish button. Click the previous button if the information is incorrect or you need to make changes. Google will send you a personal identification number (PIN). After you receive the PIN, follow the instructions provided with it to complete the verification process. After you’ve successfully verified your listing using the PIN, your listing will be published and live for people to see.
