Setting up the Google profile
- Verify at your real base, then hide the address so it doesn't show publicly.
- Add your service areas. Google allows up to 20 and says the area shouldn't reach beyond about two hours' drive from where you're based.
- Set categories and services as a storefront business would.
Pages for the areas you serve
Give an area its own page only if you have something real to say about it: jobs you've done there, how quickly you get there, local specifics like older housing or common problems. Otherwise, one honest "areas we serve" page does the job.
Why rankings fade with distance
Google weighs how far the searcher is from the business, so a profile verified in one town rarely tops the map results thirty miles away. That's normal, and no setting changes it.
Questions
Can I verify with my home address?
Yes. Verify with it, then hide it.
Should I get a virtual office in another town?
No. It's against Google's guidelines and a common reason for suspension.
How many service areas should I list?
Only the ones you actually serve.