With approximately 4,000 Google Business Profile categories available, there are tons of businesses eligible for a GBP listing. However, because of Google's guidelines (or in some cases, lack thereof), it's not always clear who can have a Google Business Profile and who can't.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Google Business Profile eligibility to clear up any doubts you may have about the topic.
Who Is Eligible for a Google Business Profile?
As a general rule of thumb, virtually any type of local business with a brick-and-mortar storefront or office can create a GBP listing. In other words, if you have a physical location with a public business address you're eligible for Google Business Profile.
Most types of local service providers are also eligible for a GBP listing, but this is where it gets a bit trickier to comply with Google's guidelines for representing your business.
What To Know About Service-Area Business Google Business Profile Eligibility
If you run a service-based business, the most important thing to understand about your Google Business Profile eligibility is that, in most cases, you're only eligible for one GBP listing.
Many service-area businesses make the mistake of trying to set up a unique Google Business Profile for each area they serve, but this can actually go against Google's guidelines, resulting in a GBP violation and suspension of their listings.
According to Google, service-area businesses are only eligible for multiple GBP listings if they have completely different teams providing service to different areas and their service areas don't overlap with one another.
For instance, let's say you run an independent plumbing company operating out of your home address with one or two other employees. Even if you provide service to completely different neighborhoods or cities, you would only be eligible for a single GBP listing.
However, a multi-location plumbing chain or franchise operating out of different private addresses across multiple areas would be allowed to create multiple Google Business Profile listings, since their teams and service areas are completely separate.
Google Business Profile Eligibility for Less Common Business Types
Now that we've covered how Google Business Profile eligibility works for brick-and-mortar and service area businesses, let's take a look at how a few less common business types can use GBP to their advantage:
- Non-traditional food businesses (e.g., food trucks, virtual kitchens)
- Kiosks
- Virtual service providers
- Seasonal businesses
- Businesses operating out of co-working spaces
Non-traditional food businesses and Google Business Profile eligibility
If you run a non-traditional restaurant or other food-related business, such as a food truck or a food delivery service operating out of a private kitchen space, the good news is you're still eligible for a GBP listing.
All you need to do in this case is set up a Google Business Profile listing as if you were a service-area business, using a home address or the address of the private kitchen you operate out of, and hide the address on the listing.
Are kiosks eligible for Google Business Profile listings?
Google's guidelines specify that kiosk-based businesses, including ATMs and video-rental kiosks, are eligible for a GBP listing as long as they have a permanent location and can provide their own contact information for customers to get help.
In other words, temporary kiosks, like those set up for a special event, are not eligible for Google Business Profile.
It's also important to note that kiosks located inside a larger building, like a mall or a big-box store, should be able to distinguish themselves from the larger entity, at least by having their own phone number.
Can virtual service providers create a GBP listing?
Virtual service providers, or people who provide any type of service without meeting customers in person, are not eligible for Google Business Profile. This is because Google only allows businesses that deal face-to-face with customers to have GBP listings (with a few exceptions, like the above-mentioned kiosks).
Are seasonal businesses eligible for Google Business Profile?
Seasonal businesses, like lawn mowing businesses, snow removal companies, or Christmas tree farms, are indeed eligible for GBP listings. Just make sure to set seasonal business hours and mark your business as "temporarily closed" during the off season!
For seasonal brick-and-mortar businesses, like an ice-skating rink that's only open during the winter, it's also important to maintain year-round signage at the location.
Can businesses operating out of coworking spaces get listed on Google?
Businesses operating out of coworking spaces fall into a bit of a gray area when it comes to their Google Business Profile eligibility.
If your business has permanent signage, a unique phone number, and staff physically present at the coworking space during all business hours, you may be eligible for a GBP listing.
That being said, whether or not Google allows businesses in coworking spaces to verify a Google Business Profile listing seems to be very case-by-case.
Other business types that are not eligible for Google Business Profile listings:
- Rental or for-sale properties
- Ongoing services, classes, or meetup groups that meet at a location you don't represent
- Lead generation agents and companies
- Online-only brands, artists, or organizations
- Businesses in age-regulated industries without a physical storefront (i.e., alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and cannabis businesses)
- Businesses that only have P.O. boxes or other mailboxes in remote locations
Who Can Set Up and Manage a Google Business Profile for an Eligible Business?
If your business is eligible for Google Business Profile, any owner or authorized representative can create, claim, verify, and manage a GBP listing.
Keep in mind that the definition of an authorized representative is pretty broad. It essentially means anyone you give permission to, which could include third-party representatives, such as a local SEO agency you've hired.
If you set up your GBP listing yourself, you can always add one or more additional managers later on to help you optimize and run it.
For example, if you run a multi-location retail business, you can add each location's store manager to the respective Google Business Profile to take a localized or hybrid approach to your multi-location local SEO strategy.
Key Takeaways
Understanding Google Business Profile eligibility is crucial for ensuring your business is listed correctly and remains in compliance with Google's guidelines.
While most brick-and-mortar and service-area businesses qualify, it's important to follow the rules regarding multiple locations, virtual services, and shared workspaces.
Ultimately, adhering to these guidelines and properly managing your GBP listing helps maximize your visibility in local search and attract more customers to your business!
