How Do You Do Local SEO If Your Business Is Mobile? Is It Possible To Claim A GMB Profile Without Bricks And Mortar?

Chandra Shekar

Google My Business (or GMB) is an awesome free service that Google provides to business owners today. This profile, when claimed and optimised accordingly, can put you in the top listings of Google for local searches – or in the ‘Map Pack’, if you like.

These mini profiles can showcase your physical address, your social proof, your opening hours and contact details (to name a few). But what if you don’t actually have a physical address for your business?

For example, what should freelance landscapers or auto detailing experts do? Does it mean that you can’t claim a GMB profile of your own? Should you just give up on local SEO altogether?

Read on and let’s see if we can find a solution for you…

How do you do local SEO if your business is mobile?

So, how do you do local SEO if your business is mobile? It’s simple: you do exactly what you would be doing if your business had a fixed address.

Nothing changes in this regard. Build your website, include your local focus keywords, produce SEO-optimised content and geo-centric content, and be active in your local community.

We’re paraphrasing here of course, but the point is that having a mobile business as opposed to a fixed address shouldn’t impact your local SEO efforts. As long as you are a registered business with an active service area (e.g., local SEO Melbourne), you can indeed target the appropriate local keywords and rank accordingly. You can use any Google position checker to keep track of your business visibility and analyze your website performance.

Can you claim your GMB profile without bricks and mortar?

Contrary to what you might have assumed (or been told), you can indeed claim your GMB profile without a physical bricks and mortar store.

All Google needs is a mailing address for the business. This will verify your authenticity and that the business is indeed real and legally operating in your chosen area.

But don’t panic! Even if your business is registered to your home address, Google will keep this address completely private.

Instead, your GMB profile will list all other relevant business details including your main service area.

So, if you were panicking that perhaps you would be unable to claim your GMB profile, rest assured it is absolutely possible – and well worth your consideration.

What about adding photos to your GMB profile without a physical store?

Most photos you see on a typical GMB profile are of the premises itself – often including an interactive street view. So, what do you do without a physical address?

Again, it is fairly simple. Let’s use the landscaping professional as an example:

You could upload photos of you climbing half-way up a tree with some light hearted jokes about it being “just another day at the office”.
If you have other employees who work with you, you could add photos of them in action as well.
Otherwise, upload plenty of before and after photos of the landscaping projects you have completed.

Conclusion

Make no mistake, there are certain instances in which businesses without a physical address would not qualify for a GMB profile. For example, virtual offices, delivery-only brands, or affiliate marketers will not qualify.

If you are unsure, head over to Google for some guidelines on representing your business online.