If you run a service based business, you may be wondering whether you should hide your address on your Google Business Profile. More importantly, you might be asking how hiding your address affects your local Google rankings.
In this post, we’ll walk through exactly how to hide your address, when it helps, when it hurts, and a critical ranking rule that most business owners and even many SEO companies overlook.
How to Hide Your Address on Google Business Profile
Before making any changes, make sure you are logged into the correct Google account. Many business owners have multiple Gmail accounts, so confirm you are using the one connected to your Google Business Profile.
Once you are logged in, follow these steps:
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Search for your business name on Google
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When logged in correctly, you will see management options appear next to your listing
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Click on Edit Profile
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Select Location at the top
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Click the pencil icon next to your address
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Delete the address and click Save
After saving, your address will be hidden from the public. It will also be hidden from you, so make sure you remember the address you originally used.
Why Hiding Your Address Can Help or Hurt Your Rankings
Here’s the part most people do not realize.
The very first address you register with Google, usually a home address, becomes the city Google associates with your business for map rankings. Even if you later hide that address, Google continues to use it as your ranking location.
That means:
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The city you originally registered in is the city you will rank in
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Changing addresses later does not automatically change your ranking city
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Moving homes and hiding a new address does not override the original location
We see this issue with clients all the time. Business owners move, hide a new address, and wonder why they are still ranking in their old city.
How to Change the City You Rank In
If you want to rank in a new city, simply hiding your address will not work. There is only one reliable way to change your ranking location.
You must show an address in the city you want to rank in.
Typically, the best option is to use a legitimate commercial office and make the address visible so your business displays a map pin. This aligns with Google’s guidelines and allows you to rank in that new location.
Some business owners choose to show a residential address instead. While Google discourages this in many cases, it is still technically possible. Many people choose not to do this for privacy reasons.
Once the address is visible in the new city, Google can associate your business with that location for map rankings.
Why Address Visibility Matters for the Local Map Pack
When it comes to local SEO, most service businesses get the majority of their leads from the Google map pack, also known as the three pack.
To rank in this section:
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You must have an address in the city you want to rank in
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Hiding an address does not change your ranking city
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Organic rankings below the maps follow different rules
This is a foundational rule of local SEO that applies specifically to map rankings.
Need Help Reviewing Your Google Business Profile?
If you’re unsure which city you originally registered in or want to understand why your rankings look the way they do, we’re happy to help.
At Big West Marketing, we offer free consultations where we review:
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Your website
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Your Google Business Profile
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Your current ranking location
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Opportunities to improve local visibility
You can book a free consultation by clicking below.
We’ll walk through everything together and help you understand where you are now and where you may want to be.
Joe Burnich
Big West Marketing
