Removing your address from your Google Business Profile (GBP) can hurt your local SEO. This is because Google uses your address as a ranking factor for local searches. You might want to remove your service area business address from there for a few reasons. For example, you might be concerned about security or privacy.
However, weighing the pros and cons before making this decision is essential. Here are some of the specific impacts of removing your address from your GBP on local SEO.
- Google uses your address as a ranking factor for local searches. When someone searches for a business in your area, Google will look at your address to determine how close you are to the searcher. This is called distance ranking. If your address is listed, Google Maps optimization service can only factor this into its ranking algorithm. This can lead to lower rankings in local search results.
- People are more likely to click on a business listing that has an address listed. People search for businesses online and often look for companies with physical addresses. This is because they want to be able to find the business and visit it in person. If your address is not listed, people may be less likely to click on your listing.
- Your business will only appear on the map in Google Maps if your address is listed. This can make it harder for potential customers to locate your company. Google Maps is one of the most popular ways to find businesses, significantly impacting your local SEO.
In addition to these factors, removing your address from your GBP can make it more difficult for people to find your business on other websites and directories.
Furthermore, a recent study by Joy Hawkins (who works at a local SEO agency) states that removing your address can impact your business’s local SEO rankings significantly. Let us look at this in a bit more detail.
As per the study, they removed the address of a home services-based client to understand how Google search rankings work. However, there was a massive decline in keyword ranking in local SEO. Moreover, there was a considerable drop in calls from that GBP listing.
So, after a month, they added the address to Google and found that the rankings grew back to the actual rank.
Here is a picture to help you understand the impact of removing an address.
Surprisingly, Google guidelines say that “If you don’t serve customers at your business address, do not enter an address under the “Info” tab in Business Profile Manager. Leave the “business location” field blank.” Although this is not practically true, as we have seen in the above study.
Let us examine the factors you must take into account when changing your address.
Things To Consider Before Removing Your Address From Your GBP
- How important is it for people to be able to find your business in person? If you have a service-based business, it may be less crucial for people to find your location. However, if you have a retail business or a restaurant, people need to be able to find your business in person.
- How much traffic do you get from local searches? If you get a lot of traffic from local searches, then removing your address could significantly impact your business. However, the impact may only be as substantial if local business owners get little traffic from local searches.
- What are the other factors that affect your local SEO? Many factors affect your local SEO, such as the quality of your website, the number of positive reviews you have, and the number of backlinks you have. If you have a solid local SEO presence in other service area businesses, removing your address may have less impact.
Ultimately, deciding whether to remove your address from your GBP is not beneficial if you seek local search engine marketing for that business. However, weighing how to effectively use Google Business Profile before deciding is essential.
Final Thoughts
Removing your address from your Google Business Profile can significantly impact your local SEO. Google uses your address as a ranking factor for local searches, and not having it listed can result in lower rankings and fewer clicks on your listing. Additionally, your business may not appear on the map in Google Maps, making it harder for people to find you.
While privacy and security concerns may prompt you to remove your address, it is crucial to consider the importance of in-person visits, the amount of local search traffic you receive, and other factors affecting your local SEO. Making an informed decision by weighing the pros and cons is vital.
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