Story Based Question
You’ve been running a successful home cleaning service in your city for several years. Most of your clients find you through online searches, but lately, you’ve been hearing about something called “Service Area Business” (SAB). At first, it’s a bit confusing—does it apply to you?
Your business doesn’t have a physical storefront; instead, you travel to customers’ homes. As a result, you realize you fall into the “service area” category. But now you wonder: How do you optimize your online presence for a service area business, especially since you’re not physically located in one specific place? Can you still show up in local searches, and if so, how do you get the most out of it?
Exact Answer
A Service Area Business (SAB) is a business that provides services at customers’ locations rather than from a fixed physical address. To optimize for SABs, focus on setting up your Google My Business (GMB) profile correctly, specifying your service areas, using local keywords, collecting reviews, and building local citations. Make sure your website content reflects your service areas, and avoid listing a physical address unless you have one. These steps help improve your visibility in local searches and show up in the Local Pack for relevant queries.
Explanation
If your business provides services directly to customers (like home cleaning, plumbing, or delivery services) and doesn’t have a fixed storefront, you’re likely a Service Area Business (SAB). Here’s how to optimize your online presence to get noticed:
1. Set Up Your Google My Business (GMB) Profile Correctly
For SABs, the first step is ensuring that your GMB profile is set up correctly. Unlike businesses with a physical address, SABs list the areas they serve rather than an exact street address. In your GMB settings:
- Select “Service Area” instead of “Physical Location.”
- Specify the cities, neighborhoods, or postal codes you cover, which will help Google know where to show your business in local search results.
2. Use Local Keywords on Your Website
To help Google and customers understand where you operate, use location-specific keywords throughout your website. For instance, “home cleaning service in [City]” or “plumbing in [Neighborhood]” signals your service areas to both users and search engines. Add these keywords in titles, meta descriptions, blog posts, and service pages.
3. Build Local Citations
Citations are mentions of your business online, usually in local directories, blogs, or news sites. SABs can still benefit from local citations, so ensure your business is listed in important directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and local chamber of commerce websites. Be sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all platforms.
4. Collect and Respond to Reviews
Online reviews play a crucial role in local SEO. Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your GMB profile, focusing on both the quality of your service and the specific locations you serve. Responding to reviews not only boosts your credibility but also signals to Google that your business is active and engaged.
5. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Adding structured data (also known as schema markup) to your website is a great way to help search engines understand your business and the areas you serve. You can use LocalBusiness or Service schema to tell Google that you’re a service-based business and specify your service areas. This helps improve your local search rankings and increases the chances of appearing in the Local Pack.
6. Avoid Listing a Physical Address (If You Don’t Have One)
For SABs that don’t have a public-facing store, make sure you don’t list a physical address on your GMB profile. Google requires businesses to have a valid address, but for SABs, it’s crucial to list only the areas you serve. If you list an address that you don’t serve from, it could negatively impact your local search rankings.
Example
Let’s say you own a home cleaning service that operates in several neighborhoods but doesn’t have a storefront. Here’s how you’d optimize your online presence:
- Google My Business Profile: You list your service area as the specific neighborhoods and cities you cover, like “Downtown [City]” and “Westside Suburbs.” You don’t include an address because you don’t have a storefront.
- Website Optimization: On your service pages, you add local keywords, like “home cleaning service in Downtown [City]” and “eco-friendly cleaning in [Neighborhood].”
- Citations: You make sure your business is listed on local sites like Yelp and Angie’s List, with consistent NAP details.
- Reviews: You actively ask customers to leave reviews about their experience and mention which area they’re from (e.g., “Best home cleaning service in Downtown [City]”).
- Schema Markup: You add schema to your website, telling search engines that you offer cleaning services in specific areas, increasing your chances of ranking for “cleaning services near me” searches.
As a result, when someone searches for “home cleaning near me” or “cleaning service in Westside Suburbs,” your business appears in the Local Pack, bringing in more local customers.
For Service Area Businesses (SABs), optimizing for local SEO involves setting up your GMB profile to reflect your service areas, using location-based keywords, collecting reviews, and building local citations. These efforts help your business appear in local search results and increase visibility for customers in your service areas.