A Service Area Business (also known as a SAB) are businesses that often do not have a local shop, rather they move around to offer services at the customer’s location.
Typical kinds of businesses which fit the SAB model include: plumbers, electricians, carpet cleaners, lawnmowing, mobile dog grooming, movers/removalists, and so on.
Keep the area you serve a reasonable distance from your home base. Having a radius the size of the country does nothing to help your listing show in other areas.
Google’s default radius is 20 miles (32 kms) – that size or below is what Google considers trustworthy.
- Google: Select the box next to “I deliver goods and services to my customers at their locations”.
- Bing: Select the box next to “Do not display address lines in search results”.
- Apple Maps: Apple does not allow service area businesses at this stage.
Notes:
In the “bad” example of a SAB region in the above image, this huge radius backfires on them. Due to the quirks of the way Google draws the maps, the end result is only the pin for their competitor shows on the local pack map.
Bing does not offer a service area display, only a general purple dot in the area the business is located.
Service Area Business listing guidelines:
Google – https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038163
Bing – https://www.bingplaces.com/Home/MoreFAQ#BusinessWithoutStore