What is a Service Area Business?
A Service Area Business (SAB) is a business that provides services to customers at their locations rather than at a fixed storefront. These businesses operate within a defined geographic area but may not have a physical office that customers can visit.
Examples include plumbers, electricians, cleaning companies, mobile mechanics, and home repair services.
In platforms like Google Business Profile, Service Area Businesses can hide their physical address and instead specify the cities or regions they serve.
Why Service Area Businesses Matter
Understanding the nature of Service Area Businesses is essential for local SEO. Unlike storefront businesses, SABs need to optimise for visibility in the areas they serve rather than a single physical location.
Key characteristics include:
- Operate in a defined geographic radius
- Serve customers at their home, office, or location
- May not display a public business address
- Require tailored SEO strategies to rank locally
- Use service area settings in business listings
For these businesses, visibility in local search depends on proximity to the searcher, the quality of listings, and relevance.
Example in Use
A mobile car detailing business in Madrid serves the entire metropolitan area but does not have a customer-facing location. On their Google Business Profile, they list several service areas including central Madrid, Getafe, and Leganés. Their website also features location-based service pages optimised for those areas, helping them show up in local search results.
This allows the business to compete locally even without a traditional storefront.
Related Terms
- Local SEO
- Local SEO Landing Page
- NAP Consistency
- Google Business Profile
- Proximity