Can I use a virtual office or coworking address for my Google Business Profile?

Why does Google care about the address?

Google’s guidelines say a business can have a profile if it has a physical location that customers can visit, or if it travels to customers where they are. The guidelines also say you must reflect your business accurately and keep your address or service area accurate and precise.

A virtual office is usually a mail address and a phone line. Nobody from your business works there, and customers cannot walk in. That is why this kind of address often leads to a suspended profile.

Does a coworking space qualify?

It can, but only if the space is truly where you work and meet customers. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have a desk or an office there that is yours?
• Can a customer arrive and find you during the hours on your profile?
• Does your name appear on the door, a directory board, or at the front desk?
• Does your signage, website, and paperwork show the same address?

If the answer to all of these is yes, the address is much safer. If you only rent the mailing address and work elsewhere, treat it as a virtual office.

What happens at verification?

Google chooses the verification methods for your profile. You cannot change them. The options depend on your business type, public information, region, and business hours.

Two methods cause problems for virtual addresses:

• Postcard. Google mails a code to the address. Most codes arrive within 14 days, and they expire after 30 days. A mailbox service may receive the card, but that does not make the address eligible. Google can still suspend the profile later.
• Live video call. You must be at your business. You show outside signs, nearby businesses, your equipment, and proof that you manage the business. This call only runs during the business hours of your location. A shared lobby with no sign of your business will not pass.

What should I do if I work from home or travel to customers?

Choose the service area model. This fits trades, mobile services, and home offices. Follow these steps:

1. Decide whether customers ever visit you. If they do not, you are a service area business.
2. Create or edit your profile and set your service area instead of showing a storefront address.
3. Use an address you really operate from for verification. Do not use a virtual office address.
4. Use the same business name and phone number on your website and other listings.
5. Choose the fewest categories that describe your core business.

What if I already used a virtual office address?

Act before Google acts. Follow these steps:

1. Check whether you can truly use that address as a working location. If not, plan to change it.
2. Do not edit the name, address, or category while you wait for a postcard. Google says an edit can make the code stop working.
3. Do not request a second code. Google invalidates the first code when you do.
4. Update your website, other directories, and paperwork so the address is consistent everywhere.
5. Keep one profile per business. Do not create a second profile to get around a problem.

What if Google suspends my profile?

Use the appeals tool. Do not create a new profile for the same business. Google lists evidence that can help:

• Official business registration
• A business license
• Tax certificates
• Utility bills in the business name, such as electricity, phone, water, or internet

The business name and address on each document must match the profile. You can submit an appeal only once, so attach your evidence before you submit. Google sends the decision by email.

If your business really operates from a virtual address only, an appeal may not succeed. The better fix is to move to a service area setup with an address you truly use.

Is a false address a legal risk in Canada?

It can be a trust risk at least. A listing that shows a storefront you do not have may mislead customers. The Competition Bureau of Canada deals with misleading representations in advertising. Give customers an accurate picture of where and how you work. This is also the safest path with Google.