Google Business Profile with a P.O. Box

We are often asked, “Can I use a PO Box for Google Business Profile”?

The quick answer is no.

Google does not allow remote locations such as P.O. Boxes on Google Maps, as the platform's goal is to represent precise physical locations or service area businesses. Learn more from Google here.

The good news is that there are several easy-to-implement solutions to get your business on Google Maps even if a P.O. Box is your primary means of receiving mail.

In this post, we explore the three more common scenarios that prompt this question along with the alternative solution to get your business listing on Google Maps.

1. I Can’t Get Mail at My Address

Many businesses can’t receive mail at their physical address. If this is the case, you can still verify your Google Maps listing in Google Business Profile, but it will take a few extra steps.

Go to Google Business Profile and begin the sign-up process. Be sure to use your real, physical address.

When you verify your listing part of signing up, see what options are available. If mail is the only choice, go ahead and click "Get a postcard sent."

You won’t get this card, but Google wants you to wait 14 days to see if it shows up. When it inevitably does not come, you can then reach out to their support. Here, you will be able to contact someone at Google to help you finish this part of the process. This will often require taking photos of your business or going through whatever method they have at the time to verify that your business is actually at the location you say it is.

After verifying your business with Google Support, you are all set. Get your GBP optimized and start watching the business come in.

2. I Don’t Want My Address Visible to the Public

If you work from a home office or desire more privacy, then it’s common to want to hide your address on Google Maps. Good news: It is possible to set your Google Maps listing to represent a service area instead of a physical location.

You can do this at one of two times:

• When you first set up your listing, one of the questions you will get asked is, “Do you want to add a location customers can visit, like a store or office?” If you select no, the next question is “Where do you serve your customers?” Here you will be able to select service areas instead of giving your address.
• After your listing is live, you will need to go to the “Info” section in your dashboard. From there, click on the pencil icon to edit your address. You will see an option to clear. Do that, then click Apply. Next, you will go to your “Info” section again and click the pencil to edit your service areas. List all of the areas you service here, then apply.

You will now have a service area that is shown instead of your address on your GBP.

3. The Post Office is More Centrally Located Than My Business Address

The Post Office may have a more centralized location, but unfortunately, it misrepresents your business in Google's eyes when using such a location.

Google will not allow you to create a GBP with a P.O. Box and using any address besides yours is against their terms of service. No matter how close to the city center your post office is.

Location is not such a big deal. Google uses the searcher's relative location to find businesses near them. If you are close to people searching for your service, you are more likely to show up.

If your service area covers the entire area, you are likely to show up in the results for the whole area if the search intent matches your offerings.

Next Step

Start your local SEO campaign by getting your business listing accurate on Google Maps.

Then, join our guided SEO community for access to coaching, courses, and more to help get your business found Google.