🗺️ Do Mobile Businesses Need a Fixed Address?
No — a fixed address is not required in Vault. If your business is mobile or operates at a customer's location (such as a mobile beautician, plumber, or delivery service), you can configure your listing to reflect a service area instead of a physical address. This matches how Google Business Profile (GBP) handles service-area businesses, and Vault follows the same logic.
⚙️ Two Ways to Configure Your Business Location in Vault
Depending on how your business operates, you have two options:
- Service-area business (no storefront): You serve customers at their location and do not want a physical address displayed publicly. You define the geographic areas you cover instead.
- Hybrid business: You have a base address (such as a workshop or depot) but also travel to customers. You can enter the address and still add service areas on top of it.
If customers never visit a fixed location, use the service-area business option and leave the address hidden or omitted entirely.
🧭 How to Set Up a Service-Area Location in Vault
- Go to Left sidebar → Local → GBP Projects.
- Open the relevant project by clicking View project.
- Navigate to Left sidebar → Local → Overview → About tab.
- In the address section, look for the option to hide your address or mark the business as a service-area business. Enable this if customers do not come to a fixed location.
- In the Service Area field, add the cities, regions, or postal codes where you operate. You can add multiple areas to cover your full working territory.
- Click Save to apply your changes.
Once saved, your GBP listing and Vault data will reflect the service areas you entered rather than a street address, which is accurate and compliant with Google's guidelines for mobile businesses.
✅ Best Practices for Mobile and Service-Area Businesses
- Be specific with service areas: Add every city or region you actively serve. Broader areas improve local visibility across your territory.
- Do not enter a fake address: Adding a P.O. box or a home address you do not use publicly can violate Google's guidelines and risk your listing suspension.
- Keep your business name and category accurate: Make sure your GBP category reflects your mobile or service-area nature (for example, "Mobile Car Detailing Service" rather than a generic term).
- Add a phone number and website: Since there is no address for customers to visit, a reliable phone number and website become even more important for conversions.
- Review your listing regularly: Use Left sidebar → Local → Overview → Overview tab to monitor task suggestions and keep your listing optimised over time.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I hide my address after I have already entered one? Yes. Go to the About tab in your GBP project overview, edit the address field, and enable the option to hide it from the public listing.
- Will hiding my address affect my local search rankings? Not negatively, as long as your service areas are well-defined. Google ranks service-area businesses based on the regions you specify and other signals such as reviews and engagement.
- Can I have multiple service areas? Yes. You can add as many cities or regions as needed to accurately represent where you work.
- What if my coverage area changes seasonally? You can update your service areas at any time from the About tab. Keep this information current to avoid misleading customers.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.