Are Virtual Service Businesses Eligible for a Google Business Profile?

Short answer: officially, no. Google Business Profiles (GBPs) are intended for businesses that engage with customers face-to-face—either at a physical location or at the customer’s location. That means fully virtual businesses typically don’t qualify. But as with many things in the local SEO world, it’s not black and white.

Before the pandemic, Google made it clear that listed businesses needed to have in-person contact with their clients. But COVID-19 forced a massive shift. Professionals like therapists, psychologists, and even some medical practitioners moved their services online—sometimes temporarily, and in many cases, permanently.

Back in the early days of the pandemic, I spoke with a Google rep who said that virtual service providers could keep their listings active if they intended to return to in-person operations. Years later, many of these professionals are still operating virtually for safety reasons, especially those serving high-risk clients. They work from home, meet with patients via secure video platforms, and provide essential services every day. Yet, their eligibility for a Google Business Profile remains a gray area.

The problem is: if Google were to make virtual businesses eligible across the board, what’s stopping large ecommerce companies from creating local listings? That’s a slippery slope—one that could clutter the local landscape and weaken the value of local search results.

As of now, Google hasn’t updated its policy to reflect the long-term shift to virtual service delivery for formerly in-person providers. There’s no official guideline for this in-between model, which leaves many professionals in limbo.

If your business is fully virtual but used to operate face-to-face, your best bet is to document everything—licenses, business registration, customer communications, and anything else that proves your legitimacy. Then, try to get verified. Just remember: if you serve clients by appointment only, Google advises not to list business hours on your profile.