Why SAB Address Violations Are Increasing
If your service area business just got suspended for showing your address, you're not alone. Google has dramatically intensified enforcement over the past 18 months, and we're seeing businesses with 2-4 year old profiles getting hit retroactively for violations that went unnoticed for years.
Here's what makes this particularly frustrating: many SAB owners legitimately operate from physical locations - workshops, warehouses, or home-based offices - but Google's rules are strict and often counterintuitive. The question isn't whether you have a real location. It's whether customers need to visit that location to receive your service.
From our reinstatement work, SAB address violations follow a clear pattern by industry. Locksmiths face the highest scrutiny, followed by roofers, dumpster rental services, waste removal companies, and other home service providers like cleaners and landscapers. If you're in one of these categories and showing your address, you're at significantly higher risk.
What We've Learned: The most common situation we encounter is the business owner who operates from a shop or building on their residential property. They have a legitimate workspace - maybe a detached garage workshop, a barn converted to an office, or a warehouse on their home property. Because it's a real business location, they assume they can display the address. But unless there's permanent exterior signage clearly visible to the public, and customers routinely visit to receive services (not just to pick up keys or make payments), Google considers this an address display violation.
How Google Detects Address Display
Google uses multiple automated and manual signals to identify SABs inappropriately showing addresses. Understanding these detection methods helps you assess your risk and maintain compliance.
Residential Property Flags
Google cross-references your business address with residential property databases. If your address matches a single-family home, townhouse, or residential property, your profile gets automatically flagged for review. This doesn't mean immediate suspension, but it triggers closer scrutiny of whether your operation meets the criteria for address display.
Lack of Permanent Signage
Google Reviews, user-uploaded photos, and Street View imagery are analyzed for visible business signage. If your address is displayed but there's no permanent, professional signage visible from the street, it's a red flag. Temporary signs, vehicle lettering in a driveway, or signs only visible from inside the property don't count.
Co-Working and Office Building Patterns
Businesses operating from WeWork, Regus, or similar co-working spaces showing their addresses get flagged frequently. Google knows these addresses house multiple businesses and questions whether customers actually visit these locations for service delivery. The same applies to generic office buildings where the business name isn't on the building directory.
Customer Visit Patterns
Google analyzes various signals to determine if customers regularly visit your location:
- Duration of visits (quick pickups vs extended service appointments)
- Density of reviews mentioning "visited the office" or "came to the shop"
- Hours of operation indicating walk-in traffic
- Popular times data showing customer traffic patterns
Competitive Reports
Unfortunately, competitors can and do report SABs they believe are violating address display rules. While Google doesn't automatically suspend based on reports, they do trigger manual reviews. If you're in a competitive market like locksmith services, expect competitors to scrutinize your profile.
Common Scenarios That Trigger Suspensions
These real-world situations frequently result in SAB suspensions for address display violations. Recognizing them helps you understand your risk level.
The Residential Workshop
This is the most common scenario we see: You operate a legitimate business from a workshop, garage, or building on your residential property. You have equipment, inventory, and a real workspace. But here's the problem - customers don't visit your location to receive services. You go to them.
The confusion comes because you DO have vendor deliveries, you DO have employees or contractors who need to navigate to your location, and you DO run a real operation from this address. But Google's criteria is clear: unless customers regularly visit to receive the core service you provide, you cannot display this address.
Example: A roofing company operates from a large workshop on the owner's 5-acre property. They store equipment, stage materials, and run their office from this location. The owner displays the address because "it's a real business location." But roofing customers never visit - the work happens at their homes. This violates SAB address display rules.
The Locksmith Trap
Locksmiths face the most aggressive enforcement. Google knows this industry has a history of fake locations and lead generation schemes, so legitimate locksmiths get caught in the crossfire. Even if you have a real shop where you cut keys and do some walk-in service, if the majority of your business involves going to customers for lockouts and installations, Google may consider you an SAB that shouldn't display an address.
We've seen locksmith shops with 4+ years of history and legitimate storefronts get suspended because Google determined insufficient customer visits justified address display.
The Home Service Provider With Showroom Access
You run a cabinet installation business, window replacement company, or similar home service. You have a warehouse where customers can view samples and place orders. Some customers do visit, but 90% of your business happens at customer locations. This gray area causes frequent suspensions.
Google's threshold isn't published, but from our experience, if customer visits aren't the primary way you deliver service - meaning more than 50% of customers must physically visit your location to receive your core service - you're at risk.
The Co-Working Space Operator
You legitimately work from a WeWork or Regus office because you need a professional space for client meetings. You display the address because you do meet some clients there. But the suite number (Suite 237, Unit 12B, etc.) and the building's multi-tenant nature triggers Google's algorithms. Even with legitimate client visits, co-working addresses showing as SABs face high suspension rates.
The Retroactive Enforcement Problem
One of the most frustrating trends: profiles that have displayed addresses for 2-4 years suddenly getting suspended. Google's enforcement has intensified, and addresses that were previously acceptable are now being retroactively flagged. This happens most often with residential addresses, co-working spaces, and businesses in high-scrutiny industries like locksmiths and waste removal.
Documentation Needed for Reinstatement
Successfully appealing an SAB address suspension requires specific evidence demonstrating you meet Google's criteria for displaying your address. Generic explanations or weak documentation will result in rejection.
Proof of Customer Visits
This is the most critical requirement. You must prove customers regularly visit your location to receive your core service. Acceptable evidence includes:
Appointment Calendars: Screenshots of your booking system showing customer appointments at your physical location (not at their locations). Must show names, dates, times, and the location field indicating your business address.
Customer Visit Logs: A detailed log of customers who visited your location in the past 30-60 days, including dates, services provided on-site, and duration of visits. Must be specific and verifiable.
Point-of-Sale Records: If customers make purchases or payments at your location, provide POS transaction data showing in-person transactions at your address (not mobile or online payments).
Permanent Exterior Signage Proof
Google needs to verify your business is clearly identifiable from the street with permanent signage. Provide:
Street View of Signage: Clear photos from the street showing your business name on permanent signage visible to the public. Temporary banners, vehicle lettering, or signs only visible when on the property don't qualify.
Building/Door Signage: Photos of your business name on the building exterior, entrance door, or building directory (for multi-tenant buildings).
Permits: If you installed business signage, provide copies of your signage permit showing approval for permanent business signage at this location.
Operational Evidence
Demonstrate this is a legitimate, active business location where customers receive services:
Business License: Showing your business is licensed to operate from this specific address. P.O. boxes or registered agent addresses don't count.
Utility Bills: Recent utility bills (electric, water, internet) in your business name at this address showing significant usage consistent with business operations.
Lease or Property Deed: Proof you legally occupy this space for business purposes. If residential property, you may need to prove it's zoned for commercial use or you have proper permits.
What Doesn't Work
These common appeals fail consistently:
- "Vendors and employees visit regularly" - Google only cares about customers
- "I have a legitimate office here" - Doesn't matter if customers don't visit for service
- "I've had this address for years" - Previous approval doesn't guarantee current compliance
- "Competitors show addresses too" - Irrelevant to your case
- Photos of your workspace interior - Doesn't prove customer visits
Prevention Best Practices
Maintaining compliance requires ongoing attention to Google's SAB address display criteria. Follow these guidelines to minimize suspension risk.
Honest Assessment of Customer Visits
Ask yourself: Do more than 50% of my customers visit my physical location to receive my core service? If the answer is no, don't display your address regardless of whether you have a legitimate workspace.
Core service is key - if you're a plumber who has a shop where customers can buy fixtures, but 95% of your revenue comes from going to customer locations for repairs, your core service happens at customer sites. The shop doesn't justify address display.
The Signage Test
If you plan to display your address, you need permanent, professional exterior signage visible from the street showing your business name. Before enabling address display:
- Install proper signage with permits if required
- Ensure it's visible in Google Street View
- Take clear photos from the street showing the signage
- Maintain the signage (faded, damaged, or removed signs lead to violations)
Industry-Specific Risk Management
If you're in a high-risk category (locksmiths, roofers, dumpster rental, waste removal, home services), assume Google will scrutinize your profile more aggressively:
Locksmiths: Unless you have a storefront where customers regularly visit for key duplication, lock sales, and safe services, operate as an SAB without displaying your address. Even legitimate shops face suspensions.
Roofers & Contractors: Almost all roofing and contracting work happens at customer sites. Don't display your warehouse or office address unless you have a showroom where customers regularly visit to select materials and place orders.
Dumpster Rental & Waste Removal: These businesses rarely have customer visits - you deliver dumpsters and remove waste at customer locations. Operating without displaying your address is the safest approach.
Documentation Preparation
Even if you're compliant, prepare documentation now in case of suspension:
- Maintain appointment logs showing customer visits
- Keep your business license and permits current and accessible
- Take photos of your signage from multiple angles
- Document that your address is properly zoned for your business type
- Save POS records or receipts showing in-person customer transactions
Regular Profile Audits
Check your profile monthly:
- Verify your address display setting matches your actual customer visit patterns
- Review user-uploaded photos for accurate representation of your location
- Check that Street View shows current, professional signage
- Monitor reviews for mentions of customer visits (or lack thereof)
The Age Factor
Don't assume that because your address has been displayed for years without issues, you're safe. Google's retroactive enforcement means profiles with 2-4+ years of history are now being reviewed under current stricter standards. If your situation has changed (fewer customer visits, moved to a residential location, lost signage) or Google's enforcement has intensified in your industry, proactively remove your address display.
When in Doubt, Hide Your Address
The consequences of violating address display rules (suspension, potential permanent ban, loss of reviews and ranking) far outweigh any benefit of showing your address. If you're uncertain whether you meet the criteria, operate as an SAB without displaying your address. You can still rank well in local search, serve your service area, and build your business without taking the risk.