The core requirement
A business is eligible if it makes in-person contact with customers during stated hours, either at a staffed location or by traveling to them. Online-only businesses with no in-person contact generally do not qualify.
Check the current eligibility page on Google's help site, because details are revised from time to time.
Home-based businesses
A business run from a home can qualify if it serves customers at their locations, or meets customers at the home during set hours. If customers never visit, hide the address and use a service area. Do not publish a home address if you do not want visitors.
Virtual offices and mailboxes
A mailbox store, a registered agent address or a virtual office without staff on site is not a valid location. Listing one risks suspension. Coworking spaces are more complicated. If you have a dedicated, staffed space with your own signage and hours, you may qualify. A hot desk shared with strangers often does not.
When in doubt, use a service-area setup that hides the address if you do travel to customers.
Shared addresses and departments
Several professionals in the same building can have separate profiles in some cases, for instance practitioners who see clients under their own names. Businesses that share one address and one phone number in the same category can trigger duplicate warnings.
Departments inside another business, such as a pharmacy within a grocery store, may qualify under certain rules when they have separate hours and staff.
Businesses that operate seasonally can stay listed and use special hours or mark themselves temporarily closed. Mobile vendors often qualify as service-area businesses only if they have a base and regular customer contact. Pop-up events usually do not qualify as permanent listings.
What to do if you do not qualify
Focus on your website, content, social pages, directories and review sites that suit your field. Build local relevance through articles and partnerships. If your situation changes, such as opening a staffed office, you can apply later.
Never fake an address to get a profile. The risk of suspension and loss of trust is not worth it.
Scenarios worth thinking through
A freelance designer working from a spare room, meeting clients online only, does not have in-person contact and likely does not qualify. A mobile pet groomer who drives to clients does qualify as a service-area business. A tutor who meets students at a rented room at set hours may qualify if the space is staffed and signed.
A consultant who rents a shared desk and meets clients at cafes probably does not qualify. A real estate agent with a branded office does. If your situation is borderline, read the guidelines closely and describe your business truthfully in the setup. A truthful application that is declined is better than a creative one that gets the profile suspended later.
If you moved from a storefront to remote work, or the reverse, update the profile to match: hide or show the address, adjust hours and revise your service area. An outdated setup can draw review or customer complaints.
Common questions
Can I use a coworking space address?
Sometimes, if you have dedicated space, signage and staffed hours. A shared desk with no ability to meet customers usually does not qualify.
Can online-only stores have a profile?
Generally not unless they have a staffed pickup or in-person location. Check the current guidelines for your case.
This guide is general information. Search engines change how they work and their guidelines; check Google's current documentation for your situation. Nobody can guarantee a ranking.