Google Business Profile Update Targets Delivery Of Age-Restricted Products via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has updated its Business Profile rules for service-area businesses that sell age-restricted products.

Now, businesses selling alcohol, cannabis, weapons, and similar items must have a physical storefront to maintain their Google Business Profile.

We were alerted to this update by Stefan Somborac on X:

Google actually uses the phrase "Businesses associated with…" not "Businesses selling…", which significantly broadens how this new change can be applied.

2/3 pic.twitter.com/FD31fUmm94

— Stefan Somborac (@StefanSomborac) November 27, 2024

Changes To Service-Area Business Guidelines

Google has updated its guidelines to prevent businesses that sell age-restricted products from operating only as service-area businesses.

The updated guidelines state:

“Businesses associated with products or services that require the customer to be a certain minimum age, like alcohol, cannabis, or weapons, aren’t permitted as service-area businesses without a storefront.”

This is a notable change in how Google handles business listings for delivery and mobile services.

The policy outlines two main types of businesses:

1. Service-area businesses: These companies deliver to customers but do not have a physical business location.
2. Hybrid businesses: These operations have a physical location and offer delivery or mobile services.

Service Area Limitations

Google maintains its existing restrictions on service areas, including:

• A maximum of 20 service areas per business
• Service boundaries limited to approximately 2 hours of driving time from the business base
• Service areas must be defined by city, postal code, or specific geographic region rather than radius

Impact On Businesses

This update affects certain types of businesses:

• Mobile alcohol delivery services
• Cannabis delivery services
• Weapons dealers without a physical store
• Vendors of age-restricted products that only deliver

The new rules require these businesses to have a physical storefront to keep their Google Business Profiles.

This change aims to ensure proper age checks and compliance with sensitive product and service regulations.

What This Means

The policy update addresses concerns about selling age-restricted products through delivery-only businesses.

This change mainly impacts new delivery services for cannabis and alcohol, which have grown in some cities.

Featured Image: Alexandre.ROSA/Shutterstock

SEJ STAFF Matt G. Southern Senior News Writer at Search Engine Journal

Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, ...