For over a decade, Google Business Profiles (GBP) have been the cornerstone of local SEO, helping businesses connect with their local communities by providing essential information, including their physical address. However, a significant issue has persisted under the radar, undermining the integrity of Google’s platform: the widespread use of Mail Boxes, Etc. addresses by thousands of businesses across London and the UK.
Misleading Addresses
Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) is a well-known service provider offering mailboxes, mail shipping, and forwarding services, with numerous locations throughout London and other UK cities. While these services are legitimate and valuable for individuals and businesses needing a secure mailing address, they present a problem when misused on Google Business Profiles.
Google’s guidelines are clear:
“Use a precise, accurate address and/or service area to describe your business location. PO boxes or mailboxes located at remote locations aren’t acceptable.”
Despite this, countless businesses have used MBE addresses as their official business location on Google, misleading customers and gaming the local search algorithm.
The Loophole
For years, Google has relied on postcards sent to a physical address to verify the existence of a business at that location. This verification method was phased out in 2024 in favour of video verification, and it had a critical oversight—Mail Boxes, Etc. locations were not flagged or excluded from this process.
As a result, businesses that don’t have a physical location in the areas they claim to serve have been using MBE addresses to secure a presence in those regions. This has not only distorted local search results but also misled countless customers who believe they are dealing with a local business when, in fact, they are not.
The misuse of MBE addresses has far-reaching implications:
Distorted Local Rankings:
One factor in Google’s local search ranking algorithm is a business’s proximity to the searcher. By using MBE addresses, businesses can artificially boost their local presence, outcompeting legitimate local businesses that actually operate in those areas.
Customer Confusion:
Users searching for a local service might be directed to a business with only a mailbox in the area, not an actual office or storefront. This not only frustrates customers but also erodes trust in Google’s platform.
Clogged Business Listings:
Over the past decade, thousands of businesses have exploited this loophole, leading to an overabundance of misleading profiles. This makes it harder for genuine businesses to stand out and for users to find legitimate local services.
Video Verification and Algorithmic Enforcement
With the introduction of video verification as the default method in 2024, Google has taken a significant step toward curbing the misuse of Mail Boxes Etc. and similar services. Video verification requires businesses to prove their physical location through a video recording, making it much more difficult to fake an address.
However, this solution only addresses future listings. The real challenge lies in dealing with the existing GBP profiles that have been using MBE addresses for years. These profiles continue to distort search results and mislead users.
Cleaning Up the Mess
Google needs to take decisive action to address this issue:
Algorithmic Detection:
Google should enhance its spam algorithms to detect and flag existing profiles using Mail Boxes Etc. or similar addresses. These profiles should be re-verified, ensuring that only legitimate businesses with actual physical locations remain on the platform.
User Reporting:
Users should be encouraged to report suspicious profiles directly to Google, with an easy-to-use reporting tool specifically for address-related issues. This would help Google identify and remove fraudulent profiles more quickly.
Increased Transparency:
Google should provide more transparency around the steps to clean up existing profiles. Businesses and users should be informed about the changes and the criteria for maintaining a Google Business Profile.
Time for Google to Act
The widespread use of Mail Boxes Etc. addresses on Google Business Profiles represent a significant loophole that has been exploited for over a decade. While video verification is a step in the right direction, it’s not enough to address the backlog of misleading profiles affecting local search results.
Google must take immediate and decisive action to clean up its platform, ensuring that only businesses with legitimate physical locations are represented. This will restore trust in Google’s local search results and provide a fairer playing field for businesses that play by the rules.
It’s time to ratchet up those spam algorithms and deal with this mess once and for all.
If you are using an address on your Google Business Profile and don’t want to wait until it all comes crashing down, Online Ownership has a Google Business Profile Service that could make your transition to legitimacy a little less bumpy.
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