In 2025, getting your business listed on Google Maps is more important than ever. Whether you’re a solo operator, small team, or remote-first company, showing up on Google is crucial for customer trust, local SEO, and discoverability.
But here’s the catch: if you don’t have a traditional storefront, getting verified by Google can feel impossible.
Fortunately, a virtual office with Google verification support can bridge that gap—if you choose the right provider. Here’s what you need to know, combining advice from the top three providers and showing how Salt Space Coworking makes it simple for Brisbane-based businesses.
🔎 Why Google Verification Is So Strict Now
Google wants to keep spam listings off Maps. That means they only approve business addresses that:
- Are staffed during business hours
- Are real, physical locations with verifiable activity
- Can be verified through video proof or a live call
- Have consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) info across the web
- Are accessible to potential customers (depending on business type)
Postcard verification, once the norm, has mostly been phased out. Now, businesses must prove legitimacy through video verification, which requires more than just a mailing address.
If you’re using a virtual office, co-working space, or serviced office, it must meet all of Google’s conditions to be accepted for your Google Business Profile (GBP).
🔹 What the Top Providers Say
1. Local Ranking
- You can use a virtual office for GBP if it is staffed during business hours.
- Virtual offices are best for service-based businesses that want to maintain privacy but still benefit from local SEO.
- Video verification must clearly show the business operating in that space, with branding and signage.
- Risk of suspension is high if the address isn’t compliant.
2. Virtually There
- Do not list a virtual office as a physical storefront for brick and mortar stores unless customers can visit and the office is staffed.
- Use the Service Area Business (SAB) model if you travel to clients.
- GBP video verification tips include:
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- Avoid faces or IDs
- Show invoices, workstations, or marketing materials
- Submit videos under 20MB using a smartphone
-
3. Anytime Offices
- Google verification has shifted fully to video uploads and live calls.
- ASIC compliance is also critical: your business must list a Principal Place of Business that is a real, physical address.
- Businesses using mailboxes or PO Boxes are often rejected for both ASIC and Google.
- Providers like Anytime Offices & Salt Space Coworking offer packages with workspace access and signage to assist with compliance.
🏛️ Why Salt Space Is Brisbane’s Top Choice for Google Verification
Salt Space Coworking in New Farm isn’t just a virtual office—it’s a staffed, real-world business hub designed for freelancers, startups, consultants, and remote teams.
Here’s how Salt Space goes above and beyond:
| Feature | Salt Space Advantage |
|---|---|
| Staffed Office | Yes, team available during business hours |
| ASIC-Compliant Address | Yes, real street address (not a mailbox) |
| Google Verification Support | Yes, hands-on help with video verification |
| Onsite Access | Yes, you can visit, film, work, or meet clients |
| Mail Handling | Yes, with real-time pickup notifications |
| Flexible Contracts | Yes, monthly plans, no setup fees |
| Affordable Pricing | $40/month |
Salt Space members also gain access to bookable meeting rooms, shared desks, high-speed internet, and a vibrant professional community.
We’ve helped dozens of businesses get verified on Google Maps, even after failed attempts elsewhere.
🚀 How to Successfully Complete Google Video Verification
Google’s video verification system is designed to prevent fake businesses and bots from claiming addresses they don’t control. Here’s how to pass it:
Prepare Before Recording:
- Use a smartphone camera with default resolution (avoid 4K/UHD)
- Keep the video under 20MB
- Avoid faces or showing private information
Show These Elements:
- The building exterior (signage, door number, entry)
- A workspace or desk setup with a laptop or equipment
- Branded materials like business cards, flyers, invoices, etc.
- If available, a nameplate or sign showing your business name
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Submitting footage that is too generic or looks staged
- Failing to include branding or physical indicators of business activity
- Using a mailbox-only location with no visible human presence
At Salt Space, you can record this video onsite, and our team will help you set it up correctly.
🤝 For Service Area Businesses (SABs)
If your business visits clients (like tradies, cleaners, or mobile professionals), Google allows you to:
- Hide your address on your GBP
- Define up to 20 service areas (suburbs or regions)
- Use a physical address only if customers don’t visit
Salt Space works perfectly for SABs needing a verifiable address for ASIC, mail, and admin while operating primarily on-site with clients.
🔔 ASIC Compliance: Don’t Overlook It
In Australia, your virtual office must also meet ASIC’s definition of a Principal Place of Business. That means:
- It must be a real physical location, not a PO Box
- It must be suitable for record keeping and administration
- It must be accessible by regulators if needed
Salt Space’s address is suitable for:
- ABN registration
- ASIC company registrations
- ATO correspondence
Plus, with meeting room access and mail handling, your business has a professional base even if you’re remote most of the time.
🔍 Why a Virtual Office Matters for Google SEO
When verified, your Google Business Profile helps you:
- Show up on Google Maps and in local search results
- Collect reviews and build social proof
- Add posts, updates, photos, and product info
- Appear in “business near me” searches
- Outrank competitors who aren’t verified or trusted
Without verification, your business is nearly invisible to local clients.
🚩 Signs Your Current Virtual Office May Not Qualify
- You can’t visit the location to record a video
- There’s no staff on-site
- It’s a PO Box or mailbox with no signage
- No help is offered for Google verification
- ASIC correspondence bounces or gets delayed
Salt Space solves all of the above—and we’re local.
🛎️ How to Get Started with Salt Space Virtual Office
- Choose your plan – Starting at just $50/month
- Receive your ASIC and Google-eligible address
- Get mail notifications and collect or forward items
- Schedule your Google video verification
- Ask us for guidance – we’ve helped members get verified quickly
📲 Ready to Build Trust and Rank Higher on Google?
Join the many Brisbane businesses who rely on Salt Space for:
- Privacy
- Credibility
- Compliance
- Local SEO boost
We service clients in all over Brisbane a lot of our customers are from New Farm, Teneriffe, Newstead, Fortitude Valley.