SAB: brand #1 at 24/25 geo-grid points, but 0/25 Top 20 for core service queries — stale anchor or relevance?

[Mugur Marin]

Hi everyone,

I’m the owner of a video production business in Bucharest, Romania, and I’m trying to diagnose a strange Google Business Profile visibility pattern.

The profile is a verified hidden-address Service Area Business. Google Business Profile Support has repeatedly confirmed that it is active, healthy and correctly indexed.

The primary category is Video Production Service. The profile has 64 genuine reviews with a 5.0 rating, complete services, photos, posts and an established website.

I ran three Local Falcon Google Maps scans using exactly the same configuration:

- 5 x 5 grid
- 25 data points
- 2 km radius
- same scan center

Results:

1. Business name query: “N-trance Media SRL”
- #1 at 24/25 points
- ARP 1.00
- SoLV 96%

2. “videograf” (“videographer” in Romanian)
- outside Top 20 at 25/25 points
- SoLV 0%

3. “producție video” (“video production”)
- outside Top 20 at 25/25 points
- SoLV 0%

So Google appears to resolve the business and its location extremely well for the branded query, but the profile does not enter the Top 20 at a single nearby point for two directly relevant service queries.

There is one detail that makes me wonder about the location state:

The business previously operated from another real address in Bucharest and later became a hidden-address SAB at its current base. The previous and current locations are only about 2 km apart.

I realize that 2 km is not a large move, so I am not assuming the old address is the cause. However, given the complete branded/non-branded split, I’m wondering whether an old verification/location anchor, centroid, or another internal location state could still be relevant.

I am NOT asking why the business is not ranking #1 for generic terms. I would consider positions 5, 10 or even 20 perfectly plausible.

What I find unusual is 24/25 points at #1 for the brand versus 0/25 points even entering the Top 20 for two core category/service searches in the same immediate area.

For those of you who have diagnosed similar SAB cases, what would you test next?

Would you primarily suspect:

1. normal relevance/competition,
2. stale location or verification anchor,
3. category/query eligibility or association,
4. local filtering,
5. something related to the SAB conversion/address history,
6. or another profile-level issue?

I can share anonymized Local Falcon heatmaps if they would help.

Thank you,
Mugur

 

[Tony Wang]

A few questions: how long has the profile been at this location? I assume you updated the old profile when you moved? Were you ranking before the move?

The problem with an old verification address is usually related to an SAB moving to another address, I'm not aware of issues with changing from address shown to address hidden when changing address.

The fact that you are now an SAB is a factor, as showing an address is known to be favorable.

As far as filtering, it's always a possibility if there is competition very close by, but I would expect that to be within a few hundred feet.

For what it's worth, I did a search for "video production service in bucharest" and you show up around 10 in the local pack. But my search is from google.com and in English, so I'm not sure how meaningful it is (I don't usually do anything outside the US).

 

[Mugur Marin]

Hi Tony, thanks — this is very useful.


The profile is old and was originally verified at Strada Toamnei 125. We moved only once, about 2 km, to Strada Profesor Eufrosin Potecă 31, and I updated the existing profile rather than creating a new one. Later the address was hidden and the profile became an SAB.


I don’t have reliable historical geo-grid data from before the move, so I can’t honestly say how well it ranked then.


What makes this strange is that I also ran a control scan centered exactly on the old verified address:

• “videograf”, old address, 5x5 / 1 km: 0/25 Top 20
• “videograf”, current area: 0/25
• “producție video”, current area: 0/25
• “videograf”, 7x7 / 10 km: 0/49
• branded “N-trance Media SRL”: #1 at 24/25

So it doesn’t seem to be simply anchored to the old address.


Your result is interesting: if you can see me around #10 for “video production service in bucharest”, would you take that as evidence that the category association is probably working and that the issue may be more related to SAB/location/query-language filtering rather than complete exclusion?


Also, given that I can legitimately receive clients at the current location and install permanent signage, would your first move be to show the current address on the EXISTING profile and verify it as hybrid, rather than create a new listing?


Thanks again,
Mugur