Are you a business owner? Do you want customers? If the answer to both of those questions is yes, then you need to have a presence on Google (unless you have a secret business you don’t actually want anyone to find! 😉).
A quick first step to getting noticed (even without a website or a social media following) is to set up a free Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business.
This guide will show you the easy ways to give access (as a business owner) or to request access to Google Business Profile (if you’re an agency or freelancer).
What is a Google Business Profile?
Formerly known as Google My Business (yes, Google My Business is now discontinued!), a Google Business Profile is a simple and free business page that appears on Google search results. It lets you share your hours, location (if you have one), and photos—the starting point for gaining visibility in local SEO.
With a profile, your business will appear on Google Searches, Google Maps, and Google Shopping.
A Google Business Profile looks like this:
What are the benefits of a Google Business Profile?
Besides being free for everyone, it also gives you a direct line of contact with your customers. They can easily find details on how to contact you, leave Google reviews, ask questions, and you will appear on Google Maps when they conduct an ‘X near me’ search.
You can also provide customers with accurate information about your opening times, so they know when you’re available.
Updating your Business Profile is a convenient way to inform people about temporary changes to your regular hours, such as closures for holidays (see the example above, where it shows the restaurant is temporarily closed).
A Business Profile also helps you build up credibility if you collect reviews and ask customers to share pictures of your product or service.
Reviews are extremely important if you want to build trust with potential customers - 98% of internet users check reviews for local businesses.
Can I have a Google Business Profile without a physical address?
Yes, you can set up a business profile even if you don’t have a physical storefront. You still need to provide an address for your business, but it doesn’t need to be publicly visible.
Online, hybrid, and service-area businesses go through the same verification process. You will either receive an email, a phone call, a video call, a postcard, or you need to send a video recording.
Sharing access to your Google Business Profile
If a marketing agency or freelancer manages your website’s paid traffic, SEO, and marketing, they will need access to your Google marketing accounts, including your Google Business Profile.
- Agency or freelancer? Jump to section 1 to get access to your client’s account.
- Business owners can skip to section 2 to learn how to grant someone else access to their Google Business Profile.
Want to save time on granting and requesting access to Google profiles? See how you can do it in two clicks here.
Prefer a video? Watch below!
How to request access to Google Business Profile
Are you a marketing agency or freelancer wondering how to get access to a client's Google Business Profile?
i) Request access using an individual Google account
You can request access to your client's business locations if you are an agency or freelancer who looks after client Google Business accounts.
Here’s how to do it with an individual Google account:
1. Sign into your Google account at https://www.google.com/business/
2. Click on the 3 dots in the upper right → Add a new Business Profile
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3. Search for the business name you want to manage:
4. Google will confirm this profile is already claimed and in use
5. Click Request Access
6. Fill out the access request form and wait for the profile owner to confirm it
ii) How to request access to a Google Business Profile using an Organization Business Profile Manager
1. Go to business.google.com/agencysignup to set up your Organization Business Profile Manager account
2. Enter your agency website and connect it to your Google account
3. Sign in to your Google Organization Business Profile Manager
4. Click on Manage invitations, where you can see any invites from your clients:
You can request access to businesses that are already claimed by clicking Request access in the top right corner
5. Select the Organization and Business Group to assign
6. Type in the name of the business you want to request access to
7. Google will confirm this business is already claimed & ask you to enter your agency details
8. Click Request Access
9. Your client will receive your request and will need to confirm it
10. You can see all your pending requests in your Organization dashboard under Manage Invitations and Requests Sent:
11. When your client accepts your request you will receive a confirmation email
Request access easily with Leadsie
Does the above explanation give you a headache?!
Making manual requests whenever you need access to a client’s Google Business Profile is time-consuming and wastes your resources.
Leadsie has a super simple solution: it allows you to request access to multiple Google Business Profiles at the same time.
Simply send your client a personalized Leadsie request link and they can grant you access in just a few clicks!
Leadsie does the work in the back end and adds you as a manager or owner to the account. It removes steps from the manual process, makes your client onboarding smooth and makes a great first impression.
What's more, we now fully support Agency Organization accounts! To get access with your Organization account, just go to your Google integration settings and select the account attached to your Organization, the Business Group and it's done!
You can even request access to Google Ads, Analytics and Tag Manager with the same link.
If you manage multiple assets for your clients, you can easily request access to their Facebook pages, Facebook Ad accounts and Instagram via Leadsie.
If you want to simplify your client onboarding and make client onboarding hassle-free, then try us out for free for 14 days.
How to give access to a Google Business Profile
There are two ways to share access to your Google Business Profile, depending on whether the person you're inviting has a personal Google account or an Business Organization Account.
The key difference: You cannot invite someone with an organization account using just their email address. You'll need their name as it appears in the organization's directory.
The steps for both options are listed below.
i) Invite an individual with their email address
1. Log in to your Google account at https://www.google.com/business/
2. Choose the business (if you own multiple). You must be the profile owner to grant access to others
3. Click the 3 dots in the top right
4. Click Business Profile settings
5. Select People and access
6. Click Add
7. Enter the email address of the person you want to add. Choose the role (Owner or Manager), click Invite
If you’re inviting an organization account, skip to the next section
8. The invited person will receive a confirmation email to manage your Google Business Profile:
After they click Accept, they will have access to your Business Profile.
ii) Invite someone with a Business Profile Group account
1. To do this the agency or partner needs to give you a Location Group or Business Profile Group ID number which you can paste into the email address field like this:
If the Business Profile group exists, you will see it in a drop down box.
2. Select the Business Profile group you want to invite.
3. Click Invite
4. They will see your invitation in the Manage Invitations section of their organization dashboard:
How to remove access to your Google Business Profile
If someone no longer requires access to your profile, you can remove them using the following steps:
1. Follow the same process as above. At step 6, you will see a list of people with access to your profile.
2. Click on their name
3. Click Remove
4. They no longer have access
What is the difference between Google My Business and Google Business Profile?
They are the same thing; Google My Business was the old name. Since 2022, Google Business Profile has replaced Google Places for Business, Google Listings, and Google+ Business Pages.
Tips to optimize your Google Business Profile
To help people find your business on Google, you must include as much relevant business information as possible. A completed Business Profile signals credibility and helps you appear trustworthy and reliable to potential customers.
At a bare minimum, make sure the basic information is correct:
- Business name
- Business address
- Phone number
Make sure you stick to Google’s guidelines when writing so you don’t get penalized.
Other things to boost the credibility of your profile:
- Business description
- Photos
- Products
- Fill out info about facilities and accessibility
- Add an FAQ about your business
- Special offers
- Upcoming events
- Add review responses
The easiest way to request Google Business Profile access
Remember, the simplest, fastest and most hassle-free way to request access to Google Business Profile is with Leadsie.
Wow your clients with the easiest onboarding process they ever experienced with a Leadsie 14-day free trial.
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