How to Claim a Google My Business Listing

If your customers can't find you on Google Maps, it can feel like your business is invisible. Claiming your Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful and fundamentally important steps you can take to show up for local customers actively searching for what you offer. This guide will walk you through exactly how to find, claim, and optimize your listing so you can start connecting with more customers today.

What is a Google Business Profile and Why Does It Matter?

Think of your Google Business Profile (GBP) as a digital storefront for your business on Google Search and an interactive pin on Google Maps. It's a completely free tool that lets you control how your business information appears online, and it's arguably the most important piece of real estate in local search marketing.

When someone searches for "coffee shop near me" or "plumber in [your city]," the results that pop up in the box at the top of the search page - with a map, reviews, and star ratings - are Google Business Profiles. Being there is not just nice, it's necessary for survival and growth for most local businesses.

Here's why it's so important to claim and manage yours:

• Dominate Local Search: A fully optimized GBP is your ticket to appearing in Google's "Local Pack," that coveted box of the top three local results. This is prime visibility for attracting high-intent customers who are ready to make a purchase.
• Build Credibility and Trust: Customers trust what they see on Google. An accurate, up-to-date profile with photos, positive reviews, and a responsive owner signals that your business is legitimate and cares about its customers.
• Control Your Business Information: Has your phone number changed? Did you extend your hours for the holidays? Your GBP is the central source of truth. Claiming it lets you instantly update critical information, preventing customer frustration and lost sales due to misinformation.
• Engage Directly with Customers: Your profile isn't a one-way street. Customers can leave reviews, ask questions in the Q&,A section, and send direct messages. Responding to them builds relationships and shows potential new customers that you're engaged and helpful.

How to Claim Your Google Business Profile: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to take control? The process is straightforward, but it requires careful attention to detail. Let's walk through it together.

Step 1: Find or Create Your Business Listing

First, you need to see if a listing for your business already exists. Sometimes Google creates an "unclaimed" listing automatically based on public data. You'll want to find this and take ownership of it.

1. Navigate to google.com/business and click "Manage now."
2. In the search box, start typing your business's full legal name. As you type, Google will offer suggestions.
3. Slowly type out your name and keep an eye on the results. If your business appears with its correct address, select it from the dropdown. This means a listing for your business already exists, and you just need to claim it.
4. If nothing appears after you've typed your full name, it means you need to create a new profile from scratch. Click the option to "Create a business with this name" and follow the prompts to add your details like business category, address, and service area.

For this guide, we'll focus on the more common scenario: claiming an existing listing.

Step 2: Start the Management and Verification Process

Once you've selected your existing business from the list, Google will guide you through the next steps. You'll likely see a button that says "Manage now." This is your gateway to claiming the profile. Clicking it officially informs Google that you intend to take ownership. However, you might run into a common roadblock here.

What to Do If Your Listing is Already Claimed

Don't panic if you see a message saying, "This listing has already been claimed." This happens a lot more than you might think. The current "owner" could be:

• A former employee who set it up and has since left.
• A digital marketing agency you worked with in the past.
• Even you, using a different Google account you've forgotten about.

In this case, you will see a button that reads "Request Access." Click it.

You'll be asked to fill out a short form explaining your relationship to the business. After you submit it, the current profile owner will receive an email notifying them of your request. They have 3 days to respond.

• If they grant you access: fantastic! You'll get an email, and you can now manage the profile.
• If they deny your request: you will be notified, and you may have the option to appeal.
• If you get no response: after 3 days with no response, Google will often give you the opportunity to verify your affiliation with the business yourself, effectively bypassing the current owner.

Assuming no one else has claimed the profile or you've been granted access, your next hurdle is verification.

Step 3: Verify Your Connection to the Business

Verification is Google's way of making sure you're authorized to manage the business listing. It's an essential security step to prevent unauthorized takeovers of a business's online identity. Google offers several methods, and the options you see will depend on your business type, location, and account history.

Common verification methods include:

• Postcard by Mail: This is the most traditional method. Google will mail a physical postcard containing a verification code to your business's registered address. It usually arrives within 5-7 business days. Once you get it, you log back in and enter the code to complete verification. Pro tip: Do not edit any business information (like address, phone, or category) while you're waiting for the postcard, as this can cancel the verification process and force you to start over.
• Phone Call or Text Message: If eligible, Google can either send an automated code via text message or place an automated call to your official business phone number. This is the fastest way to get verified if it's offered to you.
• Email Verification: Some businesses may be able to verify via an email address associated with their business domain (e.g., yourname@yourcompany.com). Google sends a code to that email, and you enter it to verify instantly.
• Video Recording: This is a newer method. You'll need to use your smartphone to record a short video that proves your location and ownership. This typically includes filming your storefront (showing the address), your workspace or inventory, and proof of management like a business license or utility bill with the business name on it.
• Live Video Call: Similar to a recording, but you'll do a live video call with a Google support representative to show them around your business location and present your documentation in real-time.

Choose the option available to you and follow the instructions carefully. Once you're verified, you have full control!

You're Verified! Here's How to Optimize Your Profile

Getting claimed and verified is just the starting line. The real magic happens when you treat your GBP not as a static listing but as an active marketing channel. A complete profile is favored by Google's algorithm and provides a much better experience for potential customers.

1. Fill Out Every Single Section

Go through your profile manager section by section and complete everything you can. The more information Google has, the more confidently it can match your business to relevant searches.

• Categories: Choose a specific primary category (e.g., "Italian Restaurant" instead of just "Restaurant"). Then add all relevant secondary categories (e.g., "Pizza Restaurant," "Caterer").
• Services/Products: Detail every service you offer or product you sell. You can add descriptions and even prices.
• Attributes: These clickable tags give customers at-a-glance information. Add attributes like "Woman-owned," "Wheelchair accessible," "Outdoor seating," or "Online appointments."
• Business Description: Write a compelling 750-character summary of who you are, what you offer, and what makes you different.

2. Upload High-Quality Photos and Videos

Shoppers who see photos are much more likely to visit. Visuals build trust and help customers imagine themselves at your business. Aim to add photos in several categories:

• Exterior shots: Help people find you. Show your storefront from a few different angles.
• Interior shots: Show off your ambiance, decor, and waiting area.
• Team photos: Put a human face to your brand.
• Products/Services in action: Show what you actually do. If you bake cakes, show decorated cakes. If you're a mechanic, show cars being worked on.

Short videos (under 30 seconds) are also incredibly effective. A quick tour or a clip of your team at work can make a huge impact.

3. Start Gathering and Responding to Reviews

Reviews are one of the most powerful ranking factors and conversion drivers. A steady flow of new, positive reviews tells Google (and customers) that your business is active and well-regarded.

• Ask for reviews: Make it a habit to ask your happy customers to leave a review. You can create a direct link to your review page inside your GBP dashboard to make it easy for them.
• Respond to EVERY review: Thank people for positive reviews. More importantly, respond professionally and helpfully to negative ones. Showing you care about feedback - good and bad - builds immense trust.

4. Use Google Posts and the Q&A Feature

These features turn your profile from a simple directory listing into an interactive marketing tool.

• Google Posts: These are like mini-updates that appear directly on your profile. They are perfect for sharing special offers, announcing new products, promoting events, or sharing company news. They expire every seven days, so they are great for timely content.
• Question &, Answer (Q&,A): Anyone can ask a question on your profile, and anyone can answer it. To take control, proactively add your own frequently asked questions and answer them yourself. This ensures accurate information and saves your team time from answering the same questions over and over.

Final Thoughts

Claiming your Business Profile is not just a box to check - it's the foundation of your entire local online presence. By investing a small amount of time to get it claimed, verified, and thoroughly optimized, you're building a direct pipeline to customers who are actively looking for a business just like yours.

Managing your Google profile is a crucial lever for local visibility, but it is just one piece of your broader brand puzzle. When you're also building a community on Instagram, creating Reels for TikTok, and networking on LinkedIn, it can feel like you're being pulled in a dozen different directions. We've found that fighting that chaos requires a single source of truth for all things social. Using Postbase, our own simple platform, helps us keep everything on track with a visual calendar to plan our content, a unified inbox to manage all our comments and DMs, and clear analytics to see what's working, so our digital presence stays cohesive, from Google right through to TikTok.