How to Share Google My Business with an SEO Agency

Handing over access to your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a necessary step when working with an SEO agency, but it shouldn't involve sharing your personal password. This guide will walk you through the correct, secure way to grant manager access to your profile, giving your agency the keys they need to boost your local search presence without compromising your account's security.

First, Let's Be Clear: Never Share Your Google Account Password

Before we get into the "how," let's cover the most important "what not to do." If an SEO agency asks for the login credentials to your personal Google account (the one you use for Gmail, Google Drive, and everything else), it's a massive red flag. Professional agencies never need - or want - this level of access.

Here's why password sharing is a bad idea:

• It's a huge security risk. Your Google account is the central hub for a lot of your digital life. Giving someone your password exposes your personal emails, files, photos, and payment information. A disgruntled employee at the agency or a single security breach on their end could put your entire digital identity at risk.
• You lose control. When you share a password, you have no way to track who is doing what in your account. The changes are just made by "you." Using Google's built-in user management system creates a clear trail of accountability, so you can see which user made specific updates.
• It creates an ownership nightmare. Giving someone your password can blur the lines of who actually controls your business profile. If your relationship with the agency sours, they could potentially lock you out of your own profile by changing the password and recovery information.

The bottom line is that there is a proper, secure, and professional way to share access through a system of designated user roles. Any legitimate agency knows this and will request access this way.

Understanding Google Business Profile User Roles

Google provides different levels of access, called "roles," to ensure you can delegate tasks without handing over the master keys to your business listing. The two primary roles you'll use when working with an agency are Owner and Manager. Here's a simple breakdown of what each one can do.

Primary Owner

This is you, the business owner. The primary owner is the original creator of the business profile. You have complete control and can do everything, including deleting the profile. Most importantly, a Primary Owner cannot be removed by any other user, securing your ultimate control over the listing.

Owner

An Owner has almost all the same capabilities as the Primary Owner. They can edit business information, create posts, respond to reviews, add and remove other users (including other Owners), and analyze insights. The only things they can't do are delete the business profile or remove the Primary Owner. An agency might ask for Owner access if they need to manage other users as part of their workflow, but it's often more access than necessary for day-to-day SEO work.

Manager

This is the ideal role for most SEO agencies, contractors, and marketing team members. A Manager can perform all the essential daily activities needed to optimize your profile:

• Update business info like hours, phone number, and services.
• Upload new photos and videos.
• Create and publish Google Posts.
• Respond to customer reviews in your brand's voice.
• Answer questions in the Q&A section.
• Use messaging features.
• View performance insights.

What can't a Manager do? They cannot add or remove other users, edit core business details like the business name (this requires an extra approval layer), or delete the profile. This role gives your agency the freedom to execute their strategy without giving them the power to change who controls the account. For 99% of situations, Manager access is the right choice.

How to Add an SEO Agency as a User: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to grant access? The process is straightforward and takes just a minute. Make sure you have the email address of the person at the agency you need to invite. This email address must be a Google account.

1. Sign in to your Google account. Go to google.com/business and log in to the account used to manage your Business profile.
2. Open your profile settings. If you only have one location, you'll likely be taken directly there. If you have multiple locations, select the correct one you want to share access to.
3. Go to "Users and Access." Click on the menu button in the top-right corner and select "Business Profile settings."
4. Invite the new user. A new pop-up window will appear. Enter the agency's email address and then choose the access role - choose "Manager" from the drop-down menu next to it. When finished, click "Invite."

The invitation will be sent to your agency so they can now manage your business listing. Until the agency accepts the invitation, their status will show as "Pending." Once accepted, their name will appear under the active list.

What an Agency Should Do with Access

Once they've been granted access, what should be happening now? Here is a small checklist of some of the activities they'll be able to perform:

• Optimization of Core Business Details: They will fine-tune business names, categories, services, add local-related keywords to business descriptions, and make sure hours are accurately represented.
• Uploads of Media: Quality photos and videos are vital for attracting customers. An agency will upload images showcasing your services, products, the team, and any visual presentations of your business.
• Google Posting: This function acts like micro-blogging on your profile. Use it to announce events, offers, and share information about your services. Agencies should post regularly to keep your profile active.
• Prompt Review Responses: The agency should monitor reviews and respond to both positive and negative feedback. Engaging with customers reinforces positive experiences and addresses negative ones.
• Answering Q&A: Google has a Questions and Answers section where customers can ask questions about your business. Agencies should proactively manage and provide correct information there.
• Monitoring Insights and Reports: They will keep an eye on your profile's performance, providing you with insights into how your business is viewed and interacted with.

When working with an agency, a proactive approach is important to ensure that your business profile is optimized and maintained effectively.

How to Remove an Agency's Access

If you need to remove an agency's access, the process is simple. Go to your business profile settings, find the user you want to remove, and click "Remove." This will revoke their access immediately.

Regularly reviewing and updating user access is a good practice to ensure that only the necessary people have control over your business profile.