Why taking control of your Google Business Listing is essential to maintaining your organization's reputation and brand.
After seeing a local bakery’s customers get scammed by a modified Google Business listing, we felt compelled to address this issue to help business owners avoid similar pitfalls. In this case, malicious individuals edited the bakery’s listing, changing contact details to their own and luring unsuspecting customers into paying for fake orders.
Instances like this highlight how vulnerable unclaimed business profiles can be, and emphasize the importance of taking ownership of your listing to safeguard your brand and customers from fraud.
In today's digital-first world, having an online presence is no longer optional for businesses—it's essential. A significant part of that presence revolves around how your business appears in search engine results, particularly Google.
When you search for your business name and location, you may have noticed a box on the right-hand side of the search results that contains crucial information: Your business name, address, contact details, reviews, and even photos. This is your Google Business Profile, and it plays a pivotal role in how customers find and interact with your business online.
Yet, surprisingly, many business owners either overlook or fail to take full control of their Google Business listing. If you've ever come across the prompt, "Own this business?" next to your business profile, it's a call to action—and one that shouldn't be ignored.
Here's why you should take immediate ownership of your Google Business listing:
When you own your business listing, you gain the power to manage and update key details about your business.
Conversely, without claiming your profile, you run the risk of incorrect information being displayed—such as outdated hours of operation, an incorrect phone number, or even the wrong mailing address. These inaccuracies can frustrate potential customers and drive them toward competitors.
Taking control means you can ensure your profile is always up-to-date with the most accurate information, giving customers confidence that your business is reliable and professional.
Customer engagement is a critical aspect of any successful business. With an owned Google Business Profile, you can interact directly with your audience through features like Q&A, responding to reviews, and even posting updates about promotions, events, or important announcements.
Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, demonstrates that you truly care about customer feedback. This helps to build trust, shows accountability, and allows you to rectify any negative experiences in a public forum.
When people search for businesses like yours, especially from mobile devices, they're typically looking for something local. Google Business Profiles are a cornerstone of local search engine optimization (SEO). By taking control of your listing, you can optimize it with relevant keywords, categories, and services to make sure you're reaching the right audience.
Claiming your listing also helps your business appear in the Local Pack—the set of businesses featured in a map at the top of local search results. The higher you rank in this pack, the more likely you'll attract nearby customers.
Google gives preference to verified businesses. If you haven't claimed your business, you're missing out on a range of features that can enhance your visibility, such as Google Posts, booking options, and the ability to display products and services. This enhanced presence not only increases your chances of being found but also positions your business as more credible and trustworthy in the eyes of customers.
A verified and active Google Business Profile gives potential customers confidence that your business is legitimate and well-maintained. It also makes your business stand out among competitors who may not be putting as much effort into their online presence.
Owning your business listing unlocks access to valuable insights and analytics provided by Google. These insights can show you how customers are finding your business, what keywords they are using, how often they call or request directions, and even how your photos perform compared to those of your competitors.
Armed with this data, you can make informed decisions to further optimize your online presence, cater to your audience’s needs, and improve your marketing efforts.
Finally, owning your listing helps prevent unauthorized changes to your business information. Google allows users to suggest edits to business profiles, which means someone could inadvertently or maliciously alter your details. Without ownership, you won't be notified of these changes. By claiming your listing, you retain full control and can approve or reject suggested edits before they go live.
If you're ready to take ownership of your business listing, the process is straightforward:
Once you've completed this, you'll have full control over your listing and can begin optimizing it to attract more customers.
So, the next time you see "Own this business?" on your Google Business Profile, don’t ignore it. Click it, claim it, and take control of how your business is seen online.
Although the steps are pretty straightforward, we certainly understand that this task can be slightly daunting. Please know that we are always here to lend a hand. Whether it is to simply answer questions, or to do a screen share and walk you through the process step-by-step, we are more than happy to provide the assistance you need, when you need it.