If you own a business, you know how important a Google My Business listing can be. It's an easy way to get noticed by potential customers, and it can help your business show up higher in search results.
However, if someone else has claimed ownership of your GMB listing, then this can be frustrating. Especially if you want to update the information or photos on it. Luckily there's a simple way to reclaim ownership of your listing and make sure that no one else can make changes without your permission. This article will walk through how to do this.
If your Google My Business listing is not showing up, you might wonder who raised the ownership request of my GMB. If you don't have a verified badge on your Google My Business page and see that someone else is claiming to be the same business as yours, chances are high that someone has taken over your listing.
The next red flag is when you discover that the phone number listed for your business doesn't match what appears on its website or in any other sources online. Also, if an address is listed but needs to be more accurate to where you conduct business, this could indicate foul play.
According to Front Page SEO, 72% of local businesses claimed their Google Business profile in 2022. While you can claim ownership of your Google My Business listing if you are the business owner, it is possible to do so even if you are neither. If a person who can prove that they have control over the content for the page fills out and submits the form, they can take control.
If someone else is using your business's information without permission, then Google will only let them continue to use it if they provide proof that they own or work for the company in question. You'll need some way of proving this before claiming ownership over your listing again.
Google My Business listings are generally found in the local section of Google's search results. To locate your listing, enter your business name or address into the search bar and click on the link at the top of the results list. It will take you to a page where you can claim ownership over this Google My Business listing.
If, after repeatedly searching for your business name and city combination, you still need help finding it listed in either a paid or organic result set, contact [email protected] for further assistance.
When you click "Request Access," Google will ask you to provide your name, email, and mobile number. You'll then receive an email with directions for verifying your ownership of the business listing.
Once verified as an owner, users can manage their listings on their own without needing permission from another person. You can see who has access rights or leave comments on others' posts when they have questions about them.
Verify ownership of your Google My Business listing using one of the methods below.
After you have reclaimed your Google My Business listing, you can see who has been managing the page. It will also show their email address if they've provided it. You can contact this person and ask for more information about the page if necessary.
Because there are now a wider variety of identity theft techniques, identity theft cases are at an all-time high. There is an increase in straightforward techniques like conventional identity theft. This is also an increase in more complex synthetic identity theft. According to experts, there is a new identity theft case every 22 seconds.
Since this has happened to you, your Google My Business listing could be in better shape. To prevent this from happening again and regain control of your business's online presence, here are some tips for taking action:
Scammers are always looking for ways to steal money from unsuspecting victims. Scams can be perpetrated in various ways, but the most common scam is when scammers impersonate you. They then use your name or company name as part of a fraudulent transaction. It can be done in person, over the phone, or through email.
Google My Business (GMB) is a valuable tool for businesses. However, it can also be a target for scammers looking to impersonate you and trick people into giving them money. Understand how GMB works and what security measures GMB implements. Then, you'll be better prepared when dealing with potential scams related to this platform.
So, we've covered a lot of ground here. You now know how to reclaim ownership of your Google My Business listing and how to fix the problems that might have caused you to lose it in the first place. There are many other reasons why this could happen, but they fall into one of these two categories.
