Granting access to your Google Business Profile is an essential element of managing your listing. This allows you to collaborate effectively with agencies or colleagues while retaining full control over your account. Check out how to do it step by step, avoiding mistakes and ensuring the security of your data!
What are the permission levels in Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)?
To manage your Google Business Profile effectively, you need to understand the available roles and permission levels. Google currently offers 3 types of users, each with a different scope of functions and tasks – primary owner, owner, and manager.
Primary Owner and Owner
The primary owner and owner are roles with full access to all of the listing’s features. A person with this level of access can:
- Manage listing data (e.g., name, opening hours, photos),
- Add and remove other users,
- Delete the listing or transfer ownership.
What is the difference between the primary owner and the owner? The key distinction is that there can only be 1 primary owner per listing. A person with this permission cannot remove themselves from the business listing until they transfer the primary owner’s privileges to another user. This is simply a user with the highest level of access, ensuring the continuity of the listing.
An owner is responsible for all activities on the Google Profile, so this role should be held only by individuals directly connected with the business, such as business owners or top managers. The primary owner role should be filled, for example, by the business owner or those managing the company.
Manager
A manager has a slightly more limited scope of actions compared to an owner, but can still:
- Edit information in the Profile,
- Respond to customer reviews,
- Manage user inquiries.
However, a manager does not have permissions to add or remove users, or transfer ownership.
What level of permission should be granted to a marketing agency for your Google Business Profile?
Granting access to a marketing agency is a step that influences the effectiveness of their actions and the security of your company’s listing on Google. The primary owner role provides full control, including the ability to remove users or transfer ownership of the Profile. Therefore, handing over such permissions to an external entity like a marketing agency can be risky, especially in the event of ending the cooperation. The best choice is to grant the agency the role of a “regular” owner or possibly a manager. This ensures that your company retains full control over the most important aspects of your Google listing.
How to grant access to a single GBP listing (formerly Google My Business)?
If you are working with a marketing agency or wish to grant access to your listing to one of your employees, you can do so in a few simple steps.
- Log in to your Google account.
Google has simplified the management of the Business Profile by eliminating the separate page or service – now all features, including permission granting, are available in Google Search and Google Maps. You can also use the link: https://www.google.com/intl/pl_pl/business/, which will take you to business management after logging in. Alternatively, just type “moja firma” (“my business”) into the search engine and go to manage the Profile.
- From your browser, click the three dots located on the right side and select Business Profile Settings:
3. Go to the Users and Access section.
4. Click the Add button.
Enter the correct email address of the person to whom you want to grant access to manage your Google Business Profile and select the appropriate role for them (remember that they must be associated with a Google account). Then click the Invite button.
Most Common Mistakes When Granting Permissions to Individual Business Profiles
When assigning permissions in a Google Business Profile, it’s easy to make small mistakes that can affect the security and efficiency of managing your business listing. The most common issues include:
- Invalid email: Make sure you enter the correct email address associated with a Google account.
- Invitation not accepted: If the invited user does not accept the invitation within a few days, it might be necessary to resend it.
- Missing invitation acceptance email: Due to technical reasons, emails with the invitation acceptance may not be delivered by Google. In that case, you should contact support.
- Accidental selection of the role: Carefully choose the appropriate permission level.
How to Grant Access to a Group of Business Profiles
To effectively manage multiple Google Business Profiles, it is worthwhile to use the business groups feature. This feature allows you to assign a set of locations to one group, making it easier to manage them collectively and share permissions with other users.
How to Add Users to a Business Group
- Log in to the Business Profile Manager.
- Select the appropriate business group from the list. If you don’t have one yet, click the Create group button, and then enter the group name.
3. Go to the Group Settings section.
4. Click the Manage Users button.
5. Click the Add Users button.
6. Enter the email address of the person you want to add and choose the appropriate role of Owner or Manager.
- Click Invite.
The new user will receive an invitation that must be accepted to gain access to the business group. With this solution, you can effectively collaborate with your team by delegating the appropriate permissions to manage multiple locations of your company.
Most common issues regarding access to the Google Business Profile group
When granting permissions in the Google Business Profile, mistakes can occur that may hinder collaboration or compromise the security of the Profile. This primarily applies to:
- Non-existent location groups: If your listings are not yet grouped, start by organizing them into groups in the Google Business Profile panel. We described above how to do this.
- Invisible user management option: Make sure you have the owner role to be able to add users to the listings groups.
Managing Permissions in Google Business Profile – Useful Tips
Managing permissions in Google Business Profile requires attention to security and the currency of access. A responsible approach to granting and revoking permissions helps avoid potential problems related to unauthorized changes to your listing. Below are some useful tips:
- Regularly verify users – Periodically check the list of people with access to the Profile to ensure that all users are still authorized to manage the listing.
- Remove access after termination of cooperation – After ending cooperation with an employee, marketing agency, or business partner, remember to immediately remove their permissions to the Profile.
- Assign permissions according to needs – Not every person requires full access. Assign roles tailored to their responsibilities.
- Monitor activities – Stay alert to changes in the Profile, such as updates to company information or responses to reviews. Any unauthorized modification should be clarified immediately.
- Change your password and enable two-step verification – If you have concerns about your account’s security, change your password and enable two-step verification.
Adhering to these practices will help you maintain full control over your Google Business Profile and avoid unwanted changes that could affect your company’s image.
Granting Permissions for the Google Business Profile – Summary
Assigning permissions to the Google Business Profile is key to effectively managing your listing. Owners should maintain full control and ownership of the Profile. Regularly monitoring users and their activities ensures the safety of the Profile, so remember to periodically verify who has access to it.
