The value in getting this right
- Send every customer to the correct review profile
- Keep your business information accurate and accessible
- Protect your ability to manage feedback as your team changes
Before a local business sends a customer a Google review link, it needs confidence that the destination belongs to the business, represents the right location and can be managed by the right people. That sounds administrative, but it has a direct commercial benefit. A verified Google Business Profile makes it easier for a potential customer to find reliable information, check the service is genuine and see feedback in the place where many local decisions begin. It also means the effort spent asking for reviews contributes to an asset the business controls rather than a duplicate or abandoned listing.
Why claiming the profile comes first
A review request only helps when the customer lands on the correct profile. An unclaimed or inaccurate listing can send people to an old telephone number, a former address or a profile controlled by a previous agency or employee. That creates unnecessary doubt at the exact moment someone is looking for reassurance. Claiming the profile gives the business a route to correct core details, respond to reviews and understand what prospective customers see. It also gives the team one agreed reference point for review links, opening hours and service information.
Start by searching Google for the business name and town, then search for “my business” while signed into the Google account the business intends to keep. If a profile already exists, request access rather than creating a near-identical second listing. Duplicates make customers unsure which page is real and split reviews between records. If an old agency owns the profile, use Google’s ownership-request route and document the request, date and account used. Keep that process separate from day-to-day staff access.
Build an ownership structure that survives staff changes
Give each authorised person access through their own Google account. Keep primary ownership with an appropriate person within the business, consider a trusted second owner for continuity, and record where account recovery details are held securely. Give routine users only the level of access they need. This prevents a common local-business problem: the person who created the listing leaves, and nobody can update opening times, answer a customer or verify a change. A simple ownership record should identify the primary owner, any additional owners, the person responsible for account recovery and the date access was last checked. Keep recovery details in your secure password-management system.
Do not share a personal login across the whole team. It makes accountability impossible and increases the chance that a password change breaks access. Instead, assign permissions through Google’s owner and manager controls. If an agency needs to help, retain ownership within the business and provide the agency access that can be removed later. This is not distrust; it is basic continuity. The listing is a customer-facing business asset, so the business should always be able to manage it without asking a third party for permission.
Make the public details match reality
Verification is much easier to manage when the profile already reflects the real business. Check the exact trading name, primary category, telephone number, website address and opening hours. For a customer-facing location, make sure the public address and map pin are accurate. For a service-area business that travels to customers and does not receive them at its address, use the appropriate service-area setting and hide the address from the public profile. The goal is not to add every possible keyword. It is to remove ambiguity so a customer can quickly understand who you are, what you do and how to contact you.
Use the same core information on the profile, website and customer communications. Small mismatches can make a careful customer hesitate: a different phone number, an old brand variant or a website that names another town. Create a quarterly five-minute check for these essentials, especially before seasonal opening changes or a move. The practical benefit is fewer lost enquiries and less confusion when a customer follows a review link from an email, QR code or website button.
Once your details are dependable, plan a simple choice of review channels so customers reach the right listing with less effort.
Approach verification as proof of genuine operation
Google offers the verification method available for a specific profile; businesses cannot simply choose any method they prefer. Follow the steps shown in the profile and use only official Google screens. Depending on the route offered, Google may ask for evidence that supports the location and the business’s management of it. Keep useful proof ready: access to the premises, branded vehicles or tools where relevant, a point-of-sale system, stock, business documents or a clear connection between the business and the address. Never share a verification code with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly; Google states that it will not ask for your code.
For Google’s video verification process, plan the recording before you start. Show the surrounding location only where it is appropriate, then show evidence that the business operates there and that you are authorised to manage it. A trades business might show branded equipment and secure access to a vehicle; a shop may show the entrance, signage and point of sale. Avoid filming sensitive customer information, documents with unnecessary personal data or anything that would breach privacy. Google’s verification review may take several business days, so do not promise customers an immediate change.
Only begin review activity once the journey works
After verification, test the experience from a customer’s point of view. Search the business name on a phone, open the profile and check that the website, directions, calls and review area lead where expected. Then create one Google review link using Google’s review-link instructions and keep it in a controlled place. A customer should receive a simple, neutral invitation after a completed service, not a request for a particular rating. Invite honest feedback and make it easy to contact the business directly if something needs resolving.
Finally, make profile care part of the operating routine. Check new reviews, answer useful questions, update changes promptly and bring recurring feedback into team discussions. A verified profile is not a trophy; it is a maintained trust point. When the information is accurate and feedback is handled carefully, it supports more confident local decisions and helps the business turn genuine customer experience into visible proof.
To bring the resulting feedback into your website, read our guide to using Google reviews throughout the customer journey. For the current verification options and requirements, always consult Google’s Business Profile verification guidance, because available methods can differ by business and location.
Your ready-to-request checklist
- The correct profile has been found and claimed
- Authorised owners can sign in using their own accounts
- Your name, category, contact details and location settings are accurate
- Google’s verification process is complete
- Your review link opens the right business on a phone
- Your team can invite honest feedback without asking for a particular rating