How to Edit Your Profile
Google moved profile editing out of the old dashboard. You now edit your profile where customers see it: on Google Search or in the Google Maps app, signed in to the Google account that owns or manages it.
Sign in to the right Google account
The one that owns or manages the profile. If you don't see any edit options, you're probably signed in to a different account.
Find your profile
Search your business name on Google, or open the Maps app and tap Business.
Select Edit profile
Then the section you want to change: business information, hours, contact details, location or services.
Save
Google checks the change before it goes live, so it won't always show right away.
Who Can Edit: Owners and Managers
A profile can have more than one person on it: one primary owner, other owners and managers. Managers can do nearly everything an owner can, including editing information, posting updates, replying to reviews and adding photos. What they can't do is add or remove people or remove the profile.
Someone newly added has to wait seven days before they can use some features, such as removing other users.
BMo Ventures asks to be added as a manager, never as the primary owner. The profile belongs to the business, and it should stay that way whoever does the work.
What Happens After You Save
Google reviews every change against its guidelines before it shows. Its help page says edits usually take up to ten minutes to review, and sometimes up to 30 days. Each edit ends up one of three ways:
- Accepted. The change shows on your profile.
- Pending. It's still under review, and your profile marks it until it's done.
- Not approved. Google couldn't confirm the change was accurate. You may be able to appeal.
Google can also change your profile itself. If it gets reports that your information is wrong, it may update the profile and tell you. Check those updates every time. A wrong phone number or closing time costs you calls until someone notices.
Changes That Mean Verifying Again
Most edits don't touch your verification. Two can: changing your business name after it's verified, and moving to a new address. Google says either may mean verifying your business again, and a profile that isn't verified doesn't show on Maps or Search.
So plan a name change. Make it when the business has actually changed its name, not to add a service or a city. Google's guidelines say the name should be your real-world name, with no service, product or location words added.
What to Change First
Once you know how to edit, the question is what's worth editing. These are the fields that decide which searches your profile matches and whether people call once they find it.
Your primary category
The most specific one that fits: "personal injury attorney" over "lawyer." You can add more, up to ten in all, but get the primary right first.
Your services
Each service in the words customers use, so the profile reflects everything you do, not only your category.
Your hours, including holidays
Wrong hours send people to a locked door. Set special hours before every holiday.
Your description
Up to 750 characters on what you do, who you serve and where. Google doesn't allow links, prices or sales language in it.
Your photos
Real photos of your work, your team and your location. Adding photos and videos is one of Google's own tips for local ranking.
Your attributes
Details like "appointment required" or "wheelchair accessible," where they apply.
Posts are worth using when you have something to say. Google offers three kinds: updates, offers and events.
Reviews aren't something you edit, but replying to them is part of managing a profile. Google says replying shows customers you value their feedback. Never offer anything in return for a review, not even a small discount. Google bans it, and the FTC's rule on fake reviews carries civil penalties.
When You Can't Edit Your Profile
The most common problem we find isn't a locked profile. It's a profile nobody ever claimed. When a profile has been claimed, the next most common is that someone else holds it: a former agency, a contractor or a family member who set it up years ago. It's almost always a matter of nobody knowing who has access, not anyone trying to keep it. Owners run into three versions of this:
- No edit options at all. You're signed in to the wrong Google account, or nobody has given your account access. Find out who the owner is and ask to be added.
- An edit that keeps getting rejected. Google couldn't confirm it. Make sure your website, signs and other listings match what you're entering, then try again or appeal.
- A profile someone else controls. A former employee, an old agency or a relative set it up under their own account. Usually the fastest fix is asking them to add you. If you can't reach them, Google's request-ownership process sends them your request. If they don't answer within three days, Google may let you verify the business yourself, though it says that option isn't always available.
Tip
Keep the owner in the business
Make the primary owner a Google account the business controls, not a staff member's personal account or an agency's. Add everyone else as a manager.
If your profile isn't showing up at all, that's a different problem. Why your business isn't showing up on Google walks through the causes in order.
If you'd rather have it done for you, our Google Business Profile setup does it once, properly, for $750.
Common Questions
Why can't I edit my Google Business Profile?
Usually because you're signed in to a Google account that doesn't own or manage it. Check which account you're using, then ask the owner to add you. If nobody at the business has access, Google has a process for requesting ownership.
How long do Google Business Profile edits take?
Google's help page says most edits take up to ten minutes to review, and some take up to 30 days. A name change or a move can also mean verifying again.
Can more than one person manage a Google Business Profile?
Yes. A profile has one primary owner and can have more owners and managers. Managers can do almost everything except add or remove people or remove the profile.
How do I change the primary owner?
Only the current primary owner can do it, and only to someone already added as an owner or manager. It's under Business Profile settings, then People and access. Someone newly added has to wait seven days first.