Until your Google Business Profile is claimed and verified, you control nothing — not your hours, not your photos, not your review replies. Worse, anyone can suggest edits to your listing, and Google may display information that's out of date or flat-out wrong. Claiming and verifying is how you take back the keys. Budget 20 minutes to start the process; verification itself can be instant or take a few days depending on the method Google offers you.
Step 1 — Find your listing
Search your business name (plus your city) on Google. If a listing already exists — they're often generated automatically from map data, old directories, or customer check-ins — you'll see an "Own this business?" or "Claim this business" link on the profile. Click it.
If nothing comes up at all, head to google.com/business and create the listing from scratch. Enter your exact business name, category, and address as they appear on your storefront and website. Consistency matters here: the name, address, and phone number (your "NAP") should match everywhere they appear online, because Google cross-checks them.
Step 2 — Claim it
Click "Claim" or "Manage now" and sign in with the Google account that will serve as the owner account. Choose this account carefully — it's the one that holds the profile long-term. A few pointers:
- Use a business account (e.g., you@yourbusiness.com), not a personal Gmail tied to one employee.
- If someone else may have already claimed it — a former manager, an agency, a well-meaning franchisee — Google will tell you the listing is taken and let you request access. Send the request and follow up; the current owner has up to seven days to respond before you can escalate.
Step 3 — Verify it
Google needs to confirm you really are the business. You don't choose the method — Google offers whichever ones fit your category and location:
- Video — record a single continuous clip showing your signage, your location (inside and out), and proof you manage it (keys, back office, branded equipment). This is the most common method in 2026.
- Phone / text — a code sent to your listed business line.
- Postcard — a mailed card with a code; the slowest option, often 5–14 days.
- Email — available for certain categories only.
Follow the instructions to the letter. An incomplete or edited video is the number-one reason verifications get rejected. For video specifically: don't cut or pause, show a street sign or neighboring business to prove the location is real, and film in daylight if you can.
Common mistakes that get verifications rejected
- Recording the video at home or in a car instead of at the business.
- A business name that doesn't match the signage on screen.
- A service-area business trying to verify with a residential address it also lists publicly.
- Submitting, getting rejected, then resubmitting the exact same footage. Read the rejection reason and fix the specific gap.
Step 4 — Secure and complete it
Once verified, add a backup owner or manager so you're never locked out if one account is lost. Then fill out every field — hours, services, attributes, description, and photos — and turn on notifications so you're alerted the moment a review or question lands. A profile that's 100% complete both ranks better and converts more of the people who find it.
What comes next?
A verified profile is the foundation. The next step is filling it out and feeding it reviews (see our optimization guide). A review plate set on your counter the day you verify — also known as a review card, stand, or sign — starts that review flow immediately: customers tap their phone or scan the QR code and land straight on your Google review page.
Bottom line: claim with the right account, nail the verification (usually video), then lock down access with a backup manager. Without a verified profile, no optimization is even possible.