Discovering that someone else controls your store’s Google Business Profile can be alarming because the profile may contain years of reviews, photos, local rankings, directions, customer questions, and other information tied directly to the business. The current owner could be a former employee, previous marketing agency, former business owner, old company account, or even an unknown Google Account that claimed the listing years earlier. The correct response is usually not to create another profile. Google provides an ownership-request process specifically for businesses that find an existing verified profile controlled by someone else.
Google’s current Business Profile guidance states that an authorized business owner can request ownership from the person who currently controls a verified profile. For a storefront or hybrid business, the request can be initiated by finding the business through Google’s profile-add process, selecting the existing listing, and choosing Request Access when Google indicates that someone else may manage the profile. This process is important because keeping the established profile preserves the business’s existing presence instead of creating an unnecessary duplicate.
First Confirm That You Do Not Already Have Access
Before beginning an ownership dispute, make sure the correct Google Account is signed in. Businesses sometimes believe they have lost a profile when the listing is actually connected to another company-controlled Google Account or an older email address that someone on the team still has access to.
Search for the business while signed in to the accounts most likely to have been used historically. If Google indicates that you manage the Business Profile, the problem may simply be identifying the correct login. If the relevant account password or username was forgotten, Google recommends using its account recovery process rather than immediately treating the listing as being owned by an unrelated party.
For businesses with several managers, maintaining an internal record of profile ownership can prevent this confusion. The store should know which company-controlled account is the primary owner and which employees, agencies, or consultants have secondary access.
Do Not Create Another Profile for the Same Store
Creating a new listing may look like the fastest solution when the existing profile cannot be accessed, but it can introduce duplicate-profile problems. Google says businesses should generally have only one Business Profile for each eligible business. Multiple profiles for the same business can mislead customers, and a profile identified as a duplicate may not show on Google Search or Maps.
A duplicate also divides operational attention. Reviews may continue appearing on the original listing, customers may see inconsistent opening hours, and the two profiles can contain different addresses, phone numbers, or photographs. Local SEO work then becomes focused on repairing duplication rather than strengthening the established profile.
For a store with an existing profile, recover ownership of that profile wherever possible.
How to Request Ownership of a Storefront Business Profile
Google’s current ownership process for storefront and hybrid businesses begins at business.google.com/add. Search for the business by name and address and select the correct profile from the results. When Google identifies the listing as already managed, it can display a message indicating that someone else may manage the Business Profile. An authorized representative can then choose Request Access, complete the form, and submit the ownership request.
The information submitted should accurately identify the person requesting access and their relationship with the business. Do not pretend to be an employee or owner if you are not authorized to manage the profile. Agencies performing local SEO should coordinate directly with the actual business owner rather than trying to take ownership independently.
Once submitted, Google sends a confirmation email to the requester and notifies the current profile owner.
The Current Owner Has Three Days to Respond
Google currently gives the existing Business Profile owner three days to respond to an ownership request. The request can be approved, denied, or left unanswered.
If it is approved, the requester receives an approval notification and can begin managing the Business Profile according to the access provided. At that point, review the existing user list and make sure the ownership structure reflects the needs of the business.
If the request is denied, Google says the requester may still be able to appeal the denial and can also suggest edits to incorrect business information. A denial does not mean the business should immediately create another listing.
If the current owner does not respond within three days, Google may provide an option to claim and verify the profile. Google makes an important qualification here: the option to claim the profile after no response is not always available.
This is why the original confirmation email should be kept. It provides a way to check the request status and, when available, proceed with the next ownership or verification step.
What if a Former Employee Controls the Profile?
Former employees are a common source of Business Profile access problems because a listing may have been created years earlier using an employee’s personal Google Account. When that employee leaves, the business can suddenly discover that nobody remaining on staff has sufficient ownership privileges.
If communication with the former employee is still possible, the cleanest solution is usually for them to transfer appropriate ownership to a company-controlled account. Google’s security guidance specifically recommends removing ex-employees from Business Profile access when they no longer work for the company.
If the former employee cannot be reached or refuses to cooperate, use Google’s formal ownership-request process. The business should not leave an important local asset under permanent control of someone who no longer represents the company.
After access has been recovered, change the ownership structure so that this problem cannot happen again. A stable company-controlled Google Account should retain ownership, while employees receive manager or owner access only when their responsibilities genuinely require it.
What if a Previous Agency Controls the Profile?
The same principle applies to agencies and local SEO providers. A marketing company may have created or verified the Business Profile on behalf of the store and remained the owner after the commercial relationship ended.
Google’s guidelines for authorized representatives are clear that representatives should work directly with the business owner, keep the owner informed about profile actions, and transfer ownership to the business owner immediately upon request. Google also encourages authorized representatives to have the business owner create an account, own the profile, and add representatives as managers whenever possible.
If the former agency cooperates, ask it to transfer ownership rather than deleting the profile or removing important business information. If it does not cooperate, submit the formal ownership request and retain documentation showing your authority to represent the business if additional verification is required.
For future agency relationships, the business should own its core assets while giving the agency enough access to perform the agreed work. The website domain, analytics, Search Console, advertising accounts, and Google Maps presence should not become inaccessible every time a vendor relationship changes.
What if You Do Not Recognize the Current Owner?
Sometimes Google indicates that another account manages the profile, but the business owner does not recognize who that person is. The current owner’s full account information is not necessarily exposed to the requester, which is appropriate from a privacy perspective, so the business may not immediately know whether the profile belongs to a former staff member, previous vendor, or another authorized person.
Follow the ownership-request process rather than attempting to identify or contact the unknown account through unofficial means. Google will notify the current owner and provide the established response process. If no response is received after the allowed period and a claim option becomes available, follow the verification instructions Google provides.
At the same time, review the company’s own records. Search old emails for Business Profile notifications, marketing-agency correspondence, verification messages, or Google account invitations. The unknown account may turn out to belong to someone who legitimately managed the listing several years earlier.
What if the Business Changed Owners?
A store can change ownership without necessarily becoming a completely different business. In that situation, the transfer of Google Business Profile control should be handled as part of the business transition.
The previous business owner should transfer the profile appropriately when the same business continues operating. If the company has fundamentally changed its identity, name, business model, or eligibility, the situation may require additional evaluation rather than automatically repurposing an unrelated listing.
The important point is not to change the established Business Profile into a different business solely to keep its reviews or rankings. The profile should continue representing the real-world business accurately.
When purchasing or taking over a store, Business Profile access should be treated like control of the website domain, phone number, customer database, and other digital assets. It should be documented before the business transition is considered complete.
Service-Area Businesses Have a Different Ownership Process
Google’s current ownership guidance distinguishes service-area businesses from normal storefront or hybrid profiles. For a service-area business that serves customers at their locations and does not operate a public storefront, Google directs ownership-transfer requests through support using the issue description for transferring ownership of the listing.
This distinction matters because a business should not attempt to force a service-area profile through instructions written specifically for a customer-facing store location.
The ownership process should always match the actual business model represented by the profile.
Once You Regain Access, Review Every Existing User
Recovering ownership solves the immediate problem, but the job is not finished. Review every person and account that still has access to the profile.
Google recommends restricting Business Profile access to essential owners and managers because reducing the number of people with access lowers the likelihood of unauthorized changes or compromise. Google specifically advises removing former employees who no longer work for the business and exercising caution when granting owner access because owners can edit and transfer ownership.
Do not remove legitimate owners without understanding the consequences, but make sure every remaining user still has a valid business reason for access.
A good structure gives the business itself durable ownership and uses manager access for people responsible for routine updates, reviews, posts, and other profile management.
Check the Profile for Unauthorized Changes
After regaining control, review the listing carefully rather than assuming the information remained accurate while another party controlled it. Check the business name, primary and additional categories, address, phone number, website, opening hours, service areas, business description, photos, and other important information.
Look particularly closely at changes that could affect customers. An outdated phone number may be sending calls elsewhere. An old website could lead visitors to an inactive domain. Incorrect opening hours can cause customers to arrive when the store is closed.
Also review whether Google has applied any updates of its own. Google explains that profile information can be changed using information from user reports and other available sources. Restoring ownership does not automatically restore every field to the information the business currently wants displayed.
Protect the Business Profile Going Forward
The strongest long-term solution is preventing single-account dependency.
Use an appropriate company-controlled Google Account as part of the ownership structure. Add only necessary employees and agencies. Remove access promptly when someone leaves. Document which account owns the profile, and make profile access part of employee and vendor offboarding.
Google also recommends using care when accepting new ownership or management requests because unexpected access requests can be part of attempts to gain control of a profile.
For a business investing in rug marketing, ownership security should be considered part of local marketing operations. Reviews, rankings, customer directions, photos, and local discovery can represent years of accumulated business value. Access to that asset should be managed accordingly.
Final Thoughts
When someone else controls your store’s Google Business Profile, the solution is usually to recover the established profile rather than create another listing. First confirm that the correct Google Account is being used and that nobody inside the company already has access. If another person genuinely owns the verified profile, submit Google’s ownership request and allow the current owner the three-day response period.
If the request is approved, regain management and review the profile’s user access immediately. If the request is denied, use the appeal options available rather than creating a duplicate. If there is no response, check the original confirmation email because Google may provide an option to claim and verify the listing, although Google notes that this option is not guaranteed in every case.
Former employees and agencies should not remain the only owners of a business’s local presence. Once access is restored, place durable ownership under the business’s control, remove unnecessary users, verify all customer-facing information, and document who is responsible for managing the profile.
The goal is not merely to regain access today. It is to make sure the business cannot lose control of the same profile again when an employee leaves, an agency contract ends, or another management change occurs.
FAQs
What should I do if someone else owns my Google Business Profile?
Use Google’s Request Access process for the existing verified Business Profile rather than creating a new listing.
How long does the current owner have to respond?
Google currently gives the existing owner three days to respond to the ownership request.
What happens if the current owner does not respond?
After three days, you may receive an option to claim and verify the profile yourself, although Google says this option is not always available.
What if my ownership request is denied?
Google says you may be able to appeal the denied request, and you can still suggest corrections to inaccurate business information.
Should I create another Business Profile while waiting?
No. Google generally allows only one profile for each business, and duplicate profiles may not appear on Search or Maps.
What if a former marketing agency owns my profile?
Ask the agency to transfer ownership to the business. Google’s authorized-representative guidance says representatives should transfer Business Profile ownership to the business owner upon request.
Should former employees keep access to the profile?
No, unless there is a genuine ongoing business reason. Google recommends removing ex-employees who no longer work for the business.
How can I prevent this problem in the future?
Keep appropriate ownership under a company-controlled account, limit access to necessary users, remove former employees and vendors promptly, and maintain an internal record of who owns and manages the Business Profile.