Google Business Profile Roles – Things to Know When Sharing Access

Managing your business’s online presence is essential for driving traffic and engaging with customers. One of the most critical aspects is your Google Business Profile (GBP). Whether you’re responding to reviews, uploading photos, or updating business details, effectively managing access to your profile ensures security and operational efficiency.

In this article, we’ll explore the types of roles available on Google Business Profiles, their differences, and how to assign them effectively.

Understanding Google Business Profile Roles

Google allows businesses to assign specific roles to team members, granting different levels of access to the Google Business Profile Managers. These roles ensure tasks are divided efficiently while protecting sensitive business information.

Owner Role

The Owner role provides the highest level of access, allowing them to remove profiles, manage users and permissions, edit business details, update visuals, create posts, respond to reviews, manage services and bookings, accept Google updates, link profiles to Google Ads, download insights, and oversee location closures or groups. 

While each profile can have multiple Owners, only one can be designated as the Primary Owner, who has the same capabilities as other Owners, but cannot remove themselves until transferring ownership to another user. 

Manager Role

The Manager role is ideal for team members who handle day-to-day operations like updating photos, creating posts, and responding to reviews. Managers have most of the capabilities of Owners but cannot remove the Business Profile or manage user access.

For a clearer comparison, the summary chart below visually outlines the different capabilities of each user type:

Capability	Owner	Manager
Add and remove users	✔
Remove Business Profiles	✔
Edit all URLs	✔	✔
Accept all Google updates	✔	✔
Opt in or out of Bookings	✔	✔
Update certain location settings: – Edit the name, category, or website on a location; – Close a location; – Create location groups	✔	✔
Manage Business Profile directly on Search and Maps	✔	✔
Manage Google Ads account links	✔	✔
Use Messaging	✔	✔
Add custom labels to make it easy to find particular groups of locations	✔	✔
Edit attributes	✔	✔
Edit food delivery link	✔	✔
Edit some main business info, like hours and address	✔	✔
Edit phone number	✔	✔
Edit services	✔	✔
Create, manage, and publish posts	✔	✔
Add, delete, and edit cover photos and additional photos	✔	✔
Add, delete, and edit logos	✔	✔
Add, delete, and edit product	✔	✔
Respond to reviews	✔	✔
Download insights	✔	✔
Respond to Q&A	✔	✔

How to Obtain Ownership of a Business Profile on Google?

Before you can assign roles, you need to have ownership of the Google Business Profile. Here’s how:

If the Business Is Not Listed on Google: Create a new Business Profile and complete the verification process to establish ownership. Use the “Start Building Your Business Profile” feature to set it up.

If the Business Is Listed but Unclaimed: Submit a claim request via your preferred Google account by clicking on the “Claim this business” button on Google Maps or “Own this business?” on the relevant Knowledge Graph panel on Google Search.

If the Profile Is Managed by Someone Else: Request ownership from the current profile owner by using the “Request Access” button found on the business profile. Once the ownership request is submitted, the current profile owner has 3 days to respond. 

If approved: You’ll receive an email confirmation and gain access.
If denied: You’ll be notified and can appeal or suggest edits to the profile.
If not actioned: After 3 days, you can claim the profile yourself via the initial confirmation email.

How to Assign Owners and Managers?

Once you’ve established ownership, follow these steps to add users to your Google Business Profile:

1. Sign In: Sign in to the Google account with ownership rights to the particular Google business profile.

2. Access the Google Business Profile Manager: Navigate to the Google Business Profile Manager or search for your business on Google and click the “Manage this Business” option.

3. Open Settings: Access the Settings Menu in the dashboard by clicking on the dots icon, located next to the “Profile Strength” metric and select “Business Profile settings”.

4. Add a New User: Through “Business Profile Settings” click the “Add Users” option and enter the email address of the user you want to add.

5. Assign a Role: Choose the relevant role – Owner or Manager, ensuring the selected role matches the user’s responsibilities.

6. Send an Invitation: Click “Invite” to send the invitation. The user must accept the invitation received via email to gain access.

7. Manage Roles: You can return to the “People and access” section anytime to modify roles, remove users, or monitor access.

Pro Tip: Always ensure the selected role matches the team member’s responsibilities.

Why Assigning the Right Role Matters?

Assigning appropriate roles ensures your profile remains secure, organised, and managed effectively. 

Security: Limiting access prevents unauthorised changes.
Task Management: Roles aligned with responsibilities reduce confusion and streamline operations.
Control: Maintaining ownership control ensures significant changes, like transferring ownership, are managed responsibly.

Best Practices for Managing Google Business Profile Roles

Limit the Number of Owners: Having multiple owners increases the risk of unwanted changes to your business profile. Keep the number of owners to a minimum to maintain control.

Review Permissions Regularly: As team members change roles or leave the company, it’s important to review who has access to your Google Business Profile and adjust permissions accordingly. When was the last time you reviewed your access roles?

Communicate Clear Responsibilities: Ensure that your team members understand their roles and the limitations of their access. This reduces confusion and ensures that everyone knows their specific tasks.

Monitor Profile Activity: Even if you assign managers to help with day-to-day tasks, regularly check the profile for updates, changes, and insights. This helps keep your business profile in check and aligned with your brand.

Conclusion

Understanding and effectively managing Google Business Profile roles is essential for safeguarding your online presence while enabling your team to handle daily tasks efficiently. Whether assigning Owners or Managers, make sure roles are aligned with each team member’s responsibilities. 

Take control of your Google Business Profile today! By assigning roles wisely, you’ll ensure your business information on Google remains secure, accurate, and optimised to attract and engage more customers.