It can be very worrying to find out that the Google+ page (also known as Google My Business page, Google Places…the list goes on) for your business has been claimed and verified by someone else. Usually, it has been claimed by a marketing agency or an employee that no longer works there or has forgotten what account they left it in. But don’t panic, there is a way to get it back.
1. Sign into your Google My Business account. If you do not have an account already, click here to create one .
2. Now you need to follow the steps to create a new listing (bear with me here). If you don’t already have a listing, you should see a page asking you to choose a business type. Go ahead and click ‘storefront business’.
If you already have a page in your account, you will need to find the little ‘+’ icon in the bottom right-hand corner and click ‘add location’.
3. It should show a form allowing you to enter all of your business details. Once you fill them all in and click ‘next’, it should show you a box in the top left-hand corner saying it has found a similar listing.
If it is the listing for your business, click on it.
If someone has already claimed and verified your listing, it will then show a message like the one below:
4. Google has recently introduced the email hint, which has become very useful for businesses who have forgotten where they left it. If you do recognise the email, try to access that account before following this process as it can save a lot of time and effort.
5. You will then be asked to fill in a short form. Once sent, Google will notify the original owner that you are trying to gain access to the page and will provide them with your name and contact details to see if they recognise you.
Google will also send you an email to let you know they are dealing with the issue.
Keep this email safe as you may need it in a few days.
An example of the form is below:
6. If the owner does not reply within 7 days, you can reply to that email (the one I said to keep safe) and a member of GMB support team will get in touch. Google will then release the page so that you can claim it.
7. Unfortunately, Google tends to un-verify the page so you will have to request a postcard to get it verified again.
(This used to be a huge issue as the postcard would take up to 4 weeks to arrive. It seems that they have improved this recently as it only takes a few days.)
8. Once you receive the postcard and enter your pin online to verify the page, you should be all good to go.
I wish you all the best in gaining control of your listing. If you do need any more assistance such as showing Google+ reviews in organic, local and PPC results, just give me a shout or drop a comment below. However, if you feel that you have mastered how to claim ownership of your Google+ business page then check out our blog to find out how you can gain some great SEO tips on how you can improve your SEO in just 30 days!
