You are trying to claim your business profile on Google Maps or Google Search and you came across this message: “This Business Profile has already been claimed”… You are probably thinking “someone claimed my business on Google”

Or perhaps you lost your Google login details.

Note: If you are just starting claiming your business profile on Google and you didn’t come across this message check this guide instead “How to Add a Business to Google“.

What to Do When Someone Else Claimed Your Business on Google

If you know/found the person that claimed your Google Business Profile follow these steps. 

Otherwise, you use the steps below, starting by choosing your business profile type.

If after reading this in-depth guide, you need further help please do not hesitate to contact me through a Local SEO & Google Business Profile Consultancy Service.

Choose your business profile type:

There are different steps for businesses with a physical location and businesses without a physical location but service customers face to face at their location.

• Storefront or Hybrid Business – businesses with a physical location

• Service Area Business -businesses without a physical location but service customers face to face at their location

How To Claim A Business On Google That Is Already Claimed

1. Go to business.google.com/add
2. Enter the name, then choose it from the search results. 
   • Pro Tip: if many profiles appear and you cannot see yours, after the business name, add your business address/postal code
3. You will see a message to inform you that the listing has already been claimed and verified, as well as a hint to the email address which was used to do this.
4. Click Request access and fill out the form.
5. Click Submit.

Step by Step Screenshot (click on the image to enlarge)

Go now to What Happens Next section»

How to Claim a Service Area Business When Someone Else Claimed Your Business on Google

1. Go to Google Search and search for the Business Profile
2. Click on the “Own this business” link (if you do not see this link check notes)
3. In the next screen, enter the business name and click “Next”
   • Note as the listing is verified and it’s a service area business, you normally don’t get the existing listing in the drop-down
4. Go through the normal add your business to Google Setup
5. After you click on “Finish”, Google will ask you “Please enter your mailing address to verify”.
6. After you receive the verification code(enter the code steps) and your profile is verified, you will get the “Owner conflict” box that indicates the location is a duplicate.
7. Click Request access and fill out the form.
8. Click Submit.

Step by Step Screenshot (click on the images to enlarge)

Go now to What Happens Next section»

Notes

If you do not see the “Own this business” link check the following:

• Are you using Google Maps or Google Search? You will have to use Google Search
• by any chance the profile was suspended? As a soft suspension (but not an account suspension) allows the profile to show but the owner has not requested reinstatement, hence “own this profile” is not available, avoiding bypassing the suspension issue
• Part of Large Chain/Known Brand

What happens Next 

After you submit your request, the current profile owner will receive an email with your request and you will receive a request confirmation.

If you click on “View request “, you will be presented with this page:

The current owner has up to 3 or 7 days to respond, that person will either:

• Approve the request
• Deny the request
• Not respond

Your request is  Approved

 You will be notified by email and will gain full access to the listing, just login into your Google My Business account.

Your Request is Denied

  You will be notified by email stating “Sorry, owner of [Business ] has rejected your request…”  as the email example below. 

As you can see in the above example, you should be able to appeal by clicking “Appeal Now”.  

If you don’t have an Appeal link on the email, you need to contact Google Support.

Important: If the owner of the listing does not grant you the access, then anything added by that owner will not transfer with the listing, including photos and review responses, if access is gained in the appeal process. But customer reviews and photos will still be attached to the listing. 

You receive No Response

It is possible you may get no response, as the previous owners don’t care anymore about the listing.

After 3 Days, you may have the option to claim the listing yourself. Just go back to the confirmation email you received and click on “View request”:

If you are not able to get the verify/claim button, you need to contact Google Support.

You know the person that claimed your Google Business Profile

If they confirmed they have claimed it, now you should ask if they still have access to the Google Business Profile account.

If they have it, great! As it will be a much easier process, they only need transfer the ownership.