How to Share Access to Your Google My Business Account:
A Step-by-Step Guide
Managing your Google My Business (GMB) profile is crucial for local SEO and improving your visibility in Google Search and Maps. Whether you’re working with a team, a digital marketing agency, or a freelancer, sharing access to your GMB account can streamline management and help ensure your business information stays accurate and up-to-date.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to share access to your Google My Business account securely, ensuring that only trusted individuals or organizations can make changes to your business listing.
Why Share Access to Your Google My Business Account?
Sharing access to your GMB account allows you to collaborate with others to manage your listing effectively. Here are some common reasons to share access:
- Collaboration: Allow your marketing team, SEO specialists, or designers to manage your profile and update business details, posts, and photos.
- Agencies or Freelancers: Share your GMB account with external agencies or contractors to improve local SEO or run Google Ads campaigns.
- Multiple Locations: If you have multiple business locations, you may need to give access to different team members for each location.
By granting access, you maintain control over your business listing while enabling others to help improve its performance.
How to Share Access to Your Google My Business Account
Step 1: Sign in to Google My Business
- Go to Google My Business here and sign in using the Google account that currently manages your business listing.
Step 2: Open the Location You Want to Share
If you manage multiple locations, select the specific business or location from your GMB dashboard that you want to share access to.
Click on “3 dots as shown on the screenshot below:
Step 3: Navigate to the “Business Profile Settings” Section
- In the right-hand menu, click on “Business Profile Settings”. This will take you to the list of individuals who currently have access to your Google My Business account.
- You’ll see options to Manage Users here. To add someone new, click the “+” button in the upper-right corner.
Step 4: Add a New User
- In the pop-up window, press “People and Access” of the person you wish to add. This should be a Google account (i.e., someone with a Gmail address or a Google Workspace email).
Step 5: Assign the Appropriate Role
Google My Business offers several different access levels, each providing different permissions:
- Owner: Full control over all aspects of the listing. Owners can manage users, edit business information, respond to reviews, and more.
- Manager: Managers can edit business details, update posts and photos, and respond to reviews, but they cannot remove owners or manage user access.
- Site Manager: Site managers can perform most tasks on the GMB profile but have limited access compared to Managers. They cannot add or remove users or change sensitive settings.
Choose the appropriate role based on what you want the user to be able to do. If they need complete control, assign them as an Owner. If they only need to make updates, assign them as a Manager.
Step 6: Send the Invitation
Once you’ve selected the appropriate role, click Invite. The recipient will receive an email with instructions on how to access your GMB account.
Step 7: User Accepts the Invitation
The user must accept the invitation to gain access to your Google My Business account. Once they accept, they will be able to manage your business listing based on the role you’ve assigned to them.
Step 8: Review and Manage Users
At any time, you can return to the Users section in your GMB dashboard to review who has access to your listing. You can change a user’s role or remove their access if needed.
Troubleshooting: What If You Can’t Add a User?
If you’re unable to add a user to your Google My Business account, it might be because Google restricts access to certain email domains. For example, if you want to invite someone with the email supportATjetrank.com, but you’re receiving an error, you’ll need to allow the domain jetrank.com in your Google My Business account settings.
To allow a domain:
- Go to Settings in your Google My Business dashboard.
- Under Account Settings, look for the “Allow access from users with specific email domains” option.
- Add the domain name (e.g., jetrank.com) to the list of approved domains.
- Retry adding the user with the domain-specific email.
Best Practices for Sharing GMB Access
1. Grant Minimum Permissions
Only provide the necessary access for each user. If someone only needs to update photos or respond to reviews, assign them a Manager role instead of an Owner role to limit their access to sensitive settings.
2. Review User Access Regularly
Periodically review who has access to your Google My Business account and remove anyone who no longer needs it. This helps ensure your listing remains secure.
3. Monitor Activity
Regularly check your GMB account for changes or updates, especially if you’ve given access to external users like an agency or freelancer. Keeping an eye on your listing will help ensure it remains accurate and that no unauthorized changes are made.
4. Use Two-Factor Authentication
To enhance the security of your Google account, enable two-factor authentication (2FA). This adds an extra layer of protection, requiring users to verify their identity before accessing your GMB profile.
Conclusion
Sharing access to your Google My Business (GMB) account is an essential step in collaborating with others to manage and optimize your business listing. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can securely share access with team members, contractors, or agencies and improve your business’s online presence.
Remember to assign the appropriate role for each user and follow security best practices to protect your GMB profile from unauthorized access.
By carefully managing who has access to your Google My Business account, you can ensure your business stays visible, accurate, and competitive in local search results.
