How To Edit a Google Business Listing

Make sure your Google Business listing is verified and claimed

This is probably not a shock, but Google gets all its information from the web. Because of this, it will automatically generate a Google Business listing for most public businesses. If you aren’t sure whether you have a Google Business profile, just hop onto Google Maps and do a search for your business name.

To claim your business, click on the shield with the check box to get started, as seen above.

Click on the “Manage now” button to the right to start making changes to your Google Business listing.

You can also use our Listing Management tool to create a comprehensive business profile that will then be automatically distributed to 70+ directories, including Google, Apple, and Bing.

The Listing Management tool lets you easily create a business listing that then gets distributed to 70+ directories. The tool’s main page (see above) also lets you identify duplicate listings, manage reviews, and see local rankings; you can even get a  Map Rank Tracker in the premium Listing Management tool (also available as a standalone) that allows you to track five keywords at a time on a hyper-local level.

This saves time, but it also increases your digital footprint significantly, beyond just having a Google Business listing! It takes only minutes to do, and the tool will automatically verify when your listing has been connected to a directory or when an issue in connecting to a directory arises.

Edit Google Business listing information

For a customer, there is nothing worse than confirming a business’s hours using its Business listing, only to find when they arrive at the business location that the operation hours for the store were listed incorrectly online. Or, worse, they show up to the address listed in Google, only to find you moved your physical location. 
Google also wants you to keep the details of your business current on your profile because Google exists to help customers find what they are looking for. 
If your information is as current as it can be, customers will be satisfied and less likely to report problems (users can “suggest” edits to profiles like business closures). So, it’s good SEO and business practice to get familiar with creating an update to a Google Business listing.

To update a Google Business listing, simply follow these steps:

1. Log in to Google Business Manager
2. Select (if you own multiples) the business listing you wish to edit
3. Find the element that you want to edit (examples: primary category of business and business hours) and click the pencil to begin editing that section
4. Once you have made your corrections, hit “Apply”

Google Business Manager lets you correct changes to your Google Business listing only (see above). This will not distribute important changes to other listings you have in other directories.

You should be aware that changes can take up to 60 days to be reflected in Google, which is why it is important to stay on top of your profile and make sure it remains accurate.

If this is your first time accessing this profile, you will want to make sure you have claimed it as your business and verified it by Google. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to Google Maps and type in your business name
2. When you locate your Google Business listing, click on it
3. A window should appear with details about your business—click on the option for “Claim this business”
4. Click “Manage now” on the next window that appears.
5. You will be given a list of options to verify your business: phone, text, email, or video (these options vary by service type)
6. Google may take up to seven business days to verify your account information
7. Once Google can confirm you own the business, you will be verified (it may take several weeks for changes to be reflected on Google after you’ve been verified)

Add and change important details about your business

In addition to keeping the basics current, there are other elements of a Google Business profile that you can change and manage. As you can see in the image from chapter 2, the Google Business Profile Manager gives you options to add personal touches to your business. 
This includes things like photos, products, services, food ordering, menus, messages, and more. The “Posts” feature has been especially useful during the COVID-19 era, when things are constantly changing and evolving. You can create a post to update customers about your COVID-19 policies and other changes. 
With the Google Business Profile Manager, you can also respond to customer reviews.

The process for adding and changing these elements is the same as above.

1. Click on the section you want to change (example: posts)
2. Make the changes you wish to have reflected in your GB profile
3. Hit “Apply” when you are finished

There you have it. While it may be simple to make changes to these elements from the Google Business Profile Manager, it can be time-consuming to track and maintain multiple changes to your business profile over time. 
Fortunately, Semrush offers a solution that streamlines this element of business management. Keep reading to find out how we can help you spend less time on data management and more time running your business!

Save precious time and centralize your listings in one location

So, as you have seen, it’s relatively easy to manage your Google Business listing from Google Business Manager/Google account. 
However, Google isn’t the only place that potential customers will be searching for your business. If they look elsewhere in other directories and on other search platforms, will they find the correct information about your business? Is your business description current across the web? How about your location hours? Are you able to easily connect with customers through online reviews? These are important questions to consider when you are trying to improve your local business SEO and digital marketing strategy. 
Chances are, you don’t have a lot of spare time to manage dozens of business listings across endless directories. That’s where the Listing Management tool makes life easy. In no time at all, you can:

• Create comprehensive business profiles/listings that are automatically distributed to dozens of high-traffic directories
• Make changes to your business profile that are then automatically reflected across all of the directories that house your listings
• Manage reviews right from the Listing Management tool—no more chasing down customer feedback on multiple platforms
• Identify high-value, hyper-local keywords on a convenient and user-friendly Map Rank Tracker (premium Listing Management tool only, but also available as a standalone)

Small businesses and busy marketing teams shouldn’t have to waste resources hunting down listing changes and reviews across dozens of directories. 
The Listing Management tool can help. Read on for more information.