Lost your login details to your Google Local page?
Don’t stress – it happens far more often than you’d think. Sometimes it’s a case of a spouse who set it up years ago and then you both forgot about it, sometimes it’s a former employee and sadly sometimes it’s a former SEO who is now out of business, out of touch or you’re simply not on good terms with anymore.
Whatever you do – DON’T simply try to create a new page.
There are a number of reasons why not – which would make a post all it’s own. You can get that original page back, and that is the best thing to do in this situation.
So follow along:
First, login to Google. It doesn’t have to be a gmail account, any account Google recognises will do.
Go to http://www.google.com.au/business
If you have any existing pages on on this account, you’ll see one of these 3 screens:
From left to right: you have multiple pages already claimed on this account, you have one page claimed on this account, and the last image is what you see if you have no pages claimed on this account.
Click the big blue button on the top left “Get your page”.
In the case of having just one page already on the account, there’s one little extra step to take – from the menu on the right hover over “My Business” and the dropdown menu will give you an option to select “all pages”. You’ll then see a screen similar to the dashboard with multiple pages, and you’ll see the big blue button.
Choose the business type which best suits your business:
Type in the business name exactly as it appears on the Google Local page. Google will retrieve that business and/or a business most like that name.
Select the Business. If it’s a service area business (you don’t have a shopfront or you’re an appointment-only business), then it will have the red circle. If it’s a shopfront, it will have the red “pin”.
You’ll then receive an error message:
Click “Request admin rights”.
You’ll then get a screen with four options to reclaim the account. Select No the account is managed by someone else and then no to Is this business verified by a user you’re able to contact?
You’ll then be greeted with a longer form to complete. Choose ownership transfer and the rest of the details as relevant for you.
As part of your recovery, you will write a message to the current “owner” of the local page.
As a result:
1) The person might get the email and get in touch to transfer ownership OR
2) You might receive an email pop up and then you know who created it.
You need to go through this process and then wait a week (7 days).
Now you can call Google Support to claim the business. Note – the call centres are not open 24×7, so you will need to be mindful of international time zones and their posted business hours.
https://support.google.com/business/contact/business_c2c_na?rd=1
