I get this call a few times a year. Somebody’s Google listing has the old address on it, or a phone number they haven’t used since 2019, and they want to know who put it there.
Nobody put it there. Google assembled it from whatever it could find. And the reason it’s wrong is that the business never claimed it.
That’s what a Google Business Profile is. It’s free, it takes an afternoon, and it’s the single highest-value hour a local business can spend online.
It’s How You Show Up on the Map
When somebody searches for what you do near where you are, the map pack sits at the top. Above the regular results.
You’re either in it or you’re not, and you’re not if you haven’t claimed your listing. No amount of work on your website gets you into that box.
It Fixes the Wrong Information
Hours. Address. Phone. The category you’re actually in.
Claim the listing and you control all of it. Leave it unclaimed and Google keeps guessing, and sometimes strangers can suggest edits. That’s how you end up permanently closed on a Tuesday for no reason.
Reviews Live There
The reviews people actually read are the ones on that profile.
Claiming it means you can respond to them. Responding matters more than most owners think, and not for the reason they assume. It’s not for the angry customer. It’s for the next person reading, who sees somebody paying attention.
It Tells You What People Did
You get real numbers. How many people found you, how many asked for directions, how many tapped the phone number.
That last one is worth knowing. Those are calls your website never got credit for.
Go Do It
It costs nothing. It takes an afternoon. Google mails a postcard to verify the address, which feels absurd in 2023 and is still how it works.
If you want a hand with it, or yours is already a mess and you need it untangled, reach out anytime. It’s a short job and it pays for itself.