Took over a business in Sweden? How to get control of its Google Business Profile

If the business is already on Google, do not create a second profile. Find the existing one first. If nobody has verified it, choose "Claim this business" and verify. If someone else holds it, choose "Request Access"; the current owner then has three days to answer. A seller who cooperates can hand it over directly.

Claiming a business on Google costs nothing. Button names and time limits come from Google's Business Profile Help in English, read on 10 November 2026. If your business has no profile at all, start with How to add your business to Google Maps in Sweden.

Who this is for

You bought a shop, a café or a workshop in Sweden, or you took over the day-to-day running from a partner. The business already shows on the map, with photos and reviews, but you cannot change anything. Maybe the old owner set it up. Maybe a web agency did it years ago and has since disappeared. This guide gets you from "I can see it" to "I manage it".

Step one: sign in where the profile lives

A profile is tied to a Google account, not to a company, a person's name or a Swedish registration. You only see the owner view when you are signed in to the linked account.

• On a computer, search for "my business" or for the business name and town.
• In the Google Maps app, tap "Business" at the bottom right. If you have several businesses, tap the down arrow at the top and pick the right one.
• If the profile does not appear, try every account the business has used before, including old addresses from the start-up days.
• If you have lost the login details for the account that verified the business, Google's Accounts troubleshooter helps you recover the username or password.

If you search for the business and see neither "Claim this business" nor "Own this business", you might already be the owner, perhaps with another account. If you find nothing in any account, the profile is either unverified or held by someone else. Search Google Maps for the business name and town and look at what it offers you.

When nobody has verified the profile

The listing shows "Claim this business". On a computer:

1. Open Google Maps and search for the business name and town.
2. Select "Claim this business", then "Manage now".
3. Pick a verification option.
4. Follow the steps on screen.

In the Google Maps app, open the profile and tap "About", then "Claim this business" and "Manage now". If it is a different business from the one shown, choose "I own or manage another business".

You do not choose the verification method; Google assigns it and it cannot be changed. The review can take up to 5 business days. A postcard code usually arrives within 14 days and expires after 30 days. While a postcard is on its way, do not edit the name, address or category, and never share a verification code, not even with someone who manages the profile.

When someone else holds the profile

1. Go to business.google.com/add.
2. Enter the business name and address.
3. Pick the business from the list. A notice says someone else may manage this Business Profile.
4. Select "Request Access".
5. Fill in the form.
6. Select "Submit".

You get a confirmation email. The current owner is emailed too and has three days to respond. You can follow the request from the link in your confirmation email.

• Approved: you get an email and can manage the profile.
• Denied: you get an email. You can still suggest an edit or appeal the decision.
• No reply after three days: open the confirmation email, select "View request" and then "Verify". You can also sign in and look for a "Claim" or "Verify" button. This option is not always available.

If your business has no premises and only travels to customers, the route is different: open "contact us" in Google's help (support.google.com/business/gethelp), enter "Transfer ownership of listing" in the "Tell us what we can help with" field and choose "Transfer ownership of listing" as the issue.

The clean way: a handover from the seller

If the seller is still around and willing, ask for the profile as part of the sale. Google's own advice when a business changes hands is to transfer primary ownership to the new owner, which keeps all business info, like reviews. Put it in the purchase agreement with a date, next to the keys and the passwords. The handover takes about a week because of a waiting period:

1. The seller opens the profile at business.google.com and goes to More, "Business Profile settings", "People and access".
2. The seller selects "Add", enters your email, chooses "Owner" under "Access" and selects "Invite".
3. You accept the invitation.
4. After seven days, the seller selects you, then "Edit" next to "Access", then "Primary owner" and "Save".
5. The seller then selects themselves and chooses "Stop managing" and "Confirm".

The seven days are a fixed rule: during the first week a new owner or manager cannot transfer primary ownership, delete or undelete the profile, or remove other owners or managers. Primary ownership can only go to an existing owner or manager, and a primary owner cannot remove themselves before passing the role on, which is why step 4 comes before step 5.

Roles to give your staff

Once the profile is yours, do not run it from a single login.

• Primary owner: one per profile. Only this person can pass the role on.
• Owner: full control, including adding and removing people and deleting the profile.
• Manager: formerly called site manager. Can do nearly everything else, but cannot add or remove people or delete the profile.

Each person signs in with their own Google account, so nobody shares a password. Google Groups cannot be added as owners or managers. Give your shop manager the manager role and keep a second owner among the people who will stay. When someone leaves, an owner selects them and chooses "Remove person". Their earlier replies to reviews, posts and comments stay on the profile.

Swedish paperwork that does not help here

Bolagsverket. Registering the change of ownership with the Swedish Companies Registration Office matters for the company, but it does not move the profile. The ownership request asks for the business name and address, not an organisation number.

BankID. You will use it for almost everything else in Sweden. It is not among Google's verification methods and does not prove you own the profile.

Directories. After the takeover, check that name, address and phone number match in Swedish directories too. A hair salon in Uppsala, for example, would sit under Hair Salons & Haircare Uppsala in our directory. If the business is not yet in SverigesForetagsGuide, you can add it free of charge: you fill in a form and we contact you. If the business still does not show up well on the map, read Local SEO in Sweden: how your business shows up on Google.

If you get stuck

You can check the business details yourself and follow the steps in this guide. If you get stuck on access, verification or conflicting details, Madloba Consult can help: Google Maps SEO for local business.

Sources

All sources were read on 10 November 2026.

• Google Business Profile Help: Add or claim your Business Profile
• Google Business Profile Help: Find your business on Google
• Google Business Profile Help: Request ownership of a Business Profile
• Google Business Profile Help: Manage your Business Profile owners & managers
• Google Business Profile Help: Transfer primary ownership of a Business Profile
• Google Business Profile Help: Resolve duplicate profiles & ownership issues
• Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business on Google

Written by: SverigesForetagsGuide editorial team (business guides). Fact-checked against Google's help pages on 10 November 2026.