Connect Google Business Profile

Connect your Google Business Profile to monitor reviews, respond to customers, manage business media, and track your online reputation—all from one platform.

Overview

Google Business Profile integration enables:

• 📊 Review Monitoring: Track all customer reviews in real-time
• 💬 Quick Responses: Respond to reviews directly from the platform
• 📸 Media Management: Upload and organize business photos
• 📈 Performance Analytics: View search appearance and customer actions
• 📝 Business Posts: Create updates on your Business Profile

Prerequisites

Before connecting, ensure you have:

Account Requirements

• ✅ Google account with access to a Business Profile
• ✅ Verified Business Profile location
• ✅ Owner or Manager role on the location
• ✅ Business Profile in good standing
• ✅ Profile not suspended or disabled

Verification Status

Your Business Profile must be verified:

1. Go to Google Business Profile
2. Check verification status
3. If unverified, complete verification process:
   • Postcard verification (most common)
   • Phone verification
   • Email verification
   • Video verification
   • Instant verification (for some businesses)

⏱️ Note: Verification can take 5-14 days for postcard method.

Role Requirements

You need Owner or Manager role:

Check your role:

1. Visit Google Business Profile
2. Select your business
3. Click Users in the sidebar
4. Verify your role is Owner or Manager

If you're not Owner/Manager: Ask the current owner to grant you access.

Step-by-Step Connection Guide

Step 1: Navigate to Connection Page

From the platform:

1. Go to Connected Platforms in the sidebar
2. Or navigate to Reputation Command Center → Overview
3. Look for Google Business Profile section
4. Click Connect or Add Location

Step 2: Start OAuth Flow

1. Click Connect Google Business Profile
2. You'll see what permissions are required
3. Click Continue to start authorization

Step 3: Choose Your Google Account

1. Redirect to Google: You'll be sent to accounts.google.com
2. Select Account: Choose the Google account with Business Profile access
3. Or Sign In: Enter credentials if not already logged in

💡 Tip: Use the Google account that owns or manages your Business Profile.

Step 4: Grant Permissions

Google will request the following scope:

Required Permission

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/business.manage

This permission allows the platform to:

• ✅ View your Business Profile locations
• ✅ Read customer reviews
• ✅ Post review responses
• ✅ Upload and manage business photos
• ✅ Create posts on your Business Profile
• ✅ View performance metrics

Why this permission is needed:

• Comprehensive Access: This single scope provides all necessary access
• Review Management: Required to read and respond to reviews
• Media Management: Enables uploading business photos
• Analytics: Access to search performance data
• Business Posts: Ability to create updates

⚠️ Important: You must grant this permission for the integration to work. Denying it will prevent connection.

Step 5: Select Business Locations

1. View Locations: See all Business Profile locations you can access
2. Select Locations: Choose which location(s) to connect
   • You can select multiple locations
   • Each location managed separately
   • Useful for multi-location businesses
3. Review Selection: Confirm your choices
4. Click Allow or Continue

Step 6: Complete Connection

1. You'll be redirected back to the platform
2. Your connected location(s) will appear in Reputation Command Center
3. Initial data sync begins (reviews, photos, etc.)
4. Connection is now active!

Understanding Your Connection

What Gets Connected

When you connect Google Business Profile:

Business Information:

• ✅ Business name and address
• ✅ Phone number and website
• ✅ Business hours
• ✅ Categories and attributes

Reviews:

• ✅ All customer reviews (current and historical)
• ✅ Star ratings
• ✅ Review dates and reviewer info
• ✅ Your existing responses

Media:

• ✅ Business photos (exterior, interior, products, team)
• ✅ Logo and cover photo
• ✅ Customer photos

Performance Data:

• ✅ Search queries that found your business
• ✅ Customer actions (calls, website visits, direction requests)
• ✅ Photo views

What Doesn't Get Connected

• ❌ Personal Google account data
• ❌ Gmail or Google Workspace emails
• ❌ Other Google services (Drive, Calendar, etc.)
• ❌ Locations where you're not Owner/Manager
• ❌ Google Ads data

Using Your Connection

Review Monitoring

After connecting, access reviews:

1. Go to Reputation Command Center → Reviews
2. See all reviews across connected locations
3. Filter by:
   • Star rating (1-5 stars)
   • Date range
   • Location (if multiple connected)
   • Response status (responded/not responded)

Responding to Reviews

Respond directly from the platform:

1. Find the review in the Reviews dashboard
2. Click Respond or Reply
3. Write your response
4. Click Submit or Publish
5. Response appears on Google within minutes

📖 Best Practices: See Review Response Guidelines

Business Media Management

Manage your business photos:

1. Go to Reputation Command Center → Media
2. Upload new photos
3. Categorize by type:
   • EXTERIOR: Building exterior
   • INTERIOR: Inside your business
   • PRODUCT: Products or services
   • TEAM: Staff and team members
   • LOGO: Business logo
   • COVER: Cover photo
4. Photos sync to Google Business Profile

Creating Business Posts

Post updates to your Business Profile:

1. Go to Reputation Command Center → Posts
2. Click Create Post
3. Add content:
   • Text (up to 1,500 characters)
   • Image or video (optional)
   • Call-to-action button (optional)
4. Click Publish
5. Post appears on your Business Profile

Post Types:

• What's New: General updates
• Events: Upcoming events
• Offers: Special promotions
• Products: Highlight products/services

Viewing Analytics

Track your performance:

1. Go to Reputation Command Center → Insights
2. View metrics:
   • Average star rating
   • Total review count
   • Review trends over time
   • Response rate
   • New reviews this week/month

Managing Your Connection

View Connection Status

Check connection health:

1. Go to Reputation Command Center → Overview
2. Connection status indicators:
   • ✅ Active: Connection working normally
   • 🔄 Syncing: Currently fetching new data
   • ⚠️ Needs Attention: Action required
   • ❌ Disconnected: Connection broken

Data Sync Behavior

Automatic Syncing:

• Reviews: Every 15-30 minutes
• Business info: Every hour
• Media: When you upload
• Analytics: Daily

Manual Sync:

1. Go to connection settings
2. Click Sync Now
3. Wait for sync to complete

Reconnect if Needed

Tokens typically last 6 months but may expire:

1. You'll see Reconnect button
2. Click to restart OAuth
3. Re-authorize permissions
4. Connection restored without data loss

Add More Locations

For multi-location businesses:

1. Click Add Location in settings
2. Go through OAuth flow
3. Select additional locations
4. Manage all locations from one dashboard

Disconnect a Location

To remove a location:

1. Find location in Connected Platforms
2. Click Disconnect or settings menu
3. Confirm removal
4. Historical data preserved but no new syncing

Common Issues and Solutions

"No locations found"

Problem: No Business Profiles appear during selection

Solutions:

• ✅ Verify you're using the correct Google account
• ✅ Ensure you're Owner or Manager (not just Editor)
• ✅ Check Business Profile is verified
• ✅ Confirm location isn't suspended
• ✅ Wait if you just gained access (can take 24 hours)

"Location not verified"

Problem: Can't connect unverified location

Solutions:

• ✅ Complete verification in Google Business Profile
• ✅ Verification methods:
  • Postcard (5-14 days)
  • Phone call (immediate)
  • Email (immediate, if available)
  • Video verification (some businesses)
• ✅ Cannot connect until verification is complete

"Insufficient permissions"

Problem: Don't have required access level

Solutions:

• ✅ You need Owner or Manager role
• ✅ Editor role is not sufficient
• ✅ Contact Business Profile owner to upgrade your role
• ✅ Owner can upgrade you in Users settings

"Reviews not appearing"

Problem: Connected but reviews don't show

Solutions:

• ✅ Initial sync takes 5-10 minutes
• ✅ Click Sync Now to force refresh
• ✅ Check you selected the correct location
• ✅ Verify connection status is "Active"
• ✅ Some very old reviews may not sync (API limitation)

"Response failed to post"

Problem: Review response didn't publish to Google

Solutions:

• ✅ Check response meets Google's guidelines
• ✅ Can't exceed 4,000 characters
• ✅ Can't contain prohibited content (URLs, phone numbers, etc.)
• ✅ Wait a moment and try again
• ✅ Check connection hasn't expired

"Mock mode connection"

Problem: Seeing "mock" data instead of real data

Solution: You may be in test/mock mode:

• ✅ This is for development/testing purposes
• ✅ Reconnect without the ?mock=1 parameter
• ✅ Use the standard connection flow from the dashboard
• ✅ Mock mode is only for developers testing the integration

Security and Privacy

What Data We Access

• ✅ Business Profile locations you manage
• ✅ Customer reviews and ratings
• ✅ Business information (name, address, hours)
• ✅ Business photos and media
• ✅ Performance analytics
• ✅ Ability to post responses and updates

What Data We DON'T Access

• ❌ Personal Gmail or email
• ❌ Google Drive files
• ❌ Google Calendar events
• ❌ Payment information
• ❌ Personal search history
• ❌ Other Google services

Data Storage

• Reviews stored encrypted in our database
• Tokens stored securely with encryption
• Media referenced, not duplicated
• Can delete all data by disconnecting

Revoking Access

You can remove our access anytime:

From Google:

1. Google Account Settings
2. Security → Third-party apps with account access
3. Find our app
4. Click Remove Access

From Platform:

1. Connected Platforms → Find Google Business
2. Click Disconnect
3. Confirm removal

Best Practices

✅ Do's

• Verify First: Complete Business Profile verification before connecting
• Regular Monitoring: Check reviews daily or enable notifications
• Prompt Responses: Respond to reviews within 24-48 hours
• Professional Tone: Keep responses courteous and helpful
• Accurate Info: Keep business information up-to-date

❌ Don'ts

• Don't Ignore Negative Reviews: Always respond professionally
• Don't Delay Verification: Complete verification ASAP
• Don't Share Access Tokens: Keep credentials secure
• Don't Violate Guidelines: Follow Google's content policies
• Don't Use Personal Account: Use business Google account

Managing Multiple Locations

If you have multiple business locations:

Connect All Locations

1. During OAuth, select all locations at once
2. Or add locations individually later
3. Each location syncs independently

Switch Between Locations

In the platform:

1. Use location filter in Reputation Command Center
2. View/manage each location separately
3. Or view aggregate data across all locations

Location-Specific Features

• Separate review lists per location
• Location-specific response templates
• Individual analytics per location
• Unique business posts per location

Advanced Features

Review Response Templates

Create templates for common responses:

1. Positive Reviews: Thank customers
2. Negative Reviews: Apologize and offer resolution
3. Neutral Reviews: Acknowledge and invite further feedback

📖 Learn More: Review Response Guidelines

Review Notifications

Set up alerts for new reviews:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications
2. Enable review alerts
3. Choose notification method (email, in-app)
4. Get notified immediately when reviews arrive

Bulk Operations

For businesses with many reviews:

• Filter and export reviews
• Bulk mark as read
• Generate response reports
• Analytics across time periods

Next Steps

After connecting Google Business Profile:

1. 📊 Monitor Reviews - Set up review monitoring
2. 💬 Respond to Reviews - Learn response best practices
3. 📈 View Analytics - Track your reputation metrics
4. 📸 Manage Media - Organize business photos

Related Resources

• Platform Connections Overview - Understanding OAuth
• Managing Connections - Connection management
• Review Monitoring - Dashboard guide
• OAuth Troubleshooting - Fix connection issues

Last updated: January 14, 2025