Think about your business location for a second. You wouldn’t hand over the actual deed to your building to a contractor just because they’re fixing the roof, right? Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is exactly the same—it is your digital deed.
I’ve seen too many business owners lose years of hard-earned momentum because an agency claimed “Primary Ownership” of their profile. When that relationship ends, the agency keeps the keys, and you’re left locked out of your own front door.
At My SMB Marketing Hub, we believe you should always be in the driver’s seat. Here are two real-world examples of why YOU need to be the Primary Owner.
Case Study 1: The “Cookie-Cutter” Trap
We recently worked with a local home services business that was in a nightmare scenario. Their previous agency, Hibu, had created hundreds of spammy, “cookie-cutter” location pages. For a small service area business, this triggered Google’s spam filters and got their entire profile banned.
This client didn’t just lose traffic; they lost their reputation. They had over 400 5-star reviews that were completely invisible while their profile was down. We had to work incredibly hard to get them reinstated, but today they are back in good standing. If they had been the Primary Owner from the start, they could have stopped those pages from being created before the damage was done.
Case Study 2: The “Spam-Post” Suspension
Another home services client came to us after their GBP was suspended for five weeks. Their agency had been “spam posting”—using banned words like “Guarantee” and posting over 20 duplicate updates with the same generic image.
The worst part? The agency was the Primary Owner. It took a massive effort to reverify the account and recover their 400+ 5-star reviews. These aren’t just numbers; they are the trust signals your customers use to choose you. When an agency owns your profile, they own your trust signals.
You Control the Access
Handing over Primary Ownership means you’ve given away the power to decide who can see your data or make changes. By staying the Primary Owner, you can grant your agency “Manager” access. They can still do all the heavy lifting—optimizing your photos, responding to reviews, and posting updates—but you retain the power to revoke that access at any time.
Stop Juggling, Start Dominating
I know you’re busy running a service business. Whether you’re in HVAC, auto repair, or home services, you don’t have time to play “detective” to find your login info. We help you automate your entire marketing funnel—from SEO to follow-ups—while ensuring every asset stays in your name. We integrate with the tools you already use, like Jobber and Tekmetric, to keep your growth predictable and your data secure.
Take a moment today to check your settings. If you aren’t the Primary Owner, change it.
