--- title: "Unclaimed Google Business Profiles: 28% of Local Businesses" url: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/unclaimed-google-business-profiles description: "Unclaimed Google Business Profiles make up 28% of US listings, and 55.2% of dentists have not claimed theirs. See the data." lang: en --- Share Share on X: https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Funclaimed-google-business-profiles&text=28%25%20of%20Local%20Businesses%20Haven%27t%20Claimed%20Their%20Google%20Business%20Profile Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Funclaimed-google-business-profiles Share on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Funclaimed-google-business-profiles Share on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.suffdigital.com%2Fresources%2Fdata-studies%2Funclaimed-google-business-profiles&title=28%25%20of%20Local%20Businesses%20Haven%27t%20Claimed%20Their%20Google%20Business%20Profile **28%** of US local businesses have never claimed their Google Business Profile, so nobody at the business can edit the listing, reply to reviews or fix wrong details. More than half of dentists (55.2%) are in that position. Analysis of 23,164 Google Business Profiles across 54 business categories · Google Business Profiles, September 2026 ## Key Findings 1. 1. **28%** of US Google Business Profiles are unclaimed, meaning no owner has verified the listing with Google. Copy stat 2. 2. Unclaimed Google Business Profiles have a median of **1** review, against 28 for claimed profiles. Copy stat 3. 3. **99.4%** of unclaimed Google Business Profiles have no business description, and 64.5% have no website. Copy stat 4. 4. **68.5%** of church Google Business Profiles are unclaimed, followed by dentists at 55.2% and optometrists at 51.4%. Copy stat 5. 5. Only **4.7%** of locksmith Google Business Profiles are unclaimed, followed by pest control companies at 5.5% and beauty stores at 6.7%. Copy stat ## Summary A dental practice has moved to a new building. On Google Maps, its listing still shows the old address, no hours and a single photo of a street sign. A patient drives to the wrong place, leaves a one-star review, and nobody at the practice ever answers it, because nobody at the practice has control of the listing. Claiming a Google Business Profile, the free listing that shows a business in Google Search and Maps, is how an owner takes control of it. It is free and takes one verification step, and it is the only way to fix hours, add a website, reply to reviews and upload photos. Until then, the listing shows whatever Google has pieced together, and anyone can suggest edits to it. **28%** of local businesses have not claimed their profile, more than one in four. Those listings are thin on almost everything: a median of one review, one photo, and 99.4% with no business description. The categories with the most unclaimed listings are medical and professional services, where trust matters most. ## What we measured On September 23, 2026 we collected 23,164 US Google Business Profiles across 54 business categories, from churches and dentists to locksmiths and HVAC companies, and recorded whether each one has been claimed. We compared claimed and unclaimed profiles on reviews, rating, photos, website, opening hours, description and number of business categories, and calculated the unclaimed share for each category. A profile is claimed when the business owner has verified it with Google, which lets them edit its details and reply to reviews. An unclaimed profile is one Google created from public information that no owner has taken over. Google shows an "Own this business?" link on unclaimed listings. The median is the middle profile: half are above, half below. ## Unclaimed profiles are nearly empty 1 Google review is the median for an unclaimed profile, against 28 for a claimed one. Every field is less complete on unclaimed listings. 99.4% have no business description, 67.7% have no opening hours and 64.5% have no website. The median unclaimed profile has one photo, against 17 for a claimed profile, and 81.4% have fewer than 10 reviews. Unclaimed by profile field Fewer than 10 reviews 81.4% Has a website 35.5% Lists opening hours 32.3% Has a description 0.6% Source: Suff Digital analysis of 23,164 Google Business Profiles across 54 business categories · Google Business Profiles, September 2026 | Profile field | Unclaimed | Claimed | | --- | --- | --- | | Median Google reviews | 1 | 28 | | Fewer than 10 reviews | 81.4% | 33.8% | | Average star rating | 4.23 | 4.56 | | Median photos | 1 | 17 | | Has a website | 35.5% | 82% | | Lists opening hours | 32.3% | 82.8% | | Has a description | 0.6% | 79.1% | | Average business categories | 1.4 | 2.9 | The description gap is almost total because only an owner can write one: Google cannot fill it in for a listing nobody manages. The same applies to replies, photos from the business and the website link. The unclaimed rating is lower too, 4.23 stars against 4.56, since complaints go unanswered and nobody asks happy customers for reviews. ## Medical and professional services leave the most listings unclaimed 68.5% of church profiles are unclaimed, followed by dentists (55.2%), optometrists (51.4%) and medical practices (49.6%). Accountants, lawyers, manufacturers and chiropractors all sit near 47%. A single practice can have several listings, one for the practice and one for each dentist or attorney, and each one needs claiming. Unclaimed by category Church 68.5% Dentist 55.2% Optometrist 51.4% Medical practice 49.6% Accountant 47.4% Lawyer 47.1% Manufacturing 46.8% Chiropractor 46.7% Electrician 40.6% Plumber 38.6% Med spa 8.8% HVAC 7% Beauty store 6.7% Pest control 5.5% Locksmith 4.7% These are the businesses where a patient or client most wants reassurance before booking. An unclaimed dental listing with no description, no hours and unanswered reviews sits next to a claimed competitor with all three, and the choice is easy. ## Some trades have claimed almost every listing The trades split sharply. 40.6% of electricians and 38.6% of plumbers are unclaimed, against 7% of HVAC companies, 5.5% of pest control companies and 4.7% of locksmiths. Other trades sit in between: movers at 34.1%, landscapers at 32.8%, roofers at 21.4%, garage door companies at 14.6% and cleaning services at 12.6%. Consumer businesses with steady foot traffic are mostly claimed too: only 12% of restaurants, 12.4% of tattoo shops and 8.4% of mattress stores are unclaimed, with hotels at 23.4% and veterinarians at 30%. The businesses that claim their listings are the ones that treat Google Maps as a main source of customers. For an electrician or plumber, that means a competitor in the same trade is often the one who has done it. ## What this means for local business owners Search your business name on Google Maps. If you see "Own this business?" or "Claim this business", the listing is unclaimed and anyone can suggest edits to it. Claim it, verify it, and fill in the basics: opening hours, website, description, business categories and a few real photos. Check for extra listings too. Listings for individual practitioners, old addresses and duplicates can split your reviews and confuse customers. Claim the ones you can manage, and ask Google to merge or remove the rest. Once claimed, keep it active: reply to reviews, update hours for holidays and add photos as the business changes. Our local seo packages (https://www.suffdigital.com/seo/local-seo-services) handle Google Business Profile claiming and cleanup for businesses with several locations or practitioners. ## Embed this research Paste this on your site to embed the charts. It links back to the source automatically.

Source: 28% of Local Businesses Haven't Claimed Their Google Business Profile - Suff Digital

## Cite this study APA Suff Digital. (2026). 28% of Local Businesses Haven't Claimed Their Google Business Profile. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/unclaimed-google-business-profiles Plain link 28% of Local Businesses Haven't Claimed Their Google Business Profile - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/unclaimed-google-business-profiles ## Frequently asked questions ### How many Google Business Profiles are unclaimed? ### Do unclaimed Google listings get fewer reviews? ### Which businesses are most likely to claim their Google listing? ### What is missing from unclaimed Google Business Profiles? ## Related studies - Local SEO 31% of Google Business Profiles Don't Link to a Website: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-business-profiles-without-website - Local SEO 29.9% of Google Business Profiles Don't List Opening Hours: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-business-profile-missing-hours - Local SEO 42.8% of Google Business Profiles Have No Business Description: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-business-profile-no-description - Local SEO 47.1% of Local Businesses Have Fewer Than 10 Google Reviews: https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-reviews-per-local-business ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization", "name": "Suff Digital", "alternateName": "Suff Digital Marketing", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "contentUrl": "https://www.suffdigital.com/logo.png", "caption": "Suff Digital" }, "image": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#logo" }, "description": "Suff Digital is a full-stack digital marketing agency that turns websites into predictable revenue engines, SEO, paid media, content, CRO, and web design built around revenue, not vanity metrics.", "slogan": "Digital marketing built for what's next.", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "foundingDate": "2022", "founder": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matt Suffoletto", "jobTitle": "Founder & CEO" }, "contactPoint": [ { "@type": "ContactPoint", "telephone": "+1-629-236-0099", "email": "hello@suffdigital.com", "contactType": "sales", "areaServed": "US", "availableLanguage": [ "en" ] } ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Nashville", "addressRegion": "TN", "postalCode": "37219", "addressCountry": "US" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "Country", "name": "United States" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/suff-digital/", "https://www.instagram.com/suffdigital/", "https://www.youtube.com/@suffdigitalmarketing", "https://www.tiktok.com/@suffdigital" ], "knowsAbout": [ "Search Engine Optimization", "Pay-Per-Click Advertising", "Paid Social Advertising", "Conversion Rate Optimization", "Web Design", "Digital PR", "Link Building", "Website Migration", "Website Maintenance and Support", "Technical SEO", "Local SEO", "AI Search Optimization" ], "hasOfferCatalog": { "@type": "OfferCatalog", "name": "Suff Digital Services", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Search Engine Optimization (SEO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/ppc" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Paid Social Advertising", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/paid-social" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/cro" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Web Design", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/web-design" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Digital PR & Link Building", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/digital-pr" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Migration", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-migration" } }, { "@type": "Offer", "itemOffered": { "@type": "Service", "name": "Website Maintenance & Support", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/services/website-maintenance" } } ] } }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#website", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/", "name": "Suff Digital", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/unclaimed-google-business-profiles#article", "headline": "28% of Local Businesses Haven't Claimed Their Google Business Profile", "description": "28% of US local businesses have never claimed their Google Business Profile, so nobody at the business can edit the listing, reply to reviews or fix wrong details. 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More than half of dentists (55.2%) are in that position.", "url": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/unclaimed-google-business-profiles", "creator": { "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/#organization" }, "datePublished": "2026-09-24", "dateModified": "2026-09-24", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "measurementTechnique": "Google Business Profile listings and profile details" }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/unclaimed-google-business-profiles#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many Google Business Profiles are unclaimed?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "28% of US Google Business Profiles are unclaimed (September 2026). In some categories it is more than half: 55.2% of dentist and 51.4% of optometrist Google Business Profiles are unclaimed." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do unclaimed Google listings get fewer reviews?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. The median unclaimed Google Business Profile has 1 Google review, against 28 for claimed profiles, and 81.4% of unclaimed profiles have fewer than 10 reviews." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which businesses are most likely to claim their Google listing?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Locksmiths, pest control companies and beauty stores: only 4.7%, 5.5% and 6.7% of their Google Business Profiles are unclaimed." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is missing from unclaimed Google Business Profiles?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Almost everything an owner adds. 99.4% of unclaimed Google Business Profiles have no business description, 64.5% have no website and the median unclaimed profile has one photo." } } ] } ] } ] ```