How to fix False/Spam, and Duplicate Listings on Your GMB Profile
Published by : Vicinus
Date : March 17, 2025
The adverse effects of improper listings extend beyond those who may have caused them, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
The majority of duplicate/Spam listings arise from changes in location, business mergers, or updates made without coordination, all of which can confuse customers and impact a business negatively.Occasionally, competitors generate duplicate listings or modify essential information, such as opening hours, to damage a business’s reputation. This article will instruct you on identifying, merging, or deleting duplicate entries and rectifying erroneous information – how you can combine or delete a duplicate listing and when to do it. But before we go into that, let’s learn about the impact of false/spam GMB listings and how it can hurt your company.
Effectively managing your Google My Business listing is essential, since inaccuracies or duplicates can severely undermine your business’s legitimacy, adversely affect its search ranking, and diminish client trust.
Consumers anticipate precise, current information when seeking a business. The presence of several entries for the same business, particularly those containing erroneous or contradictory information, diminishes your firm’s credibility and may lead to confusion. Inaccurate information undermines confidence, prompting customers to pursue alternatives.
Potential customers searching for your business information but coming across the wrong contact/business information in a spam listing will be driven to explore your competitors, instead. This can lead to loss of business.
Google’s algorithms favor enterprises that maintain consistent, pertinent, and genuine information across all listings. Duplicate listings or fraudulent entries can adversely affect your rating, as Google may struggle to identify the “official” version of your business, hence influencing the visibility of your listing in search results.
A business that does not sustain a regular and accurate internet presence may seem less credible. Customers are inclined to eschew businesses with numerous deceptive listings or obsolete information, favoring competitors that provide precise, transparent, and up-to-date details.
Maintaining a clean and correct GMB listing enhances your business’s visibility and fosters greater confidence with clients, ultimately leading to improved engagement and revenue.
To find duplicate listings, focus on three key identifiers: Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP).
Conduct a Google search of your business name to find the presence of multiple entries. Be cautious of alterations, including supplementary keywords or minor name modifications employed to circumvent Google’s identification.
Examine for irregularities such as absent suite numbers or differences in location (e.g., varying map pins or addresses within the same vicinity). If two ads possess the identical phone number or address, they may be duplicates.
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Utilize the business’s telephone number to investigate further listings. Variations such as mobile or phone tracking numbers may indicate efforts to circumvent duplicate filters. Verify consistency by cross-referencing with the business’s website or directories such as Yelp.
Having identified duplicate listings, it is now imperative to rectify the situation. This is a comprehensive strategy for eliminating duplicates of your own listings and addressing spammy duplicates from competitors.
Upon discovering a duplicate listing, it is likely that the listing has already been claimed by the current owner or a former business proprietor, particularly in instances involving practitioners or ownership transitions. Google’s AI may also generate duplicates. In such instances, solicit ownership of the duplicate listing and adhere to the procedures for merging or eliminating the listing. In order to claim gmb profile, follow the steps given below:
For a detailed walkthrough of the business claim process click here.
Submit a report through the “Suggest an Edit” feature on Google Maps.
If the duplicate listing remains unclaimed and maintains similar Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) details, utilize Google Maps‘ “Suggest an Edit” feature to report it. Should the NAPs exhibit inconsistencies, prioritize updating the information before reporting the duplicate. Upon approval, you may make a subsequent request to designate it as a duplicate.
Here’s a more detailed step-by-step process to suppress a duplicate listing:
In the event of several duplicate listings, send a Redressal Complaint Form to Google Support. Here, you may enumerate all duplicate entries and furnish comprehensive evidence for Google’s investigation.
By adhering to these procedures, you can rectify your GMB listings, enhancing your business’s trustworthiness and mitigating fines for duplicate material.
If you’ve identified a false listing that violates Google’s guidelines (e.g., spam or impersonation), request removal directly:
Rectifying erroneous, spam, and duplicate listings is crucial for preserving your business’s online integrity and local seo rating. These errors can significantly undermine client trust, obstruct your visibility, and potentially result in penalties or suspension of your firm. Consistently monitoring your Google My Business profile guarantees that all information is precise, current, and devoid of fraudulent or deceptive entries.
Establish a system to examine your postings, notify any inconsistencies, and assert ownership when required. By diligently overseeing your GMB profile, you safeguard your organization against reputational harm and enhance your likelihood of distinguishing yourself in local seo outcomes.Implement measures today—systematic audits will guarantee your internet presence remains robust and credible.
Create a Google My Business account, complete the business details, and authenticate your business via mail or phone to obtain a Google Business listing.
A physical address, phone number, relevant business category, and the capacity to serve the public at the listed location are all required.
Log in to Google My Business, conduct a search for your business, and complete the verification process to claim it. Create a new profile if it is not listed.
Your business must be exposed to the public, have a physical location or service area, and be managed by an individual who is authorized to represent it.
Google listings directly display business details, including location, contact information, hours, and reviews, in Google search results and Maps, based on your GMB profile.
