Fix duplicate, fake and unwanted Google listings

The short version

• Search Maps for your name, phone number and old addresses, and list every listing you find.
• Your own accidental duplicate: confirm which profile to keep and save what you need, then remove the other. Removal is permanent.
• Two public listings for one business: report a duplicate on Maps so Google can merge them.
• Moved, closed or lightly renamed: edit the existing profile. A substantially different business needs a new one.
• Fake listings: report them on Maps as spam.

How do I fix a duplicate or unwanted listing?

First, sort what you find

Remove a profile from your account

Google’s duplicates page says that if you made a duplicate by mistake, you can remove it without affecting your verified listing.

Before you remove anything, stop and check. Google’s removal page says removal is permanent. It affects every owner and manager. It deletes the posts, photos, videos and review replies they added. Only a primary owner can do it, and new owners and managers must wait 7 days. So first:

• Open both profiles. Check which one is verified and which one people see on Maps. The second one in your list isn’t always the spare.
• Check which one has the reviews and photos you want to keep. Save copies of any replies or photos you’d miss.
• Make sure you’re in the right Google Account. Check that no one else, such as a past agency or a partner, relies on that profile.

Not sure which to keep? Don’t remove either. Report a duplicate on Maps instead (below) and let Google merge them.

When you’re sure, these steps come from Google’s removal page:

1. Sign in to the Google Account linked to the profile and go to business.google.com.
2. Select More, then Business Profile settings.
3. Select Remove Business Profile, then Remove profile content and managers.
4. Select Continue, then Remove, then Done.

If the business has closed, turn on Mark your business as permanently closed in step 3 first.

Merge two listings on Maps

When two public listings are the same business, use the duplicate option when you report a suggestion on Google Maps. Google reviews every merge request. The two listings must be the same business and should have the same details. Google’s Maps help covers suggesting edits from the Maps side.

Moved, closed or renamed

• Moved: edit the address on your existing profile. Google says not to create a new one.
• Closed: go to Edit profile, then Hours, and choose Permanently closed.
• Renamed: Google’s guidelines allow a simple name edit only when the main names and services in it stay the same, and so does the category. If the new name is a really different business, Google treats it as new. Mark the old profile closed and create a new one.

Fake listings

Some listings are fake: a lead-generation outfit invents a business at a made-up address, or someone copies your name. Report these from Google Maps; Google’s Maps help treats fake, fraudulent or malicious listings as spam that anyone can report.

Why do duplicates matter?

Google’s guidelines say there should only be one profile per business, in one account or across several. When there are two, Google has to guess which is right. Customers may find the wrong phone number or an old address, and Google’s duplicates page says flagged duplicates don’t show on Search or Maps at all.

Duplicates usually appear by accident. Someone couldn’t log in and made a new one. An old agency set one up. A customer added your business to Maps. Or the business moved and someone created a fresh profile instead of editing the old one.

What are the common mistakes and edge cases?

• Removing the wrong profile. Removal deletes that profile’s posts, photos, videos and review replies, and its managers. It’s permanent and affects every owner and manager. Only primary owners can do it, and new owners must wait 7 days.
• Losing review replies in a merge. Google says merged profiles combine reviews, but replies may be lost. Copy any you care about first.
• Separate profiles for each service. Google flags this as a duplicate reason; list every service on one profile.
• Two real businesses at one address. A salon and a separate barber in the same building can each have a profile if they have different names, their own clear signage, and are each eligible.
• Fighting a fake listing with fake reviews or edits. Two wrongs get both listings in trouble.

What if the duplicate won’t go away?

• Someone else controls the “original.” Don’t fight it with a new profile. Request ownership instead; the owner has 3 days to respond. Our guide to creating or claiming a profile has the steps.
• Two distinct businesses were merged by mistake. Use Contact us in the Business Profile Help Center to appeal. If they share a location, Google may ask for photos of permanent signage for each.
• A removed profile still shows on Maps. Google says the business may still appear unless it’s ineligible. A closed business drops out of results slowly.
• A fake listing stays up. Google’s Help Center pages we reviewed don’t give a current link to its business spam complaint form, so start with the Maps report. Keep notes and screenshots in case you need to escalate through Contact us.
• You lost the login for an account you own. Google points you to its Accounts troubleshooter.

How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

Removing, merging and reporting are free. Google reviews every merge and report, and gives no set timeframe. Search again in a week or two to confirm the change.

How does E-3 handle this?

Duplicate cleanups are part of the Google profile care in our SEO and AI search service. Because removing a profile is permanent, agree the cleanup plan with us before anything is removed or merged.

Related questions

• How do I keep this from happening again?
• Why did my details change on the listing I kept?
• My profile was suspended during the cleanup. What now?
• Back to the complete Google Business Profile guide

Sources

1. Resolve duplicate profiles & ownership issues (Google Business Profile Help)
2. Remove a Business Profile from your Google Account (Google Business Profile Help)
3. Mark your business as closed (Google Business Profile Help)
4. Guidelines for representing your business on Google (Google Business Profile Help)
5. Edit or report a place on Google Maps (Google Maps Help)