There are a number of reasons why a duplicate Google My Business listings appear, most often as a result of a well meaning employee creating a business page or when the business moved and the original business listing not being moved with a new one being created for the new location.
No matter how they were created the trick is now reporting them and having them removed, or have them merged with the current listing. This guide will take you through a number of scenarios of duplicate listings and their removal.
Please Note: In all cases a verified Google Business Listing cannot be merged, it needs to be unverified in order to have it merged.
When to Remove or Merge a Duplicate Listing?
Removing:
Removing a duplicate business listing is essentially a delete of the duplicate listing. This should only be performed if its an empty listing without reviews (that you want to keep).
Merge
Merging should be used when the business existed at a previous address, had a rebrand (same address, new name) and / or has reviews that should be on the current verified listing. A merge act likes a redirect, so if the business has moved and a user searches name and location then Google redirects to the new page, equally if someone searches the old name then Google redirects to the new business.
How the Remove a Duplicate Google Business Listing
Scenario 1: The Google business listing is listed at an address that the business has never existed at.
Locate the listing Google Maps then:
- Click: Suggest an Edit
- Select to Yes: Place is permanently closed or has never existed
- Select: Doesn’t exist
- Submit
In some instances this will not be removed straight away and will need a human to verify that this edit is correct. You can monitor this in your contributions section in Google Maps. If for some reason this is disapproved, then you will need to Contact Google Business Support.
Scenario 2: The Google business listing is at the same address but is an unverified duplicate without any reviews.
If the business exists at the same address, it should have been flagged as a duplicate in your Google My Business Dashboard.
To remove a duplicate location in your account:
- Open GMB Dashboard: business.google.com/locations
- In your ‘Account summary’, click Duplicate locations.
- Click into the location that you want to remove.
- Click ‘Delete this listing’.
To remove a duplicate listing not in your account:
- Locate the listing Google Maps
- Click: Suggest an Edit
- Select to Yes: Place is permanently closed or has never existed
- Select: Doesn’t exist
- Submit
Again this may not be removed straight away and will need a human to verify that this edit is correct. If for some reason this is disapproved, or you want it removed quickly because it is causing issues with customers, then you will need to Contact Google Business Support.
How the Merge a Duplicate Google Business Listing
As mentioned earlier you should choose to merge a duplicate listing when you moved addresses, re branded or want to retain the reviews on the duplicate listing.
Merges can only be undertaken by Business Support and their is no way to suggest this type of move. You have to contact business support for this. When contacting business support you must be very specific in the request and list: Verified Listing to Keep (with URL) and Duplicate Unverified Listing to Merge (with URL)
If the duplicate is verified, then you will need to request ownership of this listing, once transferred to your account you can then delete from account which will render it as unverified, you can then Contact Google Business Support for the merge.
Steps to claiming or requesting ownership of an already verified Google business listing:
- Go To: business.google.com/create
- Start: Typing in the Businesses Name
- Search for business name
- Select the correct business
- You’ll see a message saying someone else owns this business
- Click: Request Access
- Submit
Full details on requesting ownership of a verified Google business listing process.
How the Remove a Duplicate (SAB) Google Business Listing
Scenario 1: One listing is verified and the duplicate is unverified and does not have any review to keep.
Locate the listing Google Maps then:
- Click: Suggest an Edit
- Select to Yes: Place is permanently closed or has never existed
- Select: Private place or home
- Submit
If the business for some reason using an address that is listed as commercial, it may not be approved, equally a this may not be removed straight away and will need a human to verify that this edit is correct. If the edit is disapproved then you will need to Contact Google Business Support.
Scenario 2 Both SAB business listings are verified you will need to request ownership of the duplicate verified listing before it can be removed.
Steps to claiming or requesting ownership of a service area Google business listing:
- Go To: business.google.com/create
- Enter the business details – use the same details
- Click: Continue
- Select to Verify – normally postcard verification
- Once postcard arrives – log back into account enter PIN number
- Message: Ownership Conflict – request access
- Fill in the request access form
- Current listed owner receives request
- Follow process
Full details on requesting ownership of a verified SAB Google business listing process.
After ownership has been transferred you should now delete the listing from your account which will render it as unverified and then you can proceed with removal request.
- Locate the listing Google Maps
- Click: Suggest an Edit
- Select to Yes: Place is permanently closed or has never existed
- Select: Private place or home
- Submit
If you have time constraints, it may just be easier contacting business support to report the duplicate.
How the Merge a Duplicate (SAB) Google Business Listing
Merging a SAB business listing should follow the same criteria as storefront (except the change of address), but involved a rebrand and or you want to retain reviews.
Again you can only request the merging of a SAB listing if it is unverified, if verified follow the above steps to gain ownership and delete from account.
You can then contact business support to request the merge, remember to provide accurate details – Verified Listing to Keep (with URL) and Duplicate Unverified Listing to Merge (with URL)
When all else fails or you are having problems with the ownership transfer request of the verified duplicate page then try the Google My Business Help Forums.