How To Report and Remove Fake or Duplicate Google Business Profile Listings
With the increasing number of businesses competing to make their mark in the digital landscape, staying authentic and avoiding duplicating profiles or products can become challenging. While you remain authentic and original, you might likely face duplicate or fake profiles of your business. Among many online directories that enable you to establish a business profile and reach a broader base of potential customers, one of the most reliable and efficient platforms is Google Business Profile.
It helps brands build reliable and prominent business profiles to increase their online presence and search ranking. Duplicate or fake profiles on Google Business listings can create negative impressions of your brand, impacting your previous and new customers, SEO efforts, and search rankings.
They can confuse or mislead customers with numerous business listings. Multiple listings for the same business also go against Google’s guidelines of brand representation and can lead to many technical issues. This article explores methods of avoiding, reporting, and removing such duplicate or fake Google Business Profile listings.
What is Google Business Profile?
Google Business Profile, previously known as Google My Business, is Google’s platform for building and maintaining your business’s online presence. It updates your business on Google searches and other applications, like Google Maps and Reviews. You can create your business profile with your Name, Address, Phone number (NAP information), website link, operational hours, and photos.
Google verifies your business information and allows you to create a personalized business profile with customizable product information, photos, and offers. You can also add pictures of your storefront or service area and handle your business’s first impression for your customers. There are several benefits of Google Business Profile, including enhancing your search engine performance and ranking and making it easy for potential new customers to find you.
So, to create a verified and authentic business profile on Google, ensure adherence to Google’s policies for business profiles and avoid its violations by ensuring there are no fake listings of your business on Google.
Understanding Fake and Duplicate Listings
Before diving into the reporting process, it's important to understand what constitutes a fake or duplicate listing. A fake listing often includes incorrect information about a business—such as wrong addresses, phone numbers, or services offered—created either by competitors seeking to harm your reputation or malicious individuals looking to scam unsuspecting customers. On the other hand, duplicate listings occur when multiple profiles exist for the same business, which can confuse potential clients and dilute your online presence.
Why are Fake Profiles Created?
There are several reasons why fake or duplicate Google Business Profile listings might be created, including intentionally and unintentionally created listings.
- One reason is that several people have added the same business on Google Maps without any bad intent, which adds all these listings to Google Businesses.
- Sometimes, people from the same business may unknowingly create more than one business listing. For instance, an old employee may have made an incomplete listing for your business, and you created another without knowing about the previous one.
- A malicious and dangerous reason why fake listings get created is scammers. These are the listings that can potentially harm your business image. They could do this to hold the listing and use it to get money from the owners.
Fortunately, Google has strict criteria for business ownership and eligibility, which marks out the business listing created through the above means and may be duplicates or fake. Google’s policies make reporting and removing such listings convenient and easy for its users.
Identifying Fake or Duplicate Listings
The first step in addressing the issue is to identify any fake or duplicate listings associated with your business. Start by searching for your business name on Google, and check the results carefully. Look for listings that do not correspond to your official business information. Note down details such as the business name, address, phone number, and any images associated with the listing. If you notice discrepancies or multiple listings for the same business, it’s time to take action.
Reporting Fake Listings
Once you've identified a fake listing, reporting it to Google is crucial. Here’s how:
Claim Your Business Profile: If you haven't already done so, claim your Google Business Profile. This will give you authority over the official listing, making it easier to manage any issues.
Go to Google Maps: Navigate to Google Maps and find the fake listing. Click on it to open the detailed view.
Suggest an Edit: In the business profile, click on "Suggest an edit." Here, you’ll have options to report the listing as "permanently closed" or to correct specific information.
Select 'Remove this place': For listings that are clearly fake, select “Remove this place” and follow the prompts to explain why you believe the listing is fraudulent. Be sure to provide as much detail as possible.
Use the Report a Problem Tool: You can also use the “Report a problem” tool available at the bottom of the listing. This will allow you to specify why the listing should be taken down.
Submit Your Request: After providing the necessary details, submit your request. Google reviews all reports but note that the process may take some time.
Removing Duplicate Listings
If you've identified duplicate listings for your business, you can remove them through the following steps:
Access Google Business Profile Manager: Log in to your Google Business Profile Manager. Make sure you’re managing the correct location.
Identify Duplicates: Search for duplicate listings. These might appear similar or have minor differences in their names or addresses.
Mark as Duplicate: For each duplicate, click on the listing and select “Manage location.” From here, you can choose the option to mark the listing as a duplicate of another location.
Consolidate Information: Make sure to consolidate all customer reviews, photos, and other valuable information from the duplicate listing into your primary profile. This will ensure that you maintain your hard-earned reviews and customer interactions.
Contact Google Support: If you encounter difficulties with the above methods, reaching out directly to Google Business support may be necessary. They can provide additional guidance on removing duplicates.
Best Practices to Prevent Future Issues
After successfully reporting and removing fake or duplicate listings, consider implementing best practices to prevent future occurrences:
Regular Monitoring: Regularly check Google for any new listings related to your business. Setting up Google Alerts for your business name can help you stay informed about changes.
Encourage Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile. A high volume of legitimate positive reviews can help overshadow fake ones.
Engage With Customers: Actively engage with customers who leave reviews, both positive and negative. Prompt responses demonstrate that you value customer feedback and enhance your profile’s authenticity.
Educate Employees: Ensure that all employees are aware of your official business contact details and processes for reporting fake listings. Consistent messaging will reduce the chances of misinformation spreading.
Use Social Media: Promote your official Google Business Profile through social media channels. By directing customers to your verified profile, you help reduce the impact of any potential fake listings.
Conclusion
Maintaining an accurate and trustworthy Google Business Profile is vital for your business's success. Fake and duplicate listings can undermine your efforts, leading to customer confusion and loss of credibility. By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively report and remove these misleading entries while safeguarding your brand's reputation. Stay vigilant and proactive in managing your online presence, and don't hesitate to seek assistance from Google's support team if needed. Remember, your business deserves to shine authentically in the digital landscape!
Related Articles:
How to Rank Higher on Google Maps - Tips and Tricks
10 Effective Ways and Tips to Get Customers to Leave Reviews