Duplicate Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business Listings) can have a serious impact on your actual profile from getting suspended to getting filtered out on searches, so you need to deal with this issue as soon as you can. That’s why I built this easy to follow guide on how to remove duplicate Google Business Profiles.

I will start with some important notes before removing the duplicate(s), then show how to remove the Google Business profile duplicates and end with frequently asked questions (which includes a guide to find all the duplicates of your Google Business Profile (GBP) and how profile duplicates are created)

What is a Duplicate Google Business Profile

A duplicate is an additional listing for a business profile that already has a listing. A business may have more than 1 duplicate, so it is always good to check for more duplicates.

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Important Notes Before Removing the Duplicate(s)

• Before following any instructions below, always make sure you check both listings to see if any reviews need to be moved. If there is, please check first my guide: How to merge duplicate Google Business Profiles

• We have 4  scenarios when it comes to resolving the duplicates issue:

1. The duplicate(s) is unverified, follow the steps in the next section to remove the duplicate(a)

2. The duplicate is verified and managed by you with Duplicate Warning.
   • Click on the duplicate location you want to remove, make sure that you’re not removing the wrong location.

3. The duplicate is verified and managed by you without Duplicate Warning:
   • Remove yourself and other users from the duplicate Google Business Profile
   • Then, follow the steps in the next section to remove the duplicate(a)

4. The duplicate is verified and managed by someone else without Duplicate Warning
   • Follow these instructions to request access to the listing
   • Then follow the steps in the next section to remove the duplicate(a)

How to Remove Duplicate Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business Listings)

1. Open Google Maps – https://www.google.com/maps/
2. Find the location you want to report
3. Click “Suggest an edit”
4. Mark the location as “Close or Remove”
5. Select “Duplicate of another place” as the reason
6. Choose the correct listing 
7. Press “Send”
8. After 3 days, Contact Google support to delete the duplicate. Advise them of the duplicate issue and give them the Map link for both listings. Be really clear of what you want so Support will not end up closing the correct listing.

Remove Google Business Profile Duplicates Screenshot Steps

1. Open Google Maps – https://www.google.com/maps/

2. Find the location you want to report

3. Click “Suggest an edit”

4. Mark the location as “Close or Remove”

5. Select “Duplicate of another place” as the reason

6. Choose the correct listing 

7. Press “Send”

8. After 3 days, Contact Google Business Profile support to delete the duplicate. Advise them of the duplicate issue and give them the Map link for both listings. Be really clear of what you want so Support will not end up closing the correct listing.

If you are a member of GMBpedia- Google Business Profile (Google My Business) Training you should be logging for additional resources, for example, templates to request support to delete the duplicate.

Google Business Profile Duplicates FAQ

How to Find Google Business Profile Duplicates Guide

I will start with a question: why should you try to find duplicates of your Google Business Profile? Because of the Possum…filter. The Possum is the code name for a Google Local Algorithm update released in 2016 and makes similar businesses profiles be filtered out of the Google Search and Maps local results.

In other words, if you have duplicates your genuine listing could be filtered out and not appear to customers.

Also, your business profile can be suspended, deleted or merged with a duplicate… losing reviews, photos, business, etc…

How to Find Google Business Profile Duplicates Steps

1. Go to Google Search and search for: “your business name” + “city/town/village” 

2. Check if it triggers a branded Knowledge Panel  like the below example, if a Knowledge Panel appears, you need to confirm if it is the listing you manage. If not, you found your first duplicate

3.  Now, you search for “Your business address” (it can be your home address, if it is your registered business address) »

4. Check if it triggers a Map Panel  like the below example. If there is more than one business just check if any of those listings are duplicates

5. Optional Step  If your business was at another location(s) previously or had a different name(s), search again using the past business information.
6. Perform the first search again: “your business name” + “city/town/village”, but this time click on the “Maps” button to check if you find more duplicate profiles as you zoom in and out, like the example below:

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7. Use this free tool PlePer Tools – Find duplicate Google Business Profiles to find duplicates. In my GMBpedia training, I show how to use this tool.

What to do when you find duplicates

You found one or more duplicate profiles of your business and now what?

First, you copy the Google Business Profile Map link into a spreadsheet or word document…

» Then, you need to check if the profile is unclaimed or was claimed by someone else already –  either the previous owner or… a total stranger not related to the business, scary but it happens often.

Is a duplicate Google Business Profile harmful?

It can be harmful to both business owners and customers. Why:

• Duplicate listings can split reviews, 
• Duplicate listings can outrank or filter the main listing. They are competing for the same spot and Google may not choose the one you want to show to the user. 
• Cause confusion to consumers and Google´s distrust  and searchers alike. 
• Removal/Suspension of the Main Listing. Your competitors and consumers may mark your business as permanently closed, non-existent or Spam.  Worse, Google finds your duplicate and suspends your listing in violation of their terms.
• Loss of traffic/revenue as consumers are misdirected.
• The trickle-down effect: other platforms picking up the duplicate Google listing info and creating EVEN MORE duplicate listings to deal with.

How are Google Business Profile duplicates created?

There are a few ways: 

1. Created by Google Maps Users/Local Guides. They can add missing places, including businesses they don’t own to Google Maps. 
2. New listing created as you may forget you created one before or it was created by the previous owner or you lost access details to the listing.19
3. Created automatically by Google AI with information scraped from other online sources, like Business directories, Facebook, Yellow Pages, etc. Unfortunately also creates duplicates when different sources have different information about your business.
4. Spam Listings created by a business against the rules, trying to get greater reach…

Google Business Profile duplicates are harmful so you need to remove them as soon as you can.

Duplicate Google Business Profile is for the same business but an old address?

If the duplicate is for an old address you will need to contact Google Business Profile Support and ask them to mark the old listing as moved and ask to transfer any reviews.

Duplicate Google Business Profile is for the same business but at a wrong address that the business has never existed at?

Go to the Important Notes section and check which scenario relates to your situation and follow the respective steps