Duplicate Google listings can happen for a variety of reasons. They can pose problems for any brand with a Google My Business (which has since been rebranded as Google Business Profile) account such as:
- Confusing potential customers, resulting in loss of traffic and revenue
- Dividing Google reviews among the listings, instead of being concentrated into a single authoritative listing
- Adversely affecting your brand search engine performance
According to customer reviews data, 57% of all reviews are on Google and 63.6% of consumers check Google reviews before visiting a business. If you have a duplicate Google listing, now is the best time to remedy the issue.
How to Know If You Have a Duplicate Google Listing
Google provides two ways to remove or report a duplicate listing. However, companies can avoid the whole issue altogether by using the Google Verify My Business feature.
To find out if your listing is verified, search for it on Google Maps, where you will see one of two results:
- If the listing has an “own this business” or “claim this business” option, it is not currently verified.
- If the listing is missing that label, that means it is verified, and you either already have access to it or need to claim ownership of the listing. You may follow these instructions to claim ownership of a listing that’s already verified.
With a verified business, you can safely fix any duplicate Google listings.
How to Remove a Duplicate Google Listing
If you add a location that’s already been verified, it won’t appear on Google Maps and will be marked as a “Duplicate location” in your account.
If you see this when you log into Google My Business, here’s what you should do:
- In your “Account Summary,” click “Duplicate Locations”.
- Click the location(s) you want to remove.
- Click “Delete This Listing.” If you’re removing multiple locations, click on the three-dotted menu icon and choose the “Remove location” option.
Please note: When you remove the duplicate listing, make sure that you’re not removing the location that’s already been verified. Otherwise, you’ll need to verify that again.
Report Duplicate Locations on Google Maps
A duplicate Google listing can affect your ranking performance on local SEO and the Google Maps Pack. This is why it’s important to remove inaccurate listings and funnel consumer traffic to a more authentic source. Here’s how you can report this problem to Google:
- Open Google Maps, then find the location you want to report.
- Click “Suggest an edit.”
- Click “Close or remove.”
- Click “Duplicate of another place.” Choose the correct location if the option is available.
- Click “Submit.”
How to Prevent Duplicate Google Listings in the Future
As your brand grows, so does the demand to attract even more customers and even open more locations. Eliminating duplicate Google listings for your sole location might be easy, but you need a solution that scales with growth. Local listing management from ReviewTrackers is the best solution for your needs.
In addition to having a centralized location for all of your reviews across multiple sources, ReviewTrackers can also flag errors or duplicate listings for each location. With a few clicks, you can remove the error, making it easier for consumers to find your authentic listing online and further differentiating the brand from the competition.
The Value of Removing Duplicate Google Listings
Removing duplicate listings does more than increase traffic and exposure for your brand; it also gives you the opportunity to have full control of your online presence and establish an early position of trust with a potential customer.
By providing updated and correct information on a listing, you make it easier for people to make an informed decision from a source they know is authentic, which goes a long way to attracting and keeping customers.
