Google listings are essential for building a local business’s online presence. Sometimes, a single location may have multiple Business Profiles on Google Maps, which can lead to information chaos and negatively affect its visibility. In this article, we will discuss step-by-step how to remove a duplicate Google listing, combine several Business Profiles into one, and what to look out for.
Can you have multiple Google listings for the same company (branch, location)?
Every company (branch, location) should only have one Google Business Profile assigned to a specific location. Google does not allow duplicate listings for the same location and business activity, unless several separate businesses operate in one place, e.g., two different stores with different signs. Why? Having multiple Profiles for the same company can mislead customers and weaken its visibility.
For franchise brands, maintaining brand consistency is also crucial. Why it’s worth standardizing franchise brand profiles? You can read about this in the linked article.
Why Do Duplicate Google Business Profiles Occur?
It happens that for various reasons, multiple listings for the same business activity are created. This can apply to large networks with many branches, franchises, and service points, as well as smaller businesses that, for example, have changed location or been registered by different users. The most common causes of duplicate Business Profiles include:
- Change of company location: the company moves to a new place, but the old listing still appears on Google Maps,
- Change of company name or rebranding: the owner creates a new listing with a new name, forgetting to delete or update the old one,
- Registration by multiple users: a company may have several listings if, for example, one employee creates a new listing without knowing about the previous one,
- Automatic creation of listings by Google: it happens that Google itself creates a listing based on data from other sources, e.g., social media or websites,
- Incorrect verification: when a company tries to verify a listing, but the process is not completed, a new Profile may be created.
To avoid these situations, it’s worth regularly checking your Google Profiles and updating data promptly. If a duplicate is detected, it is necessary to take appropriate steps to remove or merge it.
Don’t have access to your Business Profile? Check how to restore a suspended Google Business Profile.
Why Is It Necessary to Remove Duplicate Google Listings?
Leaving multiple listings for the same company can lead to serious consequences, such as:
- Fragmented reviews and ratings: customer reviews may be spread across several listings, which can first weaken the company’s position on Google Maps, and second, prevent potential customers from seeing all reviews and potentially lead them to a listing with a worse average rating,
- Inconsistent information: duplicated listings may contain different contact details or opening hours, which misleads customers,
- Verification issues and Profile suspension: Google may suspend a Profile if it detects conflicting information or duplicates,
- Drop in ranking on Maps and Google Search: Google may treat multiple listings for the same company as an attempt at manipulation, which can result in reduced visibility.
Removing duplicates allows you to organize company data, thereby increasing its credibility in the eyes of customers and Google’s algorithms.
Merging Duplicate Google Business Profiles – what conditions must be met?
How to combine several Google Business Profiles? To do this, several conditions must be met.
- Data consistency: listings must pertain to the same company, location, and industry.
- Owner verification: the owner must have full access to both listings. If access is missing, control over the given Profile must first be taken. More on this in our guide: Claiming Existing Google Business Profiles.
- Data up-to-dateness: both Profiles must contain current and consistent contact details such as address, phone number, and opening hours.
- No conflicts with other listings: if one of the Profiles is associated with a different location or company, the merging procedure will likely be rejected.
- Correct business category: listings must be assigned to the same business category.
Duplicate Google Business Listings – When Can They Be Merged, and When Not?
According to Google’s guidelines, merging listings is only possible when they pertain to the same company operating at one address with identical contact details. Profiles can be combined if the company has changed its name but kept the same address, or if duplicates arose from a failed verification attempt.
Merging listings is not possible for two different companies operating at the same address, e.g., separate stores in a shopping mall – each must have a separate Profile. Similarly, for the same company operating in multiple locations – each should have a separate listing, even if the company name is identical. This will prevent customer confusion and ensure data consistency.
How to Combine Multiple Google Listings into One – Duplicate Merging Procedure
Merging Google listings requires several steps to avoid data loss and errors. To start, you need to find the duplicate.
How to Find a Duplicate of Your Google Listing?
- Search for your business on Google Maps: to identify duplicate Business Profiles, enter your full company name in Google Maps. Review the search results and check if listings with identical contact details appear – pay attention to the address, phone number, and company name. Compare all found results, focusing on differences in name, categories, opening hours, and photos, as these may indicate potential duplicates.
- Check your Google Business Profile: to find your Profile, log in to the Google account associated with it. Then, in the Google search engine, enter your company name and the city where it is located, or simply the phrase “my business.” If two or more Profiles with similar contact details appear, you are likely dealing with duplicates.
- Analyze reviews and ratings on listings: check the reviews assigned to different listings. If the same reviews or similar opinions appear on different Profiles, this may indicate duplicates.
- Compare names and categories: sometimes duplicates differ only in minor details, such as the company name or business category. For example, the listings Auto Serwis Jan Kowalski and Auto Serwis Kowalski may be considered separate entities by Google, even though they pertain to the same business.
How to Merge Google Listings?
If you have successfully identified duplicated Google listings, you can report them as duplicates directly in Google Maps.
- Open Google Maps and search for a place or select it on the map.
- Click Suggest an edit:
- Click Place is closed or doesn’t exist here.
- Select Duplicate of another place and submit the report.
Google may ask for additional information or verification. After the Business Profile merging process is complete, check if the data has been correctly combined.
What Happens After Combining Business Profiles – Will Reviews Also Be Combined?
Merging Google listings usually results in combining reviews and ratings from both Profiles into one. Reviews from duplicates are transferred to the main Profile, which can suddenly increase their number. It is worth remembering that all reviews – both positive and negative – will be combined, which will affect the overall rating of the company. A large number of negative reviews on one of the Profiles can negatively affect the company’s reputation. It is worth preparing for this by monitoring reviews and responding to feedback after merging.
Does Google Automatically Merge Business Listings?
Google may automatically combine listings if the algorithm determines that they pertain to the same company and location. This happens when the system detects identical contact details – address, phone number, company name, or when the company changes location. Unverified Profiles are more susceptible to automatic merging, especially if a verified listing with similar data exists.
Having trouble verifying your Google Business Profile? Check out our guide – Google Business Profile verification.
What are the consequences of automatic listing merging?
Merging Profiles without the owner’s consent can result in the loss of some data, such as photos, reviews, or business categories. If Google incorrectly merges listings for different locations, this can confuse customers and negatively impact the business’s visibility on maps and in search.
How to avoid automatic merging?
To prevent automatic merging, it’s advisable to regularly update data and manually report duplicates for merging. If you are concerned that Google might incorrectly merge Profiles, contacting Google support and reporting the duplicate issue can be helpful.
Can automatic merging be reversed?
Google usually does not reverse automatic merging if it determines that the Profile combination was justified. However, in case of incorrect merging, you can appeal by providing evidence of the listings’ distinctiveness. An example of such a situation is the merging of two Profiles of the same brand, whose physical locations operate close to each other (e.g., two locations of pharmacy X in one mall, but on different floors). Google automatically creates a duplicate that combines both locations. What should you do then?
- You should write to support, providing precise information that these are separate locations.
- It’s worth sending photos showing that these are separate locations.
- Additionally, it’s worth sending a link to a website that states these are not one but two independent locations.
How to Merge Multiple Google Listings into One – Summary
Merging Google listings is a process that helps avoid information chaos and fragmented reviews. To effectively combine Business Profiles, you need to ensure they pertain to the same location and are verified. The merging process can lead to data loss, so it’s advisable to regularly monitor listings and update information. Contact Google support if you don’t know how to combine Google listings.
Sources:
- https://support.google.com/business/answer/145585 [Accessed May 16, 2025]
- https://support.google.com/business/answer/12756178?hl=pl [Accessed May 16, 2025]
- https://support.google.com/maps/answer/10552932?sjid=3281623894458148946-EU#duplicate [Accessed May 16, 2025]
