Duplicate Google Listings - How To Remove When Not The Owner Of The Duplicate Listing

[dateinadash]

Hi everyone,

I have a business verified on GMB for 10 years or so.

Recently numerous other duplicate profiles have appeared under the same name (well slightly different) for my business. The reason for this is because we are an events company and we run events at various pubs, bars etc Google has picked up the physical address of some of these venues and has created listings for us at the actual venue. So, not only is it a duplicate listing for our business but it's also a duplicate for the actual venue.

I have tried to remove the duplicate by clicking 'edit' and suggesting that it doesn't exist but Google has come back and said it can't verify my edit.

I cannot claim any of the listings to edit the location so they no longer appear for my keywords because I do not have access to verify the address. They are asking for a video verification and it's not my location so this doesn't work.

I don't want to mark is as permenatley closed as this could have a negative effect on my business.

I have already submitted a ticket to Google and they basically responded with suggestions on how to remove it all of which i've tried and failed. They said they had escalated and appropriate action has been taken but they are all still there.

Why is this a problem?

Well, if you Google 'DateinaDash' which is my brand about 12 listings appear so it's a little confusing but also we are now getting reviews split across different properties. The main reason though is in the last few weeks i've noticed my website not appearing for our main keywords like 'Speed Dating' or 'Speed Dating London' in the map pack. Not only are we not appearing on the first page of Google in positions 1-3 (we are always position 1) but when you click to view other listings we are NOWHERE to be found. Our listing is active so there must be some sort of issue caused by the multiple listings that is giving us this problem. We are #1 organically for the same keyword so authority wise our website is better than the others and our GMB is well optimised with daily updates, photos, physical address in centre of London and the most reviews out of everyone.

Please can someone help me escalate this matter so that we can only have one page on GMB?

Thanks, Rob.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

What was Google business profile supports recommendation that you tried and didn't work? I'm surprised that the suggest an edit didn't work, especially if they are unclaimed duplicates.

If suggesting an edit doesn't work, the next best thing to try is to ask Google support to merge the duplicates into the correct listing.

 

[dateinadash]

What was Google business profile supports recommendation that you tried and didn't work? I'm surprised that the suggest an edit didn't work, especially if they are unclaimed duplicates.

If suggesting an edit doesn't work, the next best thing to try is to ask Google support to merge the duplicates into the correct listing.

Well, they are not 100% duplicates. So, my listing title is 'DateinaDash - Speed Dating Events in London' and the other profiles are just 'DateinaDash' and at different addresses. All the addresses are other businesses which are already on maps (they are the physical venues we use to host the events) so Google must have automatically created them based on data it's scalped online thinking we exist there just because we run a few events there.

I can't claim the listing to close it edit it / remove because it asks me to verify it with video inside the place and I don't have access. I don't want to merge the listings into my one as this will cause more problems. I have marked them as duplicate on Google and it came back as 'this change can't be made as we can't verify it'. When you search for 'DateinaDash' normally my profile appears but now about 12 do. Reviews are also being left on other profiles now.

The main problem is my page is not appearing now for any searches which it used to in position 1. E.g. 'speed dating london' or 'speed dating' not only does it vanish from the map pack but when you expand it it's not there in the group AT ALL. The listing appears if you search by it's name so it's not suspended or anything. I can only put the issue down to the multiple listings and some sort of conflict in the algorithm.

Google's advise was the above steps (mark as duplicate, mark as closed etc.) I have marked one as close but I didn't want to do it as now when you search it appears as though we might be shut down. I have asked them to remove this one. I have managed to change the names of the other listings bar one to the real name of the venue and these changes have been approved so i'm hoping in 24 hours or so they won't appear when you search for my brand anymore.

The last location left is my old home address which I might need to actually visit to take a video in order to claim it to close it down.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

All the addresses are other businesses which are already on maps (they are the physical venues we use to host the events) so Google must have automatically created them based on data it's scalped online thinking we exist there just because we run a few events there.

Yes, that would be considered a duplicate. I recently had to do something similar and Google actually did tell me to mark the duplicate as permanently closed and after that they were able to move it into the correct listing. This sounds pretty complicated so you might want to post over at the Google business profile forum.

 

[keyserholiday]

Yes, that would be considered a duplicate. I recently had to do something similar and Google actually did tell me to mark the duplicate as permanently closed and after that they were able to move it into the correct listing. This sounds pretty complicated so you might want to post over at the Google business profile forum.

These were all fraudulent lead generation business profiles. I was able to remove all of them. Please allow a few hours for them to stop showing up.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Or you can just sick Jason on the listings and he'll take care of them. That was my second suggestion

 

[keyserholiday]

Or you can just sick Jason on the listings and he'll take care of them. That was my second suggestion

When I am not taking shots of Iced Tea, I am taking shots at lead generation business profiles.

 

[JS Girard]

What's your trick, Jason? I've been occasionally taking potshots at this profile, which OPENLY describes itself as a "platform to receive quotes" in the description, but since it's in French, I can't seem to get it suspended.

 

[keyserholiday]

What's your trick, Jason? I've been occasionally taking potshots at this profile, which OPENLY describes itself as a "platform to receive quotes" in the description, but since it's in French, I can't seem to get it suspended.

A. I have a lot of approved edits. B. These were unclaimed business profiles.
The issue is this is a claimed business profile with exterior signage. If you do an address search, you can redress all of their businesses at that location for removal.

 

[JS Girard]

The issue is this is a claimed business profile with exterior signage. If you do an address search, you can redress all of their businesses at that location for removal.

Oh. I'll admit it didn't cross my mind that they could've had signage! I'll try that.

Unclaimed duplicates are my favorite to deal with too lol, Just aim and shoot.

 

[keyserholiday]

I always look at Streetview first. The signage on the building clued me into the fact they have multiple businesses at that address. This was confirmed when i looked up the address.

 

[Claudia]

Thanks for all you do Jason!