Need Assistance with a Duplicate GBP

[Matt Chauhan]

We are working with a Plumber in North Riverside, IL. A few months ago, we encountered a duplicate GBP for his business. When we reached out to our client about it, he said that the address in the duplicate GBP is of his old shop. He had access to the duplicate profile and made us managers on the profile. When he gave us access to it, the GBP was not verified. He was getting an option to verify the duplicate GBP by postcard. He somehow got ahold of that postcard at his old shop address and verified his profile. However, after a couple of days, Google rejected that and asked for another verification via video submission. Now, the client can't record a video because he is not working out of his old shop. So, I currently have access to that duplicate profile, but it requires verification.

We then contacted Google Business Profile support and asked them to help merge or delete that duplicate profile from Google Search and Maps. We have reached a dead end with them. They say that "the merging can not be done because one Business profile is inactive and contains different business addresses, categories, etc."

They also mentioned that "a duplicate Business profile can only be marked as permanently closed, or you can also delete the Business profile, please. We will be unable to remove the duplicate profile permanently from Google search, please."

We have also tried suggesting edits directly from Maps, but Google doesn't seem to take any action.

What is the best way to remove the duplicate profile from Google?

 

[JS Girard]

In my experience, for unverified profiles where salvaging the reviews is not crucial, it's easier to shot them down ("doesn't exists here", "moved", "private location" etc) than to bother tried to merge them, which can lead to all sort of issues along the way. I like to combine @Phil Rozek 's trick of multiple edits redone at regular intervals.

 

[keyserholiday]

Google won't merge two GBPs if they have different addresses. The suggested edits are not being accepted because a review was posted four months ago.

You can attempt to claim the GBP with the correct updated address and wait for Google to mark one as a duplicate, but this is risky. You can file out the redressal form and explain that the business is not located here. Here is the CID to use: Chicago Sewer And Drain Professionals · 647 W 47th St, Chicago, IL 60609

 

[keyserholiday]

Google accepted one of my edits, and it is now marked as closed. Let's see if they accept my other that it doesn't exist.

 

[JS Girard]

Google accepted one of my edits, and it is now marked as closed. Let's see if they accept my other that it doesn't exist.

Once it's marked as closed, it usually won't accept any edit of any sorts.

 

[keyserholiday]

Once it's marked as closed, it usually won't accept any edit of any sorts.

Not true; I am have gotten countless permanently closed GBPs removed.

 

[JS Girard]

Not true; I am have gotten countless permanently closed GBPs removed.

I mean, in the cases I've seen, I've always had to reopen them to get any other edits (including suppression) to actually go through. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's not happened to me yet.

 

[keyserholiday]

Here is one example. I marked it as closed and then said, doesn't exist.

 

[JS Girard]

Well, on my end, my edit were rejected the immediately after it became closed lol

 

[keyserholiday]

Well, on my end, my edit were rejected the immediately after it became closed lol

I may have done a few edits from time to time.

 

[Phil Rozek]

@JS Girard, what @keyserholiday said. Not only can edits sometimes stick to "permanently closed" pages, but I've found also that those pages are even more susceptible to getting removed. When you can get a spammy page marked as "permanently closed," it's more likely Google will remove it altogether after a follow-up edit. Whether that edit is "doesn't exist" or "spam" or "not open to the public" is situational, of course.

 

[JS Girard]

@JS Girard, what @keyserholiday said. Not only can edits sometimes stick to "permanently closed" pages, but I've found also that those pages are even more susceptible to getting removed. When you can get a spammy page marked as "permanently closed," it's more likely Google will remove it altogether after a follow-up edit. Whether that edit is "doesn't exist" or "spam" or "not open to the public" is situational, of course.

I've been using your weekly/biweekly repeat + "throw everything at the wall" approach and it's proven pretty good so far

 

[keyserholiday]

@JS Girard, what @keyserholiday said. Not only can edits sometimes stick to "permanently closed" pages, but I've found also that those pages are even more susceptible to getting removed. When you can get a spammy page marked as "permanently closed," it's more likely Google will remove it altogether after a follow-up edit. Whether that edit is "doesn't exist" or "spam" or "not open to the public" is situational, of course.

I believe Google scraped bad data and created a bunch of unclaimed GBPs. They were outranking legitimate GBPs, and I had a lot of success removing them.

 

[Phil Rozek]

I'm glad to hear that, @JS Girard; thanks for the intel.