Duplicate listings on Google Business Profile (GBP) can negatively affect your local SEO efforts and confuse potential customers. When more than one profile exists for the same business, it may lead to inconsistent information, divide reviews, and cause ranking issues. Managing and eliminating these duplicate listings is essential for maintaining a solid online presence, especially for home service companies that rely on local visibility. Real Time Marketing specializes in Google Business Profile management services, and we’re here to delve deeper into handling duplicate listings effectively.
Why Duplicate Listings Happen
Duplicate listings on GMB marketing can occur for several reasons. Sometimes, a business owner creates a new listing without realizing an existing one is already active. They can also be created unintentionally when a business moves or changes its name, leading to a new listing instead of updating the original. In other cases, duplicates are auto-generated by Google from data scraped from the web, such as public directories or social media profiles. Regardless of the cause, addressing duplicate listings is essential for maintaining a consistent and accurate online profile.
Certain businesses, especially those in the service industry, may intentionally create multiple listings in an attempt to rank higher in various locations, although this practice can backfire and lead to penalties.
The Problems Duplicate Listings Cause
Duplicate listings can hurt your business in several ways. First, they can divide your customer reviews across different profiles, weakening the impact of your overall reputation. Second, duplicates may provide conflicting information—such as different addresses or phone numbers—leading to lost business when customers can’t reach you. Additionally, duplicate listings can negatively affect your local SEO, as Google might struggle to determine which GMB service listing is the most accurate, potentially lowering your overall rankings in search results.
Identifying Duplicate Listings
Before you can resolve duplicate listings, you need to identify them. Start by searching for your business name in Google Maps and Google Search. Pay attention to any variations in how your business name, address, or phone number appears. You can also use tools like Google Business Profile Manager, which will show if there are any suspected duplicates associated with your account. Third-party tools such as Moz Local and BrightLocal can also help scan for duplicate listings across various directories.
Merging or Removing Duplicate Listings
If the duplicates are verified under your ownership, Google allows you to merge them. You can do this by contacting Google Business Profile support or using the “Report a Problem” link in your account. If you don’t have ownership of the duplicate, you can request access or report the listing as a duplicate.
When merging, Google typically combines all reviews and data from both profiles into one listing, keeping the primary one active. In cases where the duplicate provides entirely wrong information, such as an incorrect address or phone number, it’s best to request its removal instead.
Keeping Your GBP Listing Accurate
Make sure all business information, such as your name, address, and phone number (NAP), is consistent across your website, social media, and all online directories. Regularly monitoring your Google Business Profile as well as using online tools like a Google Business Profile rank checker can help you stay on top of any discrepancies or inaccuracies that can lead to duplicate listings.
Streamline Your Online Presence
By properly managing and eliminating duplicate listings on your Google Business Profile, you can rest assured that potential customers are receiving accurate information about your business and have a positive experience when interacting with your brand online. Real Time Marketing is your one-stop shop for all your online marketing needs. We specialize in local SEO, Google Ads management, and website design to help you reach more local customers and grow your business. Book a consultation today!
