Duplicate Google Business Listings: How to Merge or Remove Them
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If your business appears twice on Google Maps, decide which listing to keep first, then fix the other. A duplicate with no reviews can usually be removed. If both listings have reviews, ask Google to merge them instead, because removing a profile removes its reviews, photos and posts. Google says merged profiles combine their reviews, though replies may be lost.
Why do duplicate listings happen?
- Someone created a new profile instead of updating the old one after a move
- A change of owner, and the new owner started fresh
- A customer or directory added the business to Maps before you claimed it
- A past employee or old agency set one up in their own account
- Separate listings for each service, which Google's guidelines generally don't allow for one business at one location
Why do duplicates hurt?
- Reviews are split across two listings, so neither looks as strong
- Customers may call an old number or drive to an old address
- Google may show the wrong one, or neither, in local results
- Conflicting details can make it harder for Google to trust either profile
How do you choose which listing to keep?
| Check | Keep the listing that... |
|---|---|
| Reviews | Has more genuine reviews |
| Verification | Is verified and in your account |
| Address and phone | Matches where and how you trade now |
| History | Has the photos, posts and Q&A you want to keep |
Before you change anything, screenshot both listings, including reviews and your replies.
What if you own both listings?
- If one has no reviews or useful content, remove it from your account. Google says removing a duplicate you created by mistake doesn't affect your verified listing, but all content and linked managers on the removed profile go with it, so remove the right one (Google).
- If both have reviews, don't remove either. Ask Google to merge them. Google says merging requires both profiles to genuinely represent the same business at the same location (Google).
How do you ask Google to merge or remove a duplicate on Maps?
- Open the duplicate listing on Google Maps.
- Choose Suggest an edit, then the option to close or remove it.
- Select that it is a duplicate of another place, and choose the listing you are keeping.
- Submit. The request is reviewed.
Google says to contact support if you suggested an edit to report a duplicate and haven't heard back within 72 hours, or if you created a new profile by mistake instead of updating your address. When profiles are merged, reviews are combined, but replies to reviews may be lost (Google).
What if you moved or changed owner?
Update the existing profile rather than creating a new one. If a new profile was created because of a move or change of ownership, Google says you can contact support to move reviews from the old profile to the new one, though not every change qualifies (Google).
What if you don't own the duplicate?
- Request access to it through Google Business Profile. The current owner is given time to respond.
- If you can't get access, report it as a duplicate on Maps using Suggest an edit.
- If your own legitimate listing was wrongly marked as a duplicate of a different business, contact support to appeal (Google).
What mistakes make it worse?
- Marking a real listing as permanently closed to hide it. It tells customers you've shut down.
- Deleting the listing that holds your reviews.
- Renaming one listing or changing its category to make the two look identical.
- Creating yet another new profile to start clean.
- Adding keywords to the name while you are fixing things. Google's guidelines say this can lead to suspension (Google).
If your profile is suspended during the process, see Google Business Profile suspended.
How do you find all your duplicate listings?
Before you fix anything, make a complete list. Owners often find a third or fourth listing once they start looking.
- Search your business name on Google Maps, on a phone and a computer, signed out of your Google account
- Search your phone number in quotes, and any old phone numbers you've used
- Search your current and old addresses
- Search your old business name, if you've ever changed it
- Check the profiles listed in your Google Business Profile account, including ones you'd forgotten about
Record each listing's name, address, phone, number of reviews and whether you manage it. That list makes every later step faster. It also gives you something clear to show support if you need to ask for help, and a baseline to check against once the fix is done.
How do you protect your reviews and replies before a merge?
Google says merged profiles combine their reviews, but your replies to those reviews may not carry over (Google). A little preparation means you don't lose anything you'd want to keep.
- Screenshot every review on both listings, with your replies, before you request the merge
- Save your best photos and any posts you want to reuse
- Note your total review count and average rating on each listing
- After the merge, check the combined count and re-reply to important reviews if your replies are missing
- Keep the screenshots for at least a year in case you need to raise a support case later
Re-replying takes a few minutes and shows future customers that you respond to feedback, which is part of what makes a profile look active and trustworthy.
What should you tell Google support?
If you need to contact support, a clear, short message gets a faster result than a long story. Include:
| Detail | Example |
|---|---|
| The listing to keep | Its name, address and a link to it on Google Maps |
| The duplicate | Its name, address and Maps link |
| Why they're the same business | "Same business, same location; the second was created by mistake after we moved in March" |
| What you want | "Please merge the duplicate into the listing we manage" |
| Proof | Signage photo, business name registration, a recent invoice with the current address |
Keep a copy of the case number and the date you contacted them. If you don't hear back, follow up on the same case rather than starting a new one.
How do you stop duplicates happening again?
Most duplicates come from someone starting fresh instead of editing what already exists. A few habits prevent that.
- Keep the profile in an account the business owns, not a staff member's or agency's personal account
- Add a second trusted manager, so you're never locked out
- When you move, rename or change owner, edit the existing profile. See how to change your business name or address on Google
- Tell staff and contractors not to create Google listings for the business
- Check Google Maps for your business every few months
Google isn't the only place duplicates appear. Old listings on directories, review sites and industry associations can carry outdated phone numbers and addresses for years.
- Search your business name and old phone numbers to find them
- Claim and update the listings you can, and ask for duplicates to be removed
- Make every listing match your Google profile exactly
See is your business listed the same everywhere? and our guide to Australian business directories.
Check again a few weeks after the merge or removal has gone through.
- Search Google Maps for your name, phone and address, and confirm only one listing appears
- Check your review count includes the reviews you expected to keep
- Compare calls, direction requests and website clicks in your performance report before and after (Google). See reading your performance report
- Look for the duplicate reappearing over the next few months, especially after any change to your details
Morphic sorts out duplicate, lost and suspended Google Business Profiles for Melbourne small businesses. Get a free quote, or book a 30-minute call.
Related service. Google Business Profile management.
Related reading: How to Change Your Business Name or Address on Google, Why Did My Google Reviews Disappear? and Is Your Business Listed the Same Everywhere?.
Key Takeaways
Decide which listing to keep before changing anything, and screenshot both.
Remove a duplicate only if it has no reviews or content you need.
If both have reviews, ask Google to merge them; reviews combine but replies may be lost.
After a move or change of owner, update the existing profile rather than creating a new one.
Never mark your real business as permanently closed to hide a duplicate.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
