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How do I manage ‘duplicates’ in Google Business Profile?

Understand the different types of duplicates in GBP and how to manage them

Below are the different scenarios for duplicate locations and the actions you can take to fix them

1. Both locations are verified and published in Google Maps

Google Maps did not recognize that some of the information for these locations was the same. This might be because the information for both locations was not exactly the same when they were created. For example, if one location was entered as a business and one as a residence, Google would not be able to tell that they were duplicates.

The next step for these two profiles is to merge them.
For Google to merge the profiles one must be unclaimed.

Below you will find the process of how to merge two published Google Business Profile Locations.

Step-by-step guide to merge two Google Business Profile locations

In order to be eligible for merging locations you have to fulfil some requirements.

1. Have at least ownership rights of both locations.

2. You need to ensure that both locations have identical data saved in their profile (same name, address, category, phone number and homepage)

3. Once you aligned the business information you have to remove the location you would like merge from your Google Business Profile account and keep the location that you wish to manage in your account.

To remove the location from your account, please:

  • Select the location in your Google Business Profile account by ticking the checkbox next to the location’s Store Code
  • Choose “Actions” on the top right and select “Remove Location” from the drop down

4. Search in Google Maps for the location that you would like to merge. The location should now be unclaimed.
Click on the “Suggest an edit” button at the bottom of the profile. Then, click on “Close or remove” and select “Duplicate of another place” as the reason.

5. In case you would like to speed up the merging process contact the Google Business Profile Support after you have removed the location from your account and suggested an edit

Get in Contact with Google Business Profile Support

To get in touch with the Google Business Profile Support click here.

Please select the following to get to the contact options:

Find a solution -> Business information & edits -> Remove duplicate locations

Once done pick the contact option which suits you best.

If you own only one profile:

First, you must get ownership of both before they can be merged.

To start this process, request access the listing you do not have control over and it will prompt you on how you can get control from the existing owner.

2. Both locations are published in Google Maps but one is unclaimed

Go into Google Maps and get the URL for both the verified and the unverified one and write them down. Reach out to Google Business Profile support and ask them to merge both profiles.

Alternatively, although this action might take longer, you can go to the unclaimed listing profile and click on “Suggest an edit” >  “Close or remove” > “Duplicate of another place” . See previous scenario for the step-by-step process with pictures.

3. Location is marked as “Duplicate” in Google Business Profile account

Click on the location showing the “Duplicate” status in your Google Business Profile account.

If your location is showing the following message, it means the published location is owned and has been verified by a third party.

You can click on “Request access” to fill out the form to request ownership access to the current owner. You can also do this through the platform.

The current owner has the possibility to grant you ownership, deny or ignore your request. If they decide to deny or ignore your request, you will be given the possibility to request the code and verify the location manually. Once this process is done, you will gain complete ownership of the location.

If you have a message that redirects you to another listing you already have that is managed by you, then this ‘duplicate’ can simply be removed. Locations marked as ‘Duplicate’ in your Google Business Profile are not published on Google Maps. If you wish to remove it, select the location, then click on “Actions” on the top right and then select “Remove location”.

4. Location is marked as “Duplicate” in Google Business Profile account but it is a different location

In this case Google believes the location is a duplicate of an existing location that is published and verified. It could be that both locations are very similar and close to each other which has cause Google to mark it as a duplicate.

You must contact Google Business Profile support to state your case and prove the location is indeed not a duplicate. They typically request a store front picture to prove the business is independent of the other.

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