Duplicate Google Places Listings

Duplicate listings can cause major havoc on your rankings in the maps in google places. If you have discovered there are duplicate listings for your business on Google places there is a way to correct these listings by merging them. Follow these suggested steps to remove the duplicate listings.

Decide which listing you want to keep in your account, the listing you currently have control of or the duplicate listing you have discovered. In most cases the advised option is to keep the listing you currently have control of and have been optimizing. However there are a few instances in which you will want to use the duplicate listing. Perform a local search within Google Places for your company name and see which business listing Google places first.  The first matching listing is the stronger source for your business.  Once you have decided make sure that you have made this listing 100% complete with descriptions, photos, business hours, categories, additional details and offers. This is also referred to as the enhanced content. If using the listing you currently have control over that should all be done already. Next find the duplicate listing or listings, click on owner verified, log in with the google account you have your current listing in, then begin claiming this listing. Remove any enhanced content that is present in the listing. The only fields that should have information present are the required fields with asterisks, Business name, telephone number, and address. Make sure this information matches the listing you will be keeping exactly. Now submit these changes and verify as necessary by phone or postcard.

Leave the listings alone for the next few weeks until the analytics on the impressions and actions are the exact same, this indicates the listings have synched and become 1 listing.  To take that 1 extra step to verify they have synched, publish an update from one listings dashboard, then view both listings on google to verify of the update is present on both. Repeat this step with the other listing. Once you are certain the listings have synched you will delete the duplicate listing. Select the option “remove this listing from my Local Business Center Account”.