Are you dealing with the headache of having to merge duplicate Google Business Profiles? 

Worry not, for we’ve got the playbook to help you effortlessly merge those duplicates, ensuring that your online presence stays seamless and effective. 

Let’s dive right in.

Identifying Duplicate Google Business Profiles

Understanding the Impact of Duplicate Profiles

Having to merge duplicate Google Business Profiles can wreak havoc on your online presence. 

Not only do they confuse potential customers, but they can also harm your local SEO rankings. 

So, let’s start by understanding the impact of these pesky duplicates.

Spotting Duplicate Google Business Profiles

Before you can merge duplicate Google Business Profiles, you need to find them. 

Duplicates might crop up for various reasons – a change of address, multiple employees claiming the business, or simple oversight. 

Here are some ways to check for duplicate Google Business Profile listings

Search for Your Business: 

Begin by searching for your business on Google. 

Look for multiple listings of your business on the search results page. 

These may appear under different addresses or with slight variations in the business name.

Investigate Employee Listings: 

If you have multiple employees managing your Google Business Profile, check whether any of them have created separate profiles for the same business.

Check for Closed or Moved Locations:

If your business has moved or closed a location, ensure that the old address isn’t listed as a separate profile.

Do a Google search for your old business address and see if there are any listings of your business.

Search for Business Name Variations: 

Look for variations in your business name, such as abbreviations or misspellings, as these can lead to duplicates.

By following these steps, you can effectively identify and merge duplicate Google Business Profiles.

4 Step Process to Merge duplicate Google business profiles

Duplicate profiles identified, it’s time to take action.

Merging them isn’t as daunting as it may seem when you follow these steps:

Step 1: Claim Ownership of Duplicate Profiles

1. Start by signing in to your Google account.

2. Visit the Google Business Profile for the duplicate listing you want to merge.

3. Click on the “Own this business?” or “Claim this business” option.

4. Follow the prompts to verify your connection to the business.

5. Google may send you a postcard or allow phone verification to prove your ownership.

This step is crucial, as it establishes your authority over these pages.

Step 2: Verify Ownership of the Main Profile

1. Sign in to the Google account associated with the primary business profile.

2. Access the Google My Business dashboard.

3. If you have multiple locations, select the main profile.

4. Navigate to the “Info” section and look for “Profile short name.”

5. Click “Copy” next to the Profile short name to obtain the Google Business Profile ID.

To merge duplicate Google business profiles, you must have ownership rights to the main profile. 

This step is pivotal in ensuring you have access to the primary listing.

Step 3: Request Verification for Duplicate Profiles

1. Sign in to the Google account that claimed the duplicate profile.

2. Access the Google Business Profile dashboard for the duplicate listing.

3. Navigate to the “Info” section.

4. Click on “Verify now” or a similar verification option.

5. Follow the prompts to complete the verification process.

Step 4: Contact Google Support (Last Resort)

1. If you encounter challenges during the merging process, visit the Google My Business Help Center.

2. Click on the “Contact Us” button, or visit the Google support page.

3. Choose the most relevant issue category, such as “Ownership conflict.”

4. Describe the situation, including the duplicate profiles and your ownership.

5. Submit your request, and Google Support will get in touch to assist you.

Best Practices for Preventing Duplicates

Prevention is always better than a cure, and the same holds true for avoiding having to merge duplicate Google Business Profiles. 

Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Keeping NAP Consistent

NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. 

Consistency in these details across the web is crucial to ensure that customers can find and contact you for your services or products.

Aswell as making sure that potential customers aren’t getting lost and frustrated trying to find your business and services.

Regularly Monitoring Your Profile

Regularly monitoring your Google Business Profile and your Google Maps can save you from the trouble of duplicate profiles.

Helping you to avoid possible Google penalties and potential customer confusion when trying to find your business.

Avoiding Multiple Accounts

It’s tempting to have multiple accounts for your business, especially when you have various branches. 

Having different accounts for different branches is a useful tool to connect with the different locations of your branches.

But make sure that your profiles are specific to each branch and aren’t duplicate accounts in different areas.

Conclusion

With this guide, you’re armed with the knowledge needed to merge duplicate Google Business Profiles efficiently. 

So with this newfound knowledge are you going to merge duplicate Google Business Profiles today?

Or use it to make sure that no duplicate profiles show up?

Once you have merged your profiles, check out our complete Google business profile guide to help you get on top of your profile.