You’ve got two Google listings for the same shop. Maybe three. One has your reviews, another has the wrong phone number, and Google keeps showing customers the empty one.
This happens more than you’d think. A manager leaves and their replacement can’t access the old account. Someone at head office creates a “fresh” listing after a rebrand. Google itself auto-generates a profile from some directory data nobody even knew existed.
The result? Your business fights itself for visibility. Google sees the duplicates, gets confused about which one to trust, and sometimes just hides all of them from Maps entirely.
If you’re wondering how to merge two Google My Business pages (now called Google Business Profile), or asking yourself “how do I merge two Google business listings”, this guide covers every scenario. We’ve spent years helping businesses across Europe untangle these messes. Here’s exactly how to fix yours.
What Actually Counts as a Duplicate Google Business Listing?
Let’s be specific. A duplicate Google Business listing is when two or more Google Business Profiles (GBP) represent the same business at the same physical address. Not a second branch. Not a separate department with its own entrance and signage. The same business, listed twice.
Google’s position on this is clear – one verified listing per location. Anything extra gets flagged, and flagged listings don’t show up in search results. Understanding Google Business Profile duplicates is the first step toward fixing them.
The tricky part is that duplicate Google Business Profiles often look completely legitimate. They might have reviews, photos, posts. Both could even be verified under different Google accounts. That’s when things get complicated and proper Google Business Profile management becomes essential.
Common Causes of Duplicate Google Business Profiles
Nine times out of ten, nobody creates them maliciously. They just… happen. Understanding these causes helps you prevent future business profile verification issues.
The handover problem. Sarah in marketing set up your Google Business Profile back in 2021. Sarah left. Her login went with her. The new marketing person couldn’t get in, so they started fresh. Now you’ve got two profiles and conflicting business information Google can’t reconcile.
The relocation mistake. You moved premises last year. Instead of updating Google Business information on the existing listing with your new address (which is what Google wants you to do), someone created a brand new profile. The old one’s still floating around with your previous address.
The automation accident. You signed up for some listing management service years ago. It synced your data across platforms, found a slight mismatch somewhere, and helpfully created what it thought was a missing Google profile. Except you already had one.
Google’s own systems. This one’s frustrating. Google scrapes data from directories, business registries, user submissions. Sometimes it creates profiles for businesses it thinks don’t have one – even when they do. You end up needing to fix duplicate map listings you never created.
The franchise tangle. If you’re a franchisee, you might have corporate creating profiles for brand consistency while you’ve got your own local one running. A Specsavers branch in Manchester could easily end up with three listings – one from head office, one from the franchisee, one auto-generated from Yell.com data. This is a common challenge with multi-location business listings.
How Duplicates Impact Visibility, Ranking, and Customer Trust
Here’s the thing that keeps business owners up at night: when Google detects duplicates, it often hides them all. The Google Business Profile suspension risk is real.
Not lower rankings. Not “slightly less visible”. Hidden. A potential customer searches “coffee shop near me,” and your place doesn’t appear at all – even though you’re two streets away with 150 five-star reviews.
The other problem is review dilution. Say you’ve got 80 reviews split across two profiles – 50 on one, 30 on the other. Neither listing looks as strong as a competitor with 80 reviews on a single, clean profile. The social proof that should be working for you is working against itself. Poor local SEO listings consistency directly hurts your bottom line.
BrightLocal ran a study showing 62% of consumers will avoid a business if they find inconsistent information online. Two profiles showing different opening hours or phone numbers? That’s exactly the kind of inconsistency that sends people to your competitors. Business location data accuracy isn’t optional anymore.
And the damage spreads. Your name, address, and phone number variations don’t just sit on Google – they propagate to Bing, Apple Maps, directories, aggregators. Citation consistency affects local rankings by as much as 16% according to some studies. Duplicates guarantee the inconsistencies that drag you down.
Can You Merge Google Business Profiles? Yes – Here’s What You Need to Know
The question “can you merge two Google My Business listings” comes up constantly. The answer is yes. But it’s not as simple as clicking a button.
Google doesn’t offer a “merge” feature in your dashboard. You need to submit a Google Business support merge request, provide documentation, and wait for manual review. The process works – at Getpin, we’ve done it dozens of times for clients – but you need to understand what qualifies.
Merging works when:
- Both profiles represent genuinely the same business at genuinely the same address
- The business names are identical or nearly identical
- You can access both profiles (or can gain access through ownership requests)
- Neither listing has been suspended
- Both are the same type – either both have visible addresses, or both are service-area businesses with hidden addresses
You cannot merge Google Business listings when:
- The addresses are different (even “14 High St” versus “14 High Street” can cause rejection)
- One’s a storefront listing and the other’s a service-area business
- They represent different owners who won’t cooperate
- The listings are for different practitioners at a multi-practitioner clinic or practice
- Both profiles are currently verified (you’ll need to unverify one first)
That last point trips people up constantly. Google won’t merge two Google Business Profiles that are both verified. One has to be unverified before they’ll process the request.
Quick Decision Guide: Merge, Remove, or Keep Separate?
Before you start the process to merge Google My Business listings, figure out which scenario you’re actually dealing with:
- Same business, same address, you control both profiles?
Perfect candidate for merging. This is the straightforward case where you can merge two Google My Business listings without complications.
- Same business, same address, but different people control each profile?
You’ll need to request access first, or get the other party to cooperate. If they won’t respond, you can still try through support with ownership documentation. This is common when people ask “can I merge two Google Business accounts” – technically you’re merging listings, not accounts.
- One listing is a storefront, the other’s a service-area business?
Can’t merge these. Pick the one that accurately represents your business model, properly configure it, and mark the other for removal.
- Auto-generated duplicate with no reviews or activity?
Don’t bother with the full merge process. Just report it as a duplicate through Google Maps – that’s faster for basic duplicate listings cleanup.
- Multiple practitioners at the same clinic?
Google won’t merge these. Each practitioner is entitled to their own listing under the guidelines. Only solo practitioners can merge their personal listing with the practice listing.
Alternative Solutions When Merging Isn’t the Right Move
Sometimes deleting makes more sense than learning how to merge Google Business Profiles. If one of your duplicates has nothing on it – no reviews, no photos, no engagement – there’s nothing to preserve. Going through the merge process to save an empty listing wastes time.
To delete a duplicate through Google Maps:
- Find the listing you want removed
- Click “Suggest an edit”
- Choose “Close or remove”
- Select “Duplicate of another place”
- Point it to your main listing
This usually processes within a few days. Much faster than formal merge requests when you just need to fix duplicate business profiles quickly.
Mark a listing as “Permanently Closed” when:
- It shows an old address you’ve moved from
- It represents a previous business name you no longer use
- You can’t claim it but it’s clearly outdated
Go through Google Support when:
- The duplicate is causing real customer confusion
- Simple edit suggestions keep getting rejected
- You need to transfer reviews before removal to properly consolidate Google Business pages.
How to Merge Two Google Business Profile Listings: Step-by-Step Process
Right, here’s how to merge two Google Business Profiles when that’s the correct approach. Whether you’re figuring out how to merge 2 Google Business Profiles or dealing with multiple duplicates, the process is the same.
Step 1: Get Your Business Profile IDs First
Every Google Business Profile has a unique identifier. You need this for both listings before you contact support – it prevents any confusion about which profile should survive when you merge business locations Google has flagged as duplicates.
To find the ID:
- Log into Google Business Profile Manager
- Click into the listing
- Hit the three-dot menu in the top right
- Go to “Business Profile Settings”
- Click “Advanced settings”
- The Business Profile ID is right at the top
- Write down both IDs. When you talk to support, you’ll specify exactly which one to keep.
Can’t access one of the profiles? If it’s unclaimed, start the claim process through Google Maps. If someone else has verified it, request access through the Google Business Directory (Business Profile Manager). If they don’t respond within a few days, proceed with your support request anyway – just bring documentation proving you own the business to resolve the business profile verification issues.
Critical check before proceeding: Both addresses need to be exactly identical. Same spelling, same formatting, same punctuation. “Unit 4, 23 Park Road” and “23 Park Road, Unit 4” will likely cause a rejection. Fix any discrepancies first by suggesting edits on the duplicate.
Step 2: Gather Your Documentation
- Support requests with complete documentation get processed faster.
- Incomplete ones bounce back and forth for weeks.
Proper preparation is essential when learning how to merge Google My Business listings efficiently.
What to prepare:
- Both Business Profile IDs
- Screenshots showing both listings in Maps results
- Something proving you own the business (registration certificate, utility bill with business name, bank statement header)
- A clear note stating which profile should survive
- Brief explanation of how the duplicate appeared
- You can access both profiles (or can gain access through ownership requests)
- Neither listing has been suspended
- Both are the same type – either both have visible addresses, or both are service-area businesses with hidden addresses
You cannot merge Google Business listings when:
- The addresses are different (even “14 High St” versus “14 High Street” can cause rejection)
- One’s a storefront listing and the other’s a service-area business
- They represent different owners who won’t cooperate
- The listings are for different practitioners at a multi-practitioner clinic or practice
- Both profiles are currently verified (you’ll need to unverify one first)
That last point trips people up constantly. Google won’t merge two Google Business Profiles that are both verified. One has to be unverified before they’ll process the request.
Quick Decision Guide: Merge, Remove, or Keep Separate?
Before you start the process to merge Google My Business listings, figure out which scenario you’re actually dealing with:
- Same business, same address, you control both profiles?
Perfect candidate for merging. This is the straightforward case where you can merge two Google My Business listings without complications.
- Same business, same address, but different people control each profile?
You’ll need to request access first, or get the other party to cooperate. If they won’t respond, you can still try through support with ownership documentation. This is common when people ask “can I merge two Google Business accounts” – technically you’re merging listings, not accounts.
- One listing is a storefront, the other’s a service-area business?
Can’t merge these. Pick the one that accurately represents your business model, properly configure it, and mark the other for removal.
- Auto-generated duplicate with no reviews or activity?
Don’t bother with the full merge process. Just report it as a duplicate through Google Maps – that’s faster for basic duplicate listings cleanup.
- Multiple practitioners at the same clinic?
Google won’t merge these. Each practitioner is entitled to their own listing under the guidelines. Only solo practitioners can merge their personal listing with the practice listing.
Alternative Solutions When Merging Isn’t the Right Move
Sometimes deleting makes more sense than learning how to merge Google Business Profiles. If one of your duplicates has nothing on it – no reviews, no photos, no engagement – there’s nothing to preserve. Going through the merge process to save an empty listing wastes time.
To delete a duplicate through Google Maps:
- Find the listing you want removed
- Click “Suggest an edit”
- Choose “Close or remove”
- Select “Duplicate of another place”
- Point it to your main listing
This usually processes within a few days. Much faster than formal merge requests when you just need to fix duplicate business profiles quickly.
Mark a listing as “Permanently Closed” when:
- It shows an old address you’ve moved from
- It represents a previous business name you no longer use
- You can’t claim it but it’s clearly outdated
Go through Google Support when:
- The duplicate is causing real customer confusion
- Simple edit suggestions keep getting rejected
- You need to transfer reviews before removal to properly consolidate Google Business pages.
How to Merge Two Google Business Profile Listings: Step-by-Step Process
Right, here’s how to merge two Google Business Profiles when that’s the correct approach. Whether you’re figuring out how to merge 2 Google Business Profiles or dealing with multiple duplicates, the process is the same.
Step 1: Get Your Business Profile IDs First
Every Google Business Profile has a unique identifier. You need this for both listings before you contact support – it prevents any confusion about which profile should survive when you merge business locations Google has flagged as duplicates.
To find the ID:
- Log into Google Business Profile Manager
- Click into the listing
- Hit the three-dot menu in the top right
- Go to “Business Profile Settings”
- Click “Advanced settings”
- The Business Profile ID is right at the top
- Write down both IDs. When you talk to support, you’ll specify exactly which one to keep.
Can’t access one of the profiles? If it’s unclaimed, start the claim process through Google Maps. If someone else has verified it, request access through the Google Business Directory (Business Profile Manager). If they don’t respond within a few days, proceed with your support request anyway – just bring documentation proving you own the business to resolve the business profile verification issues.
Critical check before proceeding: Both addresses need to be exactly identical. Same spelling, same formatting, same punctuation. “Unit 4, 23 Park Road” and “23 Park Road, Unit 4” will likely cause a rejection. Fix any discrepancies first by suggesting edits on the duplicate.
Step 2: Gather Your Documentation
- Support requests with complete documentation get processed faster.
- Incomplete ones bounce back and forth for weeks.
Proper preparation is essential when learning how to merge Google My Business listings efficiently.
What to prepare:
- Both Business Profile IDs
- Screenshots showing both listings in Maps results
- Something proving you own the business (registration certificate, utility bill with business name, bank statement header)
- A clear note stating which profile should survive
- Brief explanation of how the duplicate appeared
Getpin: Stop Chasing Duplicates Across Platforms Manually managing duplicates across Google, Apple Maps, Bing, Facebook, and a dozen directories burns hours you don’t have – and problems still slip through. Getpin’s platform changes that equation entirely. Update your phone number once in Getpin, and it pushes to Google Maps, Apple Maps, Bing Places, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Yelp, and TripAdvisor automatically. Same data everywhere means no inconsistencies creating new duplicates. This is bulk location management Google can’t provide on its own. For businesses already dealing with duplicate messes, Getpin’s dashboard shows conflicting profiles across all platforms in one view. You can track which duplicates you’ve reported, which are pending, which are resolved. Pharmacy chains, restaurant groups, and retail franchises across Europe use Getpin to keep location data clean across hundreds of sites. One source of truth, zero duplicates, measurably better rankings. Try it free here |
Preventing Duplicates from Reappearing
Fixing current duplicates is half the job. The other half is making sure they don’t come back. Proper Google Business Profile optimization and management prevents future headaches.
Put one person in charge
When multiple team members can create or edit Google listings independently, duplicates become inevitable. Designate ownership clearly.
Update existing profiles, don’t create new ones
Moving locations? Edit your current listing. Rebranding? Edit your current listing. Changed phone number? You get the idea. Google’s guidelines specifically warn against creating new profiles for moved businesses. Focus on updating Google Business information on existing listings instead.
Audit quarterly
Search your business name on Google Maps every few months. Look for variations, old addresses, auto-generated listings. Finding duplicates early – before they accumulate reviews – makes them much easier to remove.
Standardise your NAP
Decide exactly how your business name, address, and phone number should appear. Write it down. Use that exact format everywhere. “Mike’s Fish & Chips” and “Mikes Fish and Chips” might look the same to you, but inconsistencies cascade through directories and can trigger duplicate detection. Business location data accuracy depends on consistency.
Train your team
Anyone who might touch your online listings – marketing staff, agency partners, store managers – needs to understand that creating new profiles causes problems. Make the rules clear.
Getpin: Consistent Data Across Every Platform Keeping business information identical across Google, Apple, Bing, Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and local directories is exhausting when done manually. Miss one platform and inconsistencies creep back in – creating exactly the conditions that generate duplicate Google Business Profiles. Getpin solves this with location cards that sync changes everywhere simultaneously. Update once, publish everywhere. Combined with scheduled posting across all platforms, you build visibility while maintaining the local SEO listings consistency that prevents duplicate issues. |
Wrapping Up: Take Control of Your Google Business Presence
Duplicate Google Business Profile listings cost you visibility, dilute your reviews, and send confused customers to competitors. But they’re fixable.
For most single-location businesses, the process takes an afternoon: find your duplicates, grab the Business Profile IDs, document your case, submit through support, verify results when it’s done. Once you understand how to merge two Google business listings, rankings typically improve within a few weeks.
Multi-location business listings face a bigger challenge – tracking duplicates across dozens or hundreds of sites, maintaining consistent data, preventing new issues. That’s where centralised management through platforms like Getpin pays off with proper bulk location management Google tools can’t match.
Either way, clean up your duplicates. The customers searching for businesses like yours right now should be finding you, not your competitors.
FAQs
How do I know if I have duplicate Google Business listings?
Search your business name on Google Maps. Look for multiple pins at your location, profiles with slight name variations, or listings showing old contact details. In Google Business Profile Manager, check for anything marked “duplicate” in your account. If your Local Pack visibility dropped without obvious reason, duplicate filtering might be hiding your main listing. Regular audits are the best way to spot Google Business Profile duplicates before they cause problems.
Can you merge two Google Business Profiles with different owners?
Yes, though it requires coordination. Either request access through Business Profile Manager (ex-Google Business Directory) and wait for the other owner to approve, or proceed with a support request while providing proof you own the business. If the other party doesn’t respond, Google can sometimes process the merge based on documentation alone – though this takes longer. People often ask “how to merge two Google Business accounts” but remember: you’re merging listings, not the Google accounts themselves.
How long does it take Google to merge two Google Business listings?
Clean cases with complete documentation: usually under a week. Anything involving ownership verification or complicating factors: 2-4 weeks. Some escalated cases stretch to 6 weeks. Providing both Business Profile IDs and ownership proof upfront speeds up the Google Business support merge request significantly.
Will my reviews transfer when I merge duplicate Google My Business listings?
Most legitimate reviews move to the surviving profile when you merge duplicate Google Business listings. Review replies often don’t make it across though – check after merging and re-respond where needed. Reviews that violated Google’s policies might be removed rather than transferred. The combined profile typically shows the sum of both review counts.
Can you merge more than two Google Business listings at once?
Google handles one merge at a time. If you’ve got three or more duplicates, merge two Google Business listings first, wait for confirmation, then submit another request for the survivor and the next duplicate. For businesses with many duplicates across multiple locations, this becomes time-consuming – which is why centralised reputation management tools like Getpin exist.
What if Google rejects my merge request?
Common rejection reasons: addresses don’t match exactly, both profiles are verified, one’s a storefront and one’s a service-area business, or ownership couldn’t be confirmed. Google usually explains why in the rejection email. Fix the specific issue – match the addresses precisely, unverify one profile, provide better documentation – and resubmit. Most rejected requests to merge Google Business listings succeed on the second attempt once you address the stated concerns.
