Feb 7, 20223 min read

How To Remove Duplicate Law Firm GMB Listing

Updated: Oct 13, 2022

Why You Should Avoid And Fix Duplicates Law Firm Listing in Google My Business?

Having a duplicate Google My Business listing is terrible for business. Duplicate business listings can cause confusion among your potential clients, resulting in traffic and income loss. Additionally, you might lose some client reviews (because they won't know which location is correct).

Remember: Having multiple listings violates Google My Business regulations, and you risk being punished or losing your business listing.

And since GMB is a staple in Lawyer SEO, Lawyer Marketing, and Local SEO for law firms, it's clear to see why you need to go to work as quickly as possible to tackle this problem.

How To Delete A Listing From Your Google My Business Account

When you have multiple offices or locations, it's possible that you'll inadvertently add a location or office that already existed. The new business location will be designated as a duplicate and will not appear on Google Maps as a result of this.

You'll simply need to choose the location(s) that are repeats from your list and then delete them, making this one of the simplest ways to fix a duplication.

To do so, follow these steps:

Go to Google My Business and fill out the form.
Select Duplicate locations from your Account Summary.
Select the location you wish to delete by clicking on it (if there are several, mark them all).
Select Remove from the three-dot menu after checking the individual boxes for each site you want to remove.

However, if you've moved locations or offices, the easiest way to update a location is to indicate that it's "permanently closed." This might be a better option than simply deleting an old listing, as it would help inform previous clients of the change in locations.

How To Remove Listings I Did Not Make

Somebody outside your law firm, perhaps a competitor, may have added a new location to your company without your knowledge. So, what are your options?

You don't have a choice but to report it to Google and wait for them to review your request. If you've added reviews for other businesses in the past or are an active member of the Google Local Guides community, the adjustment or removal you've requested is likely to happen sooner than if you've been inactive.

Please follow these steps to report a duplicate location:

Go to Google Maps and type in your location.
Locate the desired location.
Select 'Suggest an edit' from the drop-down menu.
Make a note that the location is "permanently closed or has never existed."
As the reason, select the 'duplicate' option.
Send the message.

Another option to consider is to "join" the two locations. This is especially true if the location has been active and public for a long period. This approach takes a little longer because you'll need to contact Google My Business support via this form and wait for a response.

In either scenario, make sure you have control over the location you want to save and that you've already validated it using one of Google's options.

Bottom-line

That said, there is no reason for you not to have a Google My Business account for your law firm. It boosts your visibility among users who live or work in your area, which is especially crucial for law firms who rely on locals to become potential clients.

Managing your Google My Business listing not only allows you to quickly update the information to maximize its law firm marketing benefits, but you'll also be able to catch problems such as duplicates.

So, make sure you set up your profile if you don't have a Google My Business listing for your law firm yet.