Report a fake or spam listing on Google Maps with Suggest an edit, choosing the option for misleading content. If the listing uses a misleading name, phone number or website that looks like fraud, use Google's Business Redressal Complaint form. Google reviews reports but does not promise to act on them, so clear evidence matters.
What breaks Google's guidelines
Google's guidelines for representing your business set the rules every listing must follow. Common breaches include:
- Keyword-stuffed names. Google says a name should reflect the business's real-world name as used on its storefront, website and stationery, without added service, product or location words.
- Virtual offices. Google says a rented mailing address the business does not operate from is not eligible, and P.O. boxes or remote mailboxes are not acceptable.
- Co-working desks without clear signage, staff and customers received during business hours.
- More than one profile for the same business.
- Phone numbers or websites that redirect people to someone other than the actual business.
Report it on Google Maps first
Anyone can report a listing. For a fake location or a misleading listing:
- Open Google Maps.
- Search for the business or select it on the map.
- Select Suggest an edit, then Place is closed or not here.
- Select Offensive, harmful, or misleading, then Submit.
For a single wrong detail, such as a keyword-stuffed name, use Suggest an edit in the Google Maps app and choose that detail instead. Google says it reviews every edit and keeps you updated on its status.
Escalate fraud with the redressal form
Google's Business Redressal Complaint form is for misleading names, phone numbers or website URLs that suggest fraud, or a business that does not exist. It asks for the type of content, the public Google Maps URL of each listing and a detailed explanation. Google says not to use the form to correct ordinary wrong information.
Evidence to gather before you report
A report is easier to judge when it shows the problem rather than describing it. Collect:
- The Google Maps URL of each listing, copied from the share option.
- Dated screenshots of the listing's name, address and phone number.
- The exact wording that breaks the rules, quoted as it appears.
- Photos of the address showing no business sign, or the real name on the signage.
- Links to the business's own website or social pages that show its real name.
Google says it cannot guarantee action on a redressal complaint and will not update you on its status. Report again only with new evidence.
Watch who ranks around you
Fake listings take places in local results. Reach's Search Visibility section shows who ranks around you for the searches you track, so you can see when a suspicious listing appears or disappears.
Common problems
- I reported a listing and nothing happened. Why?
- Google reviews reports but does not promise to act on each one. If the listing still breaks the guidelines, gather clearer evidence and use the redressal form for fraud cases.
- A competitor has keywords in their name. Is that fake?
- The business may be real, but the name may break the guidelines. Suggest an edit to the name, and include a photo of their signage if it shows the real name.
- Can I report many listings at once?
- The redressal form accepts several Google Maps URLs in one complaint, which suits a network of fake listings.
- Will Google tell me the result?
- For edits on Maps, Google says it keeps you updated on their status. For the redressal form, Google says you will not be updated.