{"id":7917,"date":"2017-04-13T09:42:26","date_gmt":"2017-04-13T14:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/?p=7917"},"modified":"2026-09-22T13:24:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T18:24:38","slug":"fake-google-business-listings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/blog\/fake-google-business-listings\/","title":{"rendered":"Google\u2019s Mission to Eliminate Fake Google My Business Listings"},"content":{"rendered":"

While, we might not love all the updates Google is constantly making to the local pack and search algorithms<\/a>, Google\u2019s cracking down on fake Google Business Profiles (formerly Google My Business) is one update we can all get behind.<\/p>\n

As you know, one of Google\u2019s top priorities is serving relevant, accurate search results that consumers can trust. When fake local business listings started to appear on Google Business Profile, the search giant went to work putting a process in place to shut them down.<\/p>\n

Just how serious are the Googlers about finding and removing fake Google Business Profile? They partnered with the University of California, San Diego to learn everything they could about the perpetrators and how they can be stopped.<\/p>\n

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Fake #Google Business Profiles and Why You Should Care by @BernieColeman #GBP<\/a><\/div>\n

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According to this report<\/a>, their ongoing efforts to crack down on Google Business Profile fraud is making a huge difference. The number of fake listings has dropped by 70% since June 2015. There is still quite a lot of work to be done before fraudulent listings are fully eliminated, but this is an excellent start.<\/p>\n

Why Do I Care About Fake Google Business Profiles?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Fake business listings are no good for anyone. Since listings on Google Business Profile populate results in Google Maps and Search, a bad listing (fake, in this case)<\/em> means bad data! And, well, you know how I feel about bad data. If you don\u2019t, here\u2019s an article<\/a> all about it!<\/p>\n

Consumers rely on search results to find the products and professional services they need. They use Google Maps to get directions to local businesses.<\/p>\n

Fraudulent Google Business Profiles put consumers at risk and undermine the credibility of the millions of authentic businesses listings that exist on Google. Scammers usually create these listing to dupe customers into paying ridiculous fees or defraud business owners.<\/p>\n

Unlike other online scams, fake local listings require the perpetrator to be located near their victims, which, Google says, \u201cfundamentally changes both the scale and the types of abuse possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Protecting Local Businesses and Consumers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now that we\u2019ve established that fake Google My Listings are a big deal, what is Google actually doing about it? Later in this article, I\u2019ll also cover what you can do to make sure the businesses you represent aren\u2019t perceived as fake.<\/p>\n

Google has made several notable improvements to reduce the amount of fake Google Business Profiles. A few of these include:<\/p>\n