Competitor stuffing keywords in their Google business name? Here is how to report it

What counts as spam on Google Maps

• Keyword stuffed names: services, cities or slogans added to a real business name ("Smith Plumbing Water Heater Repair Austin")
• Fake listings: profiles at addresses where no business exists, often virtual offices or empty suites
• Lead generation listings: fake local businesses that forward calls to whoever pays
• Duplicate listings created to take more space on the map
• Fake reviews posted to boost a listing or attack a competitor

First, check the real name

Before reporting a name, find out what the business is really called. Look at their website, their logo, their vehicles, their state business registration and their other directory listings. If their real name is "Smith Plumbing" and Google shows "Smith Plumbing Emergency Water Heater Repair Austin", you have your evidence.

Option 1: Suggest an edit (fastest)

For a simple name correction:

1. Open the listing on Google Maps.
2. Choose Suggest an edit, then the option to change the name or other details.
3. Enter the real business name.
4. Submit.

Google reviews the suggestion. Edits from accounts with a history of accurate contributions tend to be accepted more often.

Option 2: Google's business redressal complaint form

For a name, phone number or website that a suggested edit does not fix, use Google's Business Redressal Complaint Form, linked from its Business Profile help pages. Google says the form covers fraud in a business's name, phone number or website, and complaints about anything else will not be reviewed. You will not get status updates, and action is not guaranteed. Include:

• A link to the listing
• What is wrong, in one or two clear sentences
• Your evidence: links to their website, registration record, or photos showing signage with the real name

Clear evidence is the difference between a report that is acted on and one that is ignored.

Option 3: Report a fake listing

If the business does not exist at that address at all, open it on Google Maps, choose Suggest an edit, and report that the place does not exist or is closed. A street view link or a photo showing there is no business there makes your case. If the listing also uses a fake name, phone number or website, the complaint form covers those parts.

Keep a record

Note the listings you report, the date, and what you sent. Spam listings sometimes come back. If they do, you can report again with your earlier evidence.

Focus on what you can control

Reporting spam can clear some of the competitors above you, but lasting rankings come from your own profile: the right categories, every service listed, a steady flow of reviews, regular photos and posts, and consistent details across the web. Our guide to ranking in the Google map pack covers all of it, and our Google Maps ranking service includes monitoring and reporting spam in your area.

Questions owners ask

Will reporting a competitor get them suspended?

Sometimes. More often Google corrects the name or removes the fake listing. Either way, the result is usually that they drop down the rankings, which can lift everyone below them.

Should I add keywords to my own name to compete?

No. It can give a short boost, but competitors report it too, and the likely end is a forced name change or a suspension. Win on the things Google rewards over time: relevance, reviews and a complete, active profile.

How long does a report take to work?

Simple suggested edits can be accepted within days. Google does not send status updates for the complaint form, so check the listing again after a few weeks. Some reports are rejected and need resubmitting with better evidence.