Which Google form to use
Pick the tool by what is wrong with the listing. The redressal form only reviews complaints about a fraudulent name, phone number or URL (Google: Business Redressal Complaint Form); everything else goes through Google Maps.
| What you see | Tool | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A listing at an address where no such business exists | Suggest an edit, then Place is closed or not here, then Doesn't exist here | The listing in Google Maps |
| Misleading info that makes you believe it may not exist | Suggest an edit, then Place is closed or not here, then Offensive, harmful, or misleading | The listing in Google Maps |
| A fraudulent business name, phone number or website, or many fake listings at once | Business Redressal Complaint Form | Form link |
| A real competitor with extra keywords in its name | Suggest an edit to the place name | The listing in Google Maps |
| A business paying or pressuring people for reviews | Suggest an edit, then Report business conduct | Google Maps app |
Sources: Google Maps Help: Report a business, Google Business Profile Help: Request removal of a Business Profile, Google Maps Help: Edit place information.
You don't need to own a listing to report it, but you must be signed in:
"You can request a business to be removed, even if you don't own the Business Profile. A business can be removed from Google if it never existed or isn't eligible to be on Google." (Google Business Profile Help: Request removal of a Business Profile)
What counts as a fake listing?
A listing that breaks Google's rules for who can have a profile and what it may say. For trades, the two that matter most are fake addresses and stuffed names. Google's guidelines say:
- Fake address. "P.O. boxes or mailboxes located at remote locations aren't acceptable." A rented mailing address the business doesn't work from, "also known as a virtual office, that location isn't eligible for a Business Profile" (Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines).
- One business, many profiles. A service business gets one profile unless it has separate locations with separate staff and service areas (same source).
- Stuffed name. The name "should reflect your business's real-world name, as used consistently on your storefront, website, stationery, and as known to customers" (same source).
"Including unnecessary information in your business name isn't permitted, and could result in the suspension of your Business Profile." (Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines)
Google's list of things a name must not include covers marketing taglines, phone numbers, service or product information and location information (same source). So "Ace Garage Doors" is fine; "Ace Garage Door Repair Same Day Dallas" is not, unless that is truly the name on its signs and paperwork.
How to write a report Google acts on
The redressal form asks for specifics (Google: Business Redressal Complaint Form):
- Copy the full Google Maps link of each listing.
- Pick what is malicious: title, address, phone number, website, or "This business doesn't exist".
- Quote the exact text from the listing that you say is fake, and explain how it misleads customers.
- For many listings, report them together: Google says you can upload 10 or more profiles or a spreadsheet of links (Google Maps Help: Report a business).
Evidence that shows it plainly: a Street View or photo of the address showing a home, an empty lot or another business; the same phone number on several listings; a name that differs from the one on the business's own website. Keep a dated record of what you found.
Will Google remove it?
Maybe, and you may never hear back. The form says Google can't guarantee action on a complaint and won't update you on its status (Google: Business Redressal Complaint Form). The Maps route can be different: after a removal request "you might receive a status email with follow-up questions" (Google Business Profile Help: Request removal).
Google does remove fakes at scale. For 2025 it reported that it "removed over 13 million fake Business Profiles" and blocked or removed over 292 million policy-violating reviews (Google Keyword blog, April 16, 2026). If a listing survives your report, check it again later and send new evidence rather than the same text.
Should I report a competitor's fake reviews?
Report the business behavior. "Reviews posted in exchange for a payment, deal, or discount are prohibited," and you can report a business for it in the Maps app through Report business conduct (Google Maps Help: Report a business). The same page links separate steps for flagging one specific review. For the rules on your own review requests, see Asking for reviews.
Example
Locksmith with 15 ghost listings
A locksmith finds 15 "locksmith" listings around town, all at houses or empty lots, several sharing two phone numbers. One Business Redressal Complaint Form with all 15 Maps links, "This business doesn't exist" selected, and the shared numbers quoted in the explanation.
Garage door competitor with a stuffed name
A real competitor is listed as "Smith Garage Door Repair Spring Repair Near Me". Its website and truck say "Smith Garage Doors". Suggest an edit to the place name, with the website as evidence.
Mover listed at a mailbox store
A moving company's address is a mailbox store. Suggest an edit, Place is closed or not here, Offensive, harmful, or misleading, noting that the address is a mailbox store.
Different for you?
- Your own profile isn't showing while spam ranks: Google Business Profile not showing.
- Your own profile got suspended: Google Business Profile suspended.
- You work from home and want to list correctly: Service-area business on Google.
- Ongoing work on local rankings: SEO & GEO.