Fake Google Maps Edits Cause Major Business Disruptions

Feb 19, 2019 - 8:12 am 14 by
Filed Under Google Maps

Fake Google Maps Edits

Anyone can edit a business listings details on Google Maps and local. So if you have a competitor and you want to close them down, or shut their business hours, or change their web site address or worse, you can do that. The business owner may notice an email about the change, only after the change was implemented. Then they need to go in and update their listing and wait days for Google to update it in the search results.

This is a major issue and to be honest, I shy away from covering it, because people target my business whenever I cover Google Maps hacks or exploits. Heck, my own business has it's business closed, hours changed, even our web site URL point elsewhere - because SEOs are awesome I guess? I mean, at least leave a positive review if you are going to mess with my Google Local listing please?

And I am not alone, it happens all the time and local SEOs and business owners are super upset about it. In fact, we all want a way to disable people from making edits to our local listings if the local listing is verified and managed in a Google My Business account. Just disallow third party updates and if you won't do that, at least before you push those changes live, send out notices to the business and give them 2 weeks time to reply?

These edits can result in the listing completely disappearing from the search results and thus impacting the business in a major way.

Steve Plunkett wrote on Twitter:

I really do agree - this is a bad thing that so many people take advantage of in a bad bad way.

Forum discussion at Twitter.

 

Popular Categories

The Pulse of the search community

Search Video Recaps

 
- YouTube
Video Details More Videos Subscribe to Videos

Most Recent Articles

Search Forum Recap

Daily Search Forum Recap: July 11, 2025

Jul 11, 2025 - 10:00 am
Search Video Recaps

Search News Buzz Video Recap: Google Helpful Content Recoveries With Core Update, AI Mode Expands, Hidden Ad Terms & Fewer Ad Clicks

Jul 11, 2025 - 8:01 am
Google Maps

Google Local & Business Profiles Drops June 25th - Reporting Glitch?

Jul 11, 2025 - 7:51 am
Google

Google Tests Zoom Effect In On Images Within Search Results

Jul 11, 2025 - 7:41 am
Bing Search

Bing Search Image Box Tests Explore Image & Visual Search Buttons

Jul 11, 2025 - 7:31 am
Bing Search

Microsoft Bing Tests Delivery Truck Icon In Search Ads

Jul 11, 2025 - 7:21 am
Previous Story: Bing Algorithm Ranking Update? Bing Says Nothing Out Of The Ordinary.