LocalEasy⏱ 2–8 weeks
What It Is
Identify and report fake or rule-violating Google Business Profile listings from competitors to have them removed from the local pack — improving your own ranking by clearing out spam that occupies positions above you. Many local markets have 1–3 spam listings in the top 3 that can be legitimately removed through Google’s reporting process.
How It Works
- Search for your target keywords in Google Maps and systematically audit each competitor listing in the local pack — look for keyword stuffing in the business name (e.g., “John’s Plumbing Best Plumber Chicago”), fake virtual office addresses, and wrong primary categories
- Cross-reference the physical address on each listing with Street View — listings for “shared office spaces” with 15+ businesses at the same address are a common spam signal worth reporting
- Click “Suggest an edit” on any listing where you find a violation and submit the correct information — for business name keyword stuffing, submit the legal business name without the spam keywords
- For egregious or systematic spam (multiple listings from the same bad actor, duplicate listings), use the Sterling Sky GBP Spam Report Tool for formal documentation that gets escalated to Google’s Trust & Safety team
- Track each reported listing weekly — approved corrections typically take 2–6 weeks to process; follow up with additional reports if nothing changes after 30 days
Who Recommends It
Difficulty
Easy
Easy
Time to Results
2–8 weeks
2–8 weeks