How to Fix Wrong Business Information on Google Maps

Wrong business information on Google Maps is one of the most damaging and often overlooked local SEO problems. A wrong phone number means missed calls. A wrong address sends customers to the wrong location. Wrong hours create frustrated customers who arrive when you're closed. And incorrect information confuses AI search engines that pull data from Google Maps when recommending local businesses. Here's how to fix it.

Step 1: Access Your Google Business Profile

Go to business.google.com and sign in with the Google account that manages your business listing. If you're not sure which account is the owner, search your business name on Google — if there's a "Claim this business" or "Own this business?" link, your listing is unclaimed. If you see an "Edit profile" button when logged in, you're the owner and can make changes directly.

If someone else owns the listing (a previous owner, a former employee, or a web developer), you'll need to request ownership transfer. Click "Claim this business" and Google will walk you through the process. If the current owner doesn't respond within 7 days, Google may allow you to take ownership based on verification of your business address.

Step 2: Fix Business Information in Google Business Profile

Once you're logged in as the profile owner, click "Edit profile." You can update: Business name, Primary and secondary categories, Description, Address, Phone number, Website URL, Hours of operation, and Special hours for holidays. After making changes, click Save. Most updates go live within minutes to a few hours. Address changes may require re-verification of your business location.

For phone number and address changes specifically, double-check your update matches exactly what's on your website's contact page and other major directory listings. Inconsistency between Google Business Profile and your website creates a conflicting NAP signal that can hurt local rankings.

Step 3: Dealing with User-Suggested Edits

Google allows anyone — including your competitors — to suggest edits to your business listing. These edits can change your hours, move your address, or alter your business name. Google sometimes auto-applies these suggestions without notifying you. To check: in Google Business Profile, go to "Suggest an edit" on your own listing to see what the public can change. Review your listing monthly to catch any unauthorized changes.

If you notice an incorrect change you didn't make, log into your Google Business Profile immediately and revert it. Google generally accepts the profile owner's version of information over public suggestions, but you need to actively monitor for these changes.

Fixing Competitor or Other Businesses' Wrong Information

If you're trying to fix wrong information on someone else's Google Maps listing — perhaps a defunct business that's confusing your customers — you can suggest an edit on that listing. Search the business on Google Maps, click the listing, scroll down, and click "Suggest an edit." You can flag information as wrong or suggest corrections. For permanently closed businesses, you can flag them as "Permanently closed." Google reviews these suggestions and typically acts on them within 1–3 days.

When Google Won't Accept Your Changes

Sometimes Google's algorithm overrides your edits based on other data sources. If you keep a correct address and Google keeps reverting to an old one, it likely has data from third-party sources (old directories, data aggregators) confirming the wrong address. Fix it at the source: update all your directory listings with the correct address to provide consistent signals that override Google's third-party data. BrightLocal's Citation Tracker is useful for finding which directories have old information.

Need help cleaning up your Google Business Profile or local citation data? PaperClick Marketing fixes NAP inconsistencies and listing errors across all the places that matter for your local search visibility. Let's audit your online presence.