GMB Spam Tactics to Avoid in 2025: How Google Flags and Penalizes Them

Google My Business (GMB) is a Google tool that helps businesses create an online profile in order to gain visibility mainly on Google search and Google Maps. With this free tool, you can create and manage your online persona. In Google My Business, you can share your business information, such as address, photos, and respond to customer reviews. 

GMB has got a significant relevance in local SEO. When a customer searches for a keyword, a local 3-pack will be displayed on Google, where three local businesses will be displayed along with their details. By creating a GMB profile, your chances are high of getting to this top 3 list. 

However, spam tactics are rising in Google My Business in order to find their way into local rankings. This gratification, however, cannot last forever and can lead to getting penalised by Google. In this article, we shall explore various spam tactics, how Google penalizes GMB spam and how to avoid GMB spam tactics in 2025.

What is GMB Spam?

Google My Business spam is are tactic used to manipulate the Google search rankings. There are various kinds of spam activities, such as fake listings, name spam, keyword stuffing, or fake reviews. These spammy GMB practices are commonly undertaken in order to rank higher in the search results and improve visibility. This can mislead the customers and lead to serious issues. Businesses that put in genuine efforts in their Google My Business profile might find this frustrating when a business using spam tactics overpowers them. When identified, Google flags and penalizes them. Only genuine efforts will yield long-term success in SEO.

Top GMB spam tactics to avoid in 2025

There are various types of GMB spam tactics, and these can lead to suspension on your account. Here are some of the five main spam tactics to avoid in 2025 to be safe from flagging and getting penalised.

Fake listings

Fake listings either mean they do not exist at all or they do not have a physical location. You must have a physical location before listing on Google My Business. Using Home Addresses or Mailbox Addresses is not to be done while listing on Google. Spammers usually try to take advantage of loopholes in Google My Business verification without postcard procedures like phone, email, or video verification to escape physical address verification. Some businesses also create multiple listings and this may create confusion among the customers. Also, listing under a fake location is a spammy GMB practice to avoid. 

Keyword stuffing

Keywords are an important SEO strategy and keyword spamming is a common spam tactic. Stuffing with keywords or adding unrelated keywords in your profile and description is known as keyword spamming. In the business name, you must only add your registered business name and should not stuff it with keywords. 

Spam reviews

Creating fake positive reviews for your business and fake negative reviews for the competitors is are unethical practice. Also, adding keywords unnecessarily in your customer reviews to gain visibility is a shady practice. Such spammy GMB practices, if identified, will get penalised.

Listing under an irrelevant category

This is the practice of businesses listing under other categories. Listing under irrelevant categories in order to appear in more search results and gain more visibility is against the policies. 

Adding location to the business name

This is another Google Business Profile spam trick when businesses add the location name to their business name in order to gain more visibility. For example, “XYZ Pizza New Jersey”, here the location is not a part of the official business name. Hence, it is considered a Google Business Profile spam trick.

Duplicate Listing

Duplicate listing happens when businesses create multiple profiles in Google My Business in order to gain more visibility in the local search results. GMB for multiple locations can lead to Google penalizing or suspending the account.

How Google Penalizes GMB Spam

Google My Business Profile gets monitored to check for policy violations. These violations can lead to penalties such as restrictions or suspension of the profile. Google uses AI to detect fake or spam listings. It can scan for policy violations such as keyword stuffing, duplicate content, inconsistent business data, etc. 

Users can also submit complaints regarding policy violations using the Suggest an Edit feature or the Business Redressal Complaint Form. A Suggest an Edit button is available under the listings. You can suggest the keywords to be removed or report fake listings. 

These complaints are reviewed manually and further action will be taken. Google Business Profile penalties go from removal of fake reviews, loss of search rankings, up to severe penalties, including Google Business Profile suspension or permanent removal from Google Maps. This can adversely affect the online visibility of the business and its reputation. 

How To Avoid GMB Spam

To avoid getting penalized, it is essential that you follow GMB SEO tips. Google has released certain guidelines to be followed while creating an account on Google My Business. GMB guideline violations lead to accounts getting penalized or suspended. Below are ways to avoid GMB spam:

• Make sure that you provide accurate and up-to-date information on your profile, such as address, phone number, website, business name, and working hours.

• Give your official business name and avoid adding keywords or location to your name, unless they are part of your official business name.

• Make sure to provide accurate information regarding your business across all platforms.

• Avoid creating multiple profiles for your business, which is a GMB guideline violation. As per Google’s guidelines, there should be only one profile for a business.

• Make sure the category that you choose aligns with your business. Avoid adding confidential details or explicit images to your profile.

• Refrain from creating fake reviews that affect the business reputation. Avoid paying for fake reviews or joining review exchange groups. If you suspect a fake review or reviews with swear words, report them.

• Avoid keyword stuffing in your Google My Business profile name, description, and reviews. This is considered a GMB guideline violation.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed GMB spam tactics, how Google penalizes GMB spam and how to avoid GMB spam. Google My Business profile has great significance in local SEO. In order to gain search rankings and visibility, some people use spam tactics. While spam tactics provide instant gratification, they will not last in the long term. It can lead to Google flagging and penalizing your account. It can lead to Google Business Profile penalties, such as a drop in the search rankings to Google Business Profile suspension. 

By 2025, Google’s spam detection systems will have become more accurate and faster. Businesses should rely on genuine methods like giving accurate information, instead of relying on GMB black hat SEO strategies. Google’s GMB guidelines can help you understand the basic policies to be followed. GMB guideline violations can lead to the account getting penalized. Businesses can have a lasting impression on the audience and improve foot traffic by relying on authentic and fair means. You can go for a Google business profile seo agency in order to optimize for visibility.