If you’re closing up shop, rebranding, or just need to clean up your online presence, figuring out how to delete a business on Google can feel like a headache. But we’ve got your back. At Wingman Solutions, we help businesses across the GTA (and beyond) take control of their digital identity. This guide breaks down the exact steps to help you remove, close, or delete your Google Business listing the right way.
Key Takeaways
- You can’t fully delete a Google business listing unless it violates Google’s guidelines
- The best option is to mark the business as “Permanently closed” to stop it from appearing in local searches
- You can remove the listing from your Google Business Profile dashboard without deleting the public profile
- Duplicate listings can be merged by suggesting edits in Google Maps
- Reviews remain even if you close or remove the business listing
- Legal and feedback options are available if someone else made the listing or it contains false info
- Multi-location businesses can remove specific listings without affecting others
- Removing a business listing does not delete your entire Google Account
- Updating info is a better choice than deletion when rebranding or moving
- Professional help from IT experts like Wingman Solutions can streamline the process
Why Would You Want to Remove a Business Listing?
There are a bunch of valid reasons for removing a listing. Maybe your business has shut down. Maybe someone else created a duplicate. Or maybe you’re rebranding and don’t want two profiles floating around. Whatever the case, knowing your options matters because Google doesn’t offer a one-click “delete forever” button.
What Happens When You Try to Delete a Business on Google
Before diving into the steps, it’s important to know that Google doesn’t let you permanently delete a business listing in most cases. Instead, you can:
- Mark the business as permanently closed
- Remove it from your account (if you’re the manager)
- Report it as spam or a duplicate
This helps ensure that accurate historical data remains online, but prevents customers from thinking you’re still open when you’re not.
How to Delete a Business on Google
- Go to Google Business Profile Manager.
- Sign in with the Google account tied to your business.
- Choose the location you want to manage.
- Click the gear icon or the three-dot menu and select “Remove Business” if you’re just trying to stop managing it.
- To mark it as closed, click “Edit Profile” and update the business status to “Permanently Closed.”
That’s the basic approach for how to delete a Google business profile, or at least make it invisible to the public.
How to Remove My Business from Google Completely
Here’s the deal: if you’re searching for how to permanently remove my business from Google, you’ll be disappointed. Google keeps the listing online (often with a “Permanently closed” label) unless it violates the guidelines.
How to Submit a Removal Request
You can, however, report it as:
- Never existed
- A duplicate
- Inappropriate or misleading
To do that:
- Go to Google Maps
- Search your business name
- Click “Suggest an Edit”
- Choose “Close or Remove”
- Pick the most accurate reason
Google may take a few days to review your suggestion.
How to Remove a Google Business You Didn’t Create
Listings can be auto-generated by Google or added by customers. If someone else made the listing and you don’t want it to live:
- Suggest an edit (as described above)
- Mark it as “Doesn’t exist” or “Duplicate”
- Flag it for review via the “Feedback” link
Legal Removal Options
If it’s really causing problems (like false info, impersonation, or harassment), you can also file a legal removal request through Google’s legal troubleshooter.
Deleting a Business on Google with Multiple Locations
Managing multi-location businesses? Deleting or closing one location won’t affect the others. Just:
- Sign in to your account
- Select the specific location
- Follow the same “Edit profile” > “Close business” process
Bulk Location Removals
For bulk removals, use the “Business Profile Manager” dashboard to select multiple listings at once.
How to Delete a Google Business Account
If you’re done managing your business altogether, you might be wondering how do I delete a Google business account. But be careful here:
- Deleting the Google Account tied to your business will remove access to all services, including Gmail, Docs, Photos, and other related services.
- To stop managing a Business Profile, remove yourself as the manager.
Remove Yourself from a Business Listing
- Go to your business listing
- Click the three-dot menu
- Select “Remove Business”
This removes the profile from your dashboard, but not from Google entirely.
Can You Delete a Business Without Losing Reviews?
Short answer: you can’t. When you mark a business as permanently closed, reviews stay. Even if you remove it from your account, reviews remain public. Google keeps them for transparency and local search accuracy.
Alternatives to Deletion
If you’re rebranding or relocating, it’s better to update the profile information rather than delete the business.
How to Delete Duplicate Google Business Listings
Got two listings for the same business? Happens all the time. To fix it:
- Search both on Google Maps
- Pick the less complete or outdated one
- Click “Suggest an Edit”
- Select “Duplicate of another place”
Google typically merges the two within a few days.
How to Remove a Business from Google Business Manager
This one’s for folks who just want it gone from their dashboard, not the internet.
- Log in to Google Business Profile Manager
- Click on the listing
- Click the three dots > “Remove Business”
Boom. It’s gone from your side, but it still exists online until it’s marked as closed or removed by Google.
When to Call the Pros
Managing your digital footprint can get tricky, especially if you’re running multiple listings, rebranding, or merging locations. That’s where pros like us come in. At Wingman Solutions, we help Mississauga IT companies and small businesses optimize their online presence and manage listings effectively across Google, Bing, Apple Maps, and other platforms.
From tracking down duplicate listings to managing location info for multi-branch companies, we handle the backend so you can focus on running the business.
Summing Up: How to Delete a Business Listing on Google
If you came here looking for a quick way to nuke your listing off the web, sorry to say, Google doesn’t quite work like that. But now you know all the ways to either close, remove, or manage your Google Business Profile.
Whether you’re looking to rebrand, consolidate locations, or just get your name off a listing you didn’t create, you’re covered. And if you ever need help from the pros, Wingman Solutions is just a message away.
Need a hand cleaning up your online presence or managing multiple listings? Contact Wingman Solutions and let us do the heavy lifting so you can get back to business.
FAQs About Removing Your Google Business Listing
How to delete Google business listings from search results?
You can’t fully remove them if they ever existed publicly, but marking the business as closed or suggesting an edit helps clean things up.
Can I permanently delete my business from Google?
Only if the listing violates guidelines, otherwise, Google archives it as “Permanently closed.”
Will deleting my business profile delete customer reviews?
Nope. Reviews stay even if you close or remove the profile.
How long does it take for Google to process a removal or edit?
Usually 24–48 hours, but sometimes longer if Google needs to verify the change.
What if someone else manages my business listing?
Request access or report the listing through the “Own this business?” prompt on the profile.
