Roofing Companies: Stop Competitors from Cheating on Google Maps

Cheating competitors on Google Maps with fake or misleading Google Business Profiles (GBP aka GMB) are becoming a serious problem for roofing businesses trying to grow in their local markets. Some competitors on Google Maps are gaming the system—using fake addresses, keyword-stuffed company names, and stock images to rank where they shouldn’t. And if you’re a legitimate roofing company, that’s a big issue taking food off your table and your roofers’.

If you’ve ever looked at your competition on Google and thought, “That roofing business doesn’t seem real,” you’re probably right. Or have you showed up to a customer’s home for an inspection and got a mouth full of complaints about the last roofer they hired?

I’m going to walk you through step-by-step how to spot and report these spam and misleading listings. Think of it as a way to protect your leads, community, and reputation from those caught cheating on Google Maps.

In fact, it’s such an issue that Google added it to their top 20 ranking factors in 2021 for Google Business Profiles (GBP) listed on the map pack. Helping remove spam listings is the 10th most important thing you can do to improve your position in the map pack!

Why This Matters to Roofing Companies

When fake businesses rank on Google, they:

• Steal local leads from legitimate roofers
• Make it harder for actual businesses to compete fairly
• Undermine customer trust in Google’s results

The good news? Google has systems in place to report these bad actors. You just need to know how to gather evidence and submit it properly. And here’s how…

Real Example: Spotting a Competitor Cheating on Google Maps

I recently investigated a suspicious listing: Galena Roofing in Galena, Illinois. From the outside, it looked like a typical local listing. But with a little digging, it became clear this was likely a fake.

Here’s the step-by-step process I used—and that you can follow too—to catch competitors on Google Maps who may be violating the rules.

Step-by-Step: How to Report a Fake Roofing Company on Google Maps

1. Search Google Maps for Your Target Keywords

Search for something like “roofing in [your city]” on Google Maps. Look for red flags:

• Business name is stuffed with keywords and city
• No address listed
• No website
• Barely any reviews
• Stock photo instead of real work

2. Inspect the Google Business Profile

Click into the listing/profile and look for:

• A website link that actually links to their website
• Consistency between business name, logo, and URL
• Use of stock photos or videos (a violation of Google’s policy)

3. Look for a Roofing License Number

In many states—like Illinois—roofing companies are legally required to display their license number on their website and other marketing materials or channels. If the website says “licensed” but doesn’t show a number, that’s a red flag.

4. Verify the Address on Google Maps

If the Google Business Profile or website shows an address, enter it into Google Maps directly.

• Use satellite or Street View to see if there’s an actual business at that location.
• If it’s just a residential home, empty lot, or wooded area—take a screenshot as evidence.
• Please note: if a business is displaying an address, they must have signage proving the business is located there. If it is not showing an address, it’s a service area business and they don’t have to have signage but they still need to tie a real address (no mail centers or PO boxes) to that profile on the backend. This is the #4 ranking factor for GBPs.

5. Check State Business Records

Use your state’s business entity search website (in Illinois, it’s here).

• Search the business name, it will automatically look for both the LLC and DBA name
• If no records come up, take a screenshot
• No listing = more proof that the roofing company may not be real or, at the very least, is called something else. Probably excluding the city or keyword, which is helping them rank higher than they should. This is the #2 ranking factor for Google Maps.

6. Submit an Edit to Google

Go back to the listing on Google Maps:

1. Click the “Suggest an Edit” button or link, and choose from the following most-reported items:
   • Choose “Close or Remove” >> “Doesn’t exist here” if the location doesn’t exist there.
   • Choose [The Name of the Roofing Company] >> and remove the city and/or keyword from the business name that shouldn’t be there according to the LLC and DBA lookup.
   • Choose “Close or Remove” >> “Duplicate of another place” if they have multiple locations listed in the same city and the address or service area, phone number, business name, and website URL are the exact same. 3 of those 4 items must be different, especially if it’s NOT a franchise.
   • Choose “Close or Remove” >> “Moved to a new location” if the business closed down and moved to another location.
2. Upload your screenshot evidence
3. Click the “Submit” button or link

What Happens After You Report

Google will review the report and reach out to the listed business. If they can’t verify their required information, their Google Business Profile may be suspended or removed entirely.

If they can verify that all information they provided followed Google policies, Google will leave the profile alone, and no changes will be made. But don’t get discouraged—your efforts still add to the overall signal for that listing, and future reports by others may lead to action.

Important Note: Only report listings that you have a strong reason to believe are actually violating Google’s guidelines. Submitting false or malicious reports can result in serious consequences, including suspension of your own Google account and any connected profiles. Even if you try to use your own fake or separate account, Google has ways of tracing activity back to your primary account. In short: use this process responsibly and with integrity.

Final Thoughts for Legit Roofing Businesses

When roofing companies follow the rules and build a presence the right way, it’s frustrating to see fake competitors cheating on Google Maps. But you’re not powerless. With a little investigation, you can flag these listings and help clean up your local search area.

This isn’t just about rankings—it’s about making sure real roofers get the visibility and business they’ve earned.

If this helped you, follow Roofing Rev Marketing for more hands-on strategies to grow your digital presence and protect your turf. If you prefer, we can do this for you as part of our full GBP optimization service. Book a FREE 1 on 1 strategy session today!