Map spam is a collective term for manipulative local SEO tactics used to unfairly game Google Maps and local pack rankings, including fake business locations, keyword-stuffed business names, and fraudulent reviews.
Map spam remains a persistent challenge for Google’s local search systems, since creating fraudulent listings is relatively easy, and detection and removal often lags behind the creation of new spam listings.
Businesses competing in local search should stay aware of map spam tactics affecting their specific market and actively report clear violations, since a fair local ecosystem benefits all genuinely compliant businesses.
We monitor local SERP integrity within our Local & Map SEO service.