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Table of Contents
Introduction: The Problem with Permanently Closed Businesses
If you are tired of wasting your time on “permanently closed” businesses, we will guide you on how to do it efficiently.
There are times when you’re in a hurry and need to find a local café. You pull out your phone, do a quick search, and… BAM!
“Permanently Closed.“
But is it really closed?
Maybe it’s a mistake. A temporary closure for a vacation or renovation. Or maybe it’s just an outdated listing that one bothered to fix.
In this situation, it’s not only a minor annoyance for you. It’s a frustrating waste of your precious time.
What if there’s a better way?
This isn’t just another list of “hacks” or generic tips you’ve seen frequently online.
This is a step-by-step system for uncovering the definitive truth about a business’s status. It’s the same system I’ve used to save countless hours and gain an advantage over everyone else who just accepts “permanently closed” as the final word.
The Easiest Way to Find Closed Businesses Using Google Maps
This isn’t just another list of “hacks” or generic tips you’ve seen frequently online.
This is a step-by-step system for uncovering the definitive truth about a business’s status. It’s the same system I’ve used to save countless hours and gain an advantage over everyone else who just accepts “permanently closed” as the final word.
The first step in this proven system is always using free, available resources like Google Maps. Why? Because it’s the most common point of failure. People see the “Permanently Closed” tag and immediately give up.
But here’s the secret: the surface-level information is just the beginning.
Take note, to find a specific closed business, you search for its exact name, if it is still available. You can’t directly search for a list of all permanently closed businesses on Google Maps.
Here’s what you can do to determine if a business is permanently closed or still operating.
Step 1: The Status Check
Google has three main statuses: “Permanently Closed,” Temporarily Closed,” and “Open.”
- Open: Self-explanatory
- Temporarily Closed: This is your first clue. It means a planned closure for a set period, like for renovations or vacation.
- Permanently Closed: Don’t just trust this. It’s often inaccurate and based on outdated information. Your detective work should begin here.
Step 2: The Image Forensics Method
Filter the business’s photos on Google Maps by “Newest.”
Look for clues in the most recent images. Are there:
- “For Lease” signs?
- Empty shelves?
- Construction equipment?
These visual clues can quickly confirm if the business is truly gone or just in transition.
Step 3: Reviews Are Your Secret Weapon
Change the review filter to “Newest.”
Scan the most recent reviews for keywords like “closed,” “reopened,” or “shut down.” People on the ground will tell you exactly what’s happening, bypassing the outdated status tag.
Step 4: The Q & A Hack
Scroll to the “Questions & Answers” section.
Check if the business has made an official announcement or answered a user’s question about the status. An answer from the owner is the most reliable information you can get.
By the time you complete these steps, you’ll know the real deal and save yourself a ton of time.
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Beyond Google: The Search Engine Technique
What would you do when the Google Maps listing is not providing information? You will become a search engine detective. This is where you go beyond the typical search and use a strategic approach to uncover the truth.
Step 1: Use Advanced Search Operators to find official announcements that regular searches miss.
- site: – Use this to search a specific website. For example, site:targetron.com “closed” will only show results from that site.
- intitle: – This operator finds pages with your keywords in the title, which is a strong signal for official announcement or press release. For example, intitle:”business name closed”
Step 2: The Social Media Stalk
Social media pages often have the most up-to-date information, even if a website is outdated.
- Check their bio for status updates. Many businesses will update their bio with “Temporarily Closed” or New Location: [address].”
- Scroll through their recent posts for any closure announcements or customer comments asking about their status.
Step 3: The News & Media Scoop
A business closure is often a newsworthy event. Use a news search to find a reliable, third-party confirmation.
- Go to Google News and search for the business name.
- Add keywords like “shuts down,” closes,” or “files for bankruptcy” to your search. This can reveal articles from local media that confirm the business status, giving you a definitive answer.
The Official Method: Government & Directory Listings
Even if you’ve become a master search engine detective, there are still times when you need definitive, official confirmation. For definitive proof that a business is truly closed, you need to go beyond consumer-facing websites and check official, government-level sources.
Step 1: How to Find It Through State Business Registries
Check your state’s Secretary of State or Department of Corporations websites. This is the legal database where businesses register to operate. Search for the business name.
Look for statuses like “dissolved,” “revoked,” or “inactive.” An “active” status here means the business is legally still in operation, regardless of what other sites say.
Step 2: The Local Chamber of Commerce
The local Chamber of Commerce is a great resource because it works directly with the local business community.
Search for [your city] Chamber of Commerce and check their online business directory. Businesses that have officially closed are often removed from this list. A missing profile is a strong signal that a business is no longer active.
Step 3: The Better Business Bureau (BBB)
The Better Business Bureau is another official source for business information. Go to the BBB website and search for the business name. A business that is truly closed may have its profile marked as such, or it may be listed as “unaccredited” or “out of business.” Customer reviews on the BBB profile can also contain the information.
The Fast Way: Using a Dedicated Data Source like Targetron
For anyone working with a large list of businesses, such as a marketing agency, a data analyst, or a business owner doing competitive research. Doing everything using a manual check is inefficient and a waste of time. The single fastest and most efficient way to get an answer about permanently closed businesses is to use a dedicated data provider.
These companies specialize in aggregating, verifying, and standardizing business information from multiple sources. They take all the work you’ve been doing manually and automate it on a massive scale.
One of the fastest-growing B2B lead directories and sales intelligence platforms, Targetron, offers its no-code B2B lead database interface, allowing you to also utilize their simple API call.
This is how the pros do it. They don’t waste time on a business that’s already gone. They use powerful tools to filter out the permanently closed or temporarily closed businesses.
Here's How to Find Permanently Closed Business with Targetron
2. Select Category from the drop-down list. In this example, we will be selecting “Grocery Store” as our category, followed by Country (United States), and State (Arizona). You can have an option to select a specific city if you want to search for local businesses.
3. Select “More Filters. A pop-up will appear for all the Advanced Filters options. In the General Business Information, expand it to check the “Business Status.” Inside the Business Status, you can select one of the three options (Operational, Temporarily Closed, or Permanently Closed). In this task, we will select “Permanently Closed.”
Aside from the Business Status, you can also add additional Advanced Filters options, such as selecting Contact Information (Email/Phone, Website, Preferred Contacts), Online Presence, Financial Data, Geographic Information, and Dates & Attributes. After selecting all the additional advanced filters, simply click the Apply button and click Search.
4. Confirm the Download. After previewing the search results, you can confirm the download and double-check some final data, like the file type to download, quantity, and the estimated total price. Click the Checkout button, and you will be redirected to the download window. Just confirm and download the data. All your tasks will be available in the Task windows.
5. Check the Final Downloaded data of the Permanently Closed Business. In this example, we downloaded all the Permanently Closed Grocery stores in Colorado, USA.
Conclusion
Nothing is more frustrating than wasting your time and energy on a “permanently closed” listing that later on you will discover that’s actually open for business.
You’ve just read a complete, proven system for finding the definitive truth about any business.
You now have the power to:
- Discover clues hidden in Google Maps photos and reviews
- Use advanced search operators to find official announcements that are invisible to most people.
- Go straight to the source with government registries and official business directories.
- And, most importantly, you know the secret that the pros use to scale this process, using a dedicated data provider like Targetron.
You can save countless hours and gain a major advantage over everyone else. Go out there. Stop wasting your time. And start getting the real scoop.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Check multiple sources like Google Maps status, recent photos, reviews, official announcements, social media, government registries, and business directories.
Assuming the Google Maps “Permanently Closed” label is accurate without investigating further often leads to errors due to outdated or incorrect information.
- Login with your Targetron account.
- Open the Business Directory.
- Select Industry and Location.
- Open Advanced Filters and Select Business Status (Temporarily/Permanently Closed)
Search operators and targeted queries on official websites, news, and social media reveal closure updates missed by basic searches.
Dedicated providers automate data aggregation and verification at scale, saving time and improving accuracy over manual checks.
Government registries, local Chamber of Commerce directories, and the Better Business Bureau and authoritative sources for legal business status updates.