Key takeaways:
- Google Business Profile allows one profile per location, so a brand with five stores manages five separate profiles.
- Businesses with 10 or more storefront locations can import them by spreadsheet and request bulk verification from Google.
- Every location needs the same brand name, its own real address, and a local phone number where possible.
- 74% of US consumers look for reviews from the last three months, so each location needs its own review flow.
- Give each business group at least two owners so one departing employee never holds your only admin access.
Table of contents
- Can a Google Business Profile have multiple locations?
- What is a business group in Google Business Profile?
- How to add multiple locations on Google Business Profile
- Can you bulk verify multiple locations?
- How do you collect Google reviews for multiple locations?
- How to manage Google Business Profile for multiple locations
- What are the requirements for multiple Google Business Profiles?
- How do service-area businesses handle multiple locations?
- How to optimize Google Business Profile for multiple locations
- FAQ
- Your next step
A Google Business Profile (GBP) covers one location, so a business with multiple locations creates one profile per storefront and manages them together in a business group inside Business Profile Manager, with bulk tools from 10 locations. Trouble usually starts at the second store. Many teams try to attach it to the first listing, which Google Maps does not allow, or they create duplicates that Google's guidelines forbid. By ten stores, profiles sit in several personal Google accounts, and nobody knows which location earns the most calls from Google Search. This guide covers the setup that scales: business groups, spreadsheet uploads, bulk verification, roles, naming rules, service-area businesses, one review link and QR code per location, and performance tracking. Every rule was checked against Google Business Profile Help in September 2026.
Can a Google Business Profile have multiple locations?
A Google Business Profile cannot hold multiple locations. Google's guidelines call for one profile per location, each with its own business details, hours, photos and customer reviews. A business with three stores therefore runs three Google Business Profiles, usually grouped in one business group so a single team can manage them.
Google is explicit about duplicates: do not create more than one page for each location of your business, "either in a single account or multiple accounts." No field lets you attach a second site to an existing business listing, which is why the Google Business Profile Community keeps receiving threads from business owners asking how to add a second store. The rule predates the product's rename from Google My Business (GMB), so older GMB tutorials still apply here.
Each profile earns its own ranking in local search. A shopper near your downtown store sees the downtown listing in Google Maps and the local 3-pack, with its own star rating and review count. Review collection should therefore look identical at every counter: the same setup in each point of sale, such as a tap-to-review plate tied to that store's own profile, keeps ratings comparable across the network.
What is a business group in Google Business Profile?
A business group in Google Business Profile is a shared container of profiles inside Business Profile Manager, where owners and managers can create, edit and delete every profile it holds. Business groups replaced what Google previously called business accounts, many guides still call them location groups, and the API labels them LOCATION_GROUP.
Getting started takes a minute. In Business Profile Manager, once you manage two or more profiles, select Create group and name it. To move profiles in, tick them, open Actions, then Transfer businesses.
Profiles held in a personal Google account depend on one login. If that employee leaves, access leaves with them until you recover it. A group separates the profiles from any single person, the first step to effectively manage a growing multi-location network.
Two limits apply: keep one business group per brand, as Google asks, and remember that deleting a group cannot be undone.
How to add multiple locations on Google Business Profile
Adding multiple locations on Google Business Profile works in two ways: add each location as a single business, or import many at once with a bulk upload spreadsheet. Google built the bulk route for businesses with 10 or more locations.
Add a second location one at a time
For a second or third store, Google Business Profile Help tells anyone who wants another profile to go to Google Search, select More, then Add a new Business Profile. Inside Business Profile Manager, the Add business menu leads to the same flow, step by step.
Provide the brand name exactly as on the first store, then the business category, the full address, a local phone number and the URL of that store's page. Each new profile is then verified on its own, and our guide to creating a profile from scratch covers every field.
Import 10 or more locations with a spreadsheet
A bulk upload saves hours once a company passes ten sites. Google's bulk location management overview lists the import process:
- Sign in to Business Profile Manager and open the business group.
- Click Add business, then Import businesses, and download the template.
- Fill one row per site: business code, business name, address, primary category, and a primary phone or website.
- Upload the file (.xls, .xlsx, .ods or .csv), fix any column headers, click Preview changes, then Apply.
The business code, or store code, deserves care. Store codes cannot be changed later through the spreadsheet. Google requires each one to be unique, no longer than 64 characters, free of extra spaces and without special characters such as angle brackets or URLs.
The same file later handles updates, such as holiday business hours: store codes route each change to the right profile.
| Your situation | How to add | How to verify |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 9 storefronts | Add each profile one by one | One check per profile |
| 10+ storefronts, same brand | Spreadsheet import in the group | One bulk request for the chain |
| Service-area business, any size | One profile per real base | One check per base, no bulk option |
Can you bulk verify multiple locations?
You can bulk verify your locations when the spreadsheet holds 10 or more profiles from the same business, the business is not a service-area business, and the account shows no errors. Google then reviews the account once instead of running a separate verification process for every profile.
The complete checklist, all true at once:
- The spreadsheet has 10 or more profiles from the same business.
- The spreadsheet includes all the profiles you manage.
- The business is not a service-area business.
- No verified account already exists for it.
- The account shows no errors in the dashboard.
Duplicate, suspended or disabled profiles do not count toward the minimum, so clean the list first. Then open Verifications, choose Chain, click Start and complete the form with your company contact details. Uploading a spreadsheet does not send a verification request.
10 or more profiles from the same business are required before Google's bulk verification for chains accepts a request.
Google gives no official turnaround: it reviews the account, may ask you to provide more information, and confirms approval by email. Dashboard edits then appear on Google Maps without a new check.
Bulk status is not permanent. Google may de-verify accounts that don't actively manage their profiles, and it revokes bulk status when an account abuses it. Sites that do not qualify go through the usual phone, email, video or postcard methods, detailed in our walkthrough of individual verification options.
How do you collect Google reviews for multiple locations?
Collecting Google reviews across a chain means giving every Google Business Profile its own review link and QR code, then placing them where that store's customers finish their visit. Reviews stay attached to the profile that received them, so each location builds its own rating and online reputation.
Google's steps work profile by profile. Open one location's Business Profile, select Read Reviews, then Get more reviews, and copy the link or save the QR code image. Review QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices. Google's tips to get more reviews also suggest sharing the link by email, WhatsApp message or a Facebook post, and the same link fits that store's other social media pages.
Store each link in your location spreadsheet next to the store code. A single chain-wide link sends every review to one store. The flagship then collects most of the customer feedback while suburban stores look inactive.
74% of consumers seek reviews written in the last three months, according to the BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 of 1,002 US adults.
Recency is therefore a per-location issue for reputation management. The same survey found that 68% of consumers will only use a business with four or more stars, up from 55% in 2025, and each store is judged on its own rating. Reviews also feed local SEO: Google states that more reviews and positive ratings can help a business's local ranking.
The collection method should be identical everywhere so results compare fairly. A printed QR code on receipts costs nothing. Counter supports are another option: Digifeel plates combine an NFC chip and a QR code that open one profile's Google review page, work on iPhone and Android, and carry no subscription, each activated to its own location in a few minutes. Google's policy prohibits incentives such as discounts in exchange for online reviews, whatever the support.
Each plate opens the Google review page of one specific profile, by NFC tap or QR code scan, so reviews land on the right store instead of piling up on your flagship listing.
See the review plate →
How to manage Google Business Profile for multiple locations
Managing Google Business Profile for multiple locations comes down to access. Owners control who else gets in and can remove profiles, while managers handle daily edits, review responses and posts. Setting those roles in the business group lets a regional team manage multiple stores without sharing one Google account password.
Roles exist at two levels. At the profile level, a manager has mostly the same access as an owner but cannot add or remove people or remove the profile. At the business group level, a manager can add, edit and delete all profiles in the group. A group manager can delete profiles; a profile manager cannot.
| Role | What it controls | Typical holder |
|---|---|---|
| Primary owner | Everything, one per group, transfers ownership | Founder or head office |
| Owner | Adds and removes people, deletes the group | Marketing lead, second admin |
| Manager | Edits profiles, replies to reviews, posts | Store or regional lead |
A group can have several owners but only one primary owner, who must transfer that role before leaving. Only a group owner can add group managers, through Group settings, then Manage users. Google Groups cannot hold either role, and newcomers wait 7 days before managing some features.
For a franchise network, the franchisor often keeps the business group and adds each franchisee as manager of their own store. Larger networks often add a review management platform or listing tools built on the Google Business Profile API, usually run by the marketing team. These tools speed up reporting and response time, but no third-party solution replaces the group structure, which still decides who controls each GBP listing.
What are the requirements for multiple Google Business Profiles?
The requirements for multiple Google Business Profiles come from Google's Guidelines for representing your business: the same name for every location in a country, one profile per location, a real address where the business operates, and contact details specific to each site.
Same name at every location
Google states the naming rule for chains in one sentence:
All business locations within the same country must have the same name for all locations.
Google Business Profile Help, Guidelines for representing your businessTwo exceptions exist: sub-brands or distinct operations, such as a supercenter next to an express format, and locations that consistently use a different name on their storefront, website or stationery. Adding a neighborhood to the name is not allowed; Google cites "Equinox near SOHO" as an unacceptable example. Unnecessary words in a business name can lead to suspension. Consistent branding across every profile also helps shoppers recognize the chain.
Contact details for each location
Each address must be precise: the street goes in line 1 and the suite number in line 2. P.O. boxes and remote mailboxes are not accepted, and a virtual office, a rented mailing address you do not operate from, is not eligible.
Contact details should reach the store, not head office. Google asks you to provide a local phone number instead of a central call center whenever possible, and a website that represents the individual location. Point each profile to its own location-specific page and keep name, address and phone identical across directories, the basis of consistent NAP citations.
- Do: keep the exact storefront name on every profile in the country.
- Do: point each business listing to a dedicated store page.
- Do: put suite or unit numbers on line 2, never in the name.
- Don't: add city names, neighborhoods or keywords to the business name.
- Don't: create a profile for a mailbox, coworking desk or virtual office.
- Don't: open a second profile for a store that already has one.
How do service-area businesses handle multiple locations?
Service-area businesses with several bases follow a different rule: one profile for each central office or base, with a designated service area and a hidden street address. A plumbing company with two depots runs two profiles; one depot serving ten towns means one profile.
The guidelines say these service businesses "should have one profile for the central office or location with a designated service area" and should hide the address. A home-based business run from a private residence keeps its privacy that way. A profile for each city served, without an office, breaks the rule and puts the listing at risk.
Each profile can list up to 20 service areas, and the overall area shouldn't extend beyond about 2 hours of driving time from the base. Service-area businesses are excluded from the bulk route, so every depot goes through its own check.
Customers visit you. One profile per store, street visible, bulk route from 10 sites.
You travel to customers. One profile per real base, street hidden, up to 20 service areas.
Customers visit, and you also travel. Storefront shown plus service areas.
How to optimize Google Business Profile for multiple locations
To optimize Google Business Profile for multiple locations, measure each site separately, then fix the weakest profiles first. Business Profile Manager exports one performance report for all locations, and local SEO gains come from accurate categories, fresh reviews and a matching store page for each listing.
Track performance by location
Select the profiles, choose Actions, then Insights, set the timeframe and click Download Report. According to Google's performance and insights guide, the file puts data for many profiles in one spreadsheet so you can compare locations. Metrics include searches, views, calls, website clicks, directions, messages and bookings.
Compare locations by ratio, not by raw volume. A mall store will always get more views than a suburban one. Calls or direction requests per 100 views show which listing converts, and which needs better photos, fuller hours or recent reviews.
- Direction requests and calls, the clearest signs of intent.
- Website clicks, tagged with UTM parameters per store page.
- New reviews received during the month.
- Share of reviews with a public response.
- Average rating compared with the network average.
Local SEO tips that scale
Multi-location SEO rests on best practices applied everywhere, not on clever strategies. Keep the same primary business category on comparable stores, regularly check each profile for edits suggested by the public, add location-specific photos, and publish posts per store rather than one generic post. Respond to reviews at every site, not only the flagship: each response is public proof that the store is active.
Each profile also competes in its own neighborhood, against a different competitor set. The downtown store may face three national chains while the suburban one faces a single independent local business, so ranking gaps between locations are normal. Check local visibility with searches run from each area, then focus where a nearby competitor outranks you. An SEO company can run this at scale, but the inputs stay the same.
FAQ
Can two businesses share the same address on Google Maps?
Yes, when they operate independently. Google's guidelines give co-located businesses their own profiles at one address, and brands that operate independently may use a separate profile for each brand. Departments inside a business need a distinct name and their own category. Two profiles for the same business at one site count as duplicates.
Can an agency bulk verify locations for several clients?
No. Google's bulk verification page states that agencies with more than one business in one account can't bulk verify. An agency should keep one business group per client. A client with 10 or more storefront locations can then request the bulk check, while smaller local businesses verify each profile individually through the standard methods.
Do new locations need verifying after a bulk approval?
Usually not. Once a chain account is bulk verified, Google says new locations you add to your dashboard that aren't owned by someone else will show on Google. If a new location already has a profile verified by another person, you need to request access to manage it before it joins your business group.
Your next step
Get started with an inventory. List every location with its store code, the Google account that holds its profile today, its exact name, address and phone, and its current rating. That single sheet shows where duplicates hide, which profiles sit in a former employee's account, and which stores fall below four stars. Move every profile into one business group before anything else. Then pick the route: individual checks for fewer than ten storefronts, a spreadsheet and bulk verification above that. Which of your locations would come out last if you ranked them by reviews from the past three months?
