How to Add a New Location to Google My Business

Expanding your business to a new location is a significant step, and getting it listed correctly on Google is a top priority. Adding another location to your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) ensures new local customers can find your address, read reviews, and see that you're open for business. This guide provides a clear, step-by-step walkthrough for adding that second, third, or even tenth location without creating duplicates or hitting verification roadblocks.

Before You Begin: Are You Eligible for a New Listing?

Before jumping into the Google Business Profile manager, let's ensure you actually need a separate listing. Google’s rules are specific to prevent spam and confusion for customers. You qualify for a new location if:

• Your new location has a unique, physical address. No P.O. boxes or virtual offices are allowed.
• Your staff is physically present and working at this location during its stated business hours. It must be staffed by your team, not just a shared workspace you use occasionally.
• You conduct face-to-face business with customers at this address. This applies to both stores that customers visit (like a bakery) and hybrid businesses where customers visit and you visit them (like some contracting companies).

A common point of confusion is for service-area businesses (SABs) like plumbers, electricians, or cleaning services who work from one main address but serve multiple towns. You should not create a new profile for every town you serve. Instead, you list the different service areas on your single, primary Google Business Profile.

What You'll Need to Get Started

Gathering this information beforehand makes the process much smoother. Here’s a quick checklist of what you'll need.

• A Unique Physical Address: Again, this is the most critical component. It must be able to receive mail for the postcard verification if required by Google.
• A Unique Phone Number: While not strictly required, having a distinct local phone number for each location is a best practice. It helps Google and customers differentiate between your branches and makes tracking local calls easier.
• Access to Your Main Google Account: You'll need to be signed in to the Google account that manages your existing Business Profile.
• Your Business Name and Category: Keep this consistent. Your name should be your actual business name, with a location-specific identifier if needed (e.g., "Main Street Cafe - Northside" and "Main Street Cafe - Downtown"). Your primary business category should be the same across all locations.
• Photos of the New Location: Have photos ready of the storefront, permanent signage (both outside and inside), the street view showing nearby buildings, and the general workspace. These are often necessary for video verification.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a New Location to Google Business Profile

Once you’ve got all your information ready, follow these instructions to create your new profile. The good news is that if you already have a verified business, adding another is usually a lot simpler.

Step 1: Sign in to Google Business Profile Manager

Navigate to business.google.com/locations. Sign in with the same Google Account you use for your original business listing. This ensures all your locations are housed under a single management account.

If you're already managing a single profile, you will land on your business dashboard. If you already have multiple locations, you will see your list of businesses.

Step 2: Add a New Profile

Find and click the blue "Add Business" button. From the dropdown menu, select "Add single business." Even if you plan on adding many in the future, it's best to add and verify them one at a time to keep the process clean.

Step 3: Enter Your Initial Business Details

Google will now walk you through the setup process. This is where you’ll put the information you gathered earlier.

• Business Name: Enter your registered business name. If your other location is just "The Local Grind," you might want to name this one "The Local Grind (Eastwood)." Avoid keyword stuffing your name (e.g., "The Local Grind Coffee and Bagels in Eastwood") as this violates Google's guidelines.
• Business Category: Start typing your primary category and select the best fit from the dropdown. Keep it consistent with your other locations. For instance, if your other shop is listed as "Coffee Shop," use that, not "Cafe."

Step 4: Confirm Your Location Details

This is where you tell Google where your new location exists in the real world.

• Does your business have a location customers can visit? Select "Yes."
• Enter Your Business Address: Fill in the street address, city, state, and zip code for the new location. As you type, Google will suggest addresses. Select the correct one.
• Position the Map Pin: Google will show you a map with a pin placed at the address you entered. Sometimes, this can be slightly off, especially in large shopping complexes or new developments. Drag the pin to sit directly on your storefront’s front door. This helps immensely with Google Maps and GPS accuracy.
• Provide a Phone Number and Website: Enter the unique phone number for this location. For the website, you can either use your main homepage or, ideally, a location-specific landing page (e.g., yoursite.com/eastwood). Location-specific pages are excellent for local SEO.

Click through the rest of the prompts to continue building your profile.

Verifying Your New Business Location

Verification is Google's way of confirming that your business is legitimate and physically located at the address you provided. Since you already have a verified profile, your new location might get instantly verified. However, don't be surprised if Google still requires you to complete a verification step.

Common verification methods include:

1. Postcard Verification

This is the most traditional method. Google will mail a physical postcard containing a 5-digit verification code to your new business address. It typically arrives in 5 to 7 business days. Once you get it, you’ll log back into your Business Profile dashboard and enter the code to complete the process. Important: Do not edit your business name, address, or category while waiting for the postcard, as this can cancel the request.

2. Phone or Text Verification

For some businesses, Google offers the option to receive the verification code via an automated phone call or text message to the business's public phone number.

3. Email Verification

This is typically only available if you use a business email with your business's domain (e.g., info@yourbrand.com). A code will be sent to the eligible email address.

4. Live Video Verification

This method is becoming much more common. You will need to join a live video call with a Google representative via your mobile device. They will ask you to show them:

• Your Location: A shot of your permanent storefront signage and the street view.
• Business and Management Proof: A view of your workspace, tools of the trade, or branded merchandise. They may also ask to see a business license or utility bill with the correct address and business name.
• Proof of Entry: You'll be asked to show you can unlock the door to the establishment, proving you have access.

To prepare, make sure your signage is up and you have business documents handy. This method is fast and often clears verification within a day.

After you submit for verification, your new location will appear in your Business Profile manager, but it won't be fully public until the process is complete.

Using Business Groups to Manage All Your Locations

Once you have more than one location, Google lets you create a "Business Group" (formerly called a location group). This is essential for efficient management.

A Business Group consolidates all your profiles into one dashboard. From there, you can:

• Update Information in Bulk: Change business hours for a holiday across all locations at once.
• Post Updates Collectively: Share a new promotion or company update to multiple profiles simultaneously.
• Consolidate Analytics: View combined insights for all your locations or compare performance between different branches.
• Manage User Access: Give a regional manager access to all locations in their territory, while a specific store manager only has access to their own profile.

To create a business group, go to your manage locations screen, select the businesses you want to group, and click the "Actions" dropdown to find the "Create group" option. Give it a name (e.g., "Company Cafe Locations"), and you're all set.

Final Thoughts

Adding a new business location to your Google Business Profile is a clear sign of growth, and doing it correctly sets that new branch up for a successful launch in local search. The process is simple when you provide accurate, unique information for your new storefront, navigate the verification prompts, and then bring all your properties together in a Business Group for smarter, scalable management.

And once those new local profiles are live, the real work of engaging with their communities on social channels begins. Where we can really help is in streamlining your multi-location social media. With Postbase, you can manage social accounts for all your locations from one clean dashboard, scheduling unique content for each spot or publishing a company-wide update everywhere at once. It keeps your local marketing organized without the chaos of juggling separate logins and workflows.