How to Add Multiple Locations to Google My Business

Expanding your business to new locations is a massive achievement, and getting those locations to show up correctly on Google is a critical next step for attracting local customers. This guide breaks down exactly how to add and manage multiple locations in your Google Business Profile, whether you have two outposts or two hundred. We'll cover everything from manually adding a few storefronts to using spreadsheets for bulk uploads, so you can get all your listings live and working for you, fast.

Why a Strong Multi-Location Google Strategy Matters

Before jumping into the step-by-step process, it’s important to understand why this matters so much. A properly managed multi-location strategy on Google doesn’t just put your businesses on the map - it’s a powerful driver for local SEO, brand consistency, and customer trust.

• Dominate Local Search: When someone searches for "coffee shop near me," Google’s algorithm prioritizes well-managed, accurate local listings. Having a separate, optimized profile for each of your locations tells Google exactly where you are, increasing your chances of appearing in that coveted local "map pack."
• Provide a Seamless Customer Experience: Nothing frustrates a potential customer more than incorrect information. Separate listings ensure that customers find the right address, phone number, and hours for the specific location they want to visit. This prevents late-night calls to your downtown branch when they were trying to reach the suburban one that closes earlier.
• Build a Consistent Brand Identity: While each location needs its own unique information, your overall brand should feel cohesive. Google Business Profile allows you to maintain a consistent brand name, logo, and feel across all listings while localizing the details that matter.

Are You Eligible to Add Multiple Locations?

Google has some clear guidelines about which businesses can create multiple listings. You generally qualify if your business meets these two core requirements:

1. You have multiple physical locations with distinct addresses that customers can visit (like retail stores, restaurants, or clinics).
2. All locations share the same brand name. You can't group a "Mike's Coffee" and a "Jane's Tea House" under the same company profile, even if you own both.

If you meet these criteria, you’re ready to get started. If you're a service-area business that travels to customers (like a plumber or a cleaning service with multiple branches), you can also create separate profiles for each branch office, but you’ll define service areas instead of a single storefront address.

Choose Your Method: Adding Locations Manually vs. Bulk Upload

The first decision you need to make is how you'll add your new locations. Your choice depends entirely on how many locations you’re managing.

• For 2-9 Locations: Add Manually. If you're managing just a handful of locations, the simplest approach is to add each one individually. The process is straightforward and doesn't require any special tools.
• For 10+ Locations: Use Bulk Upload. If you have ten or more locations, adding them one-by-one is painfully slow and prone to errors. Google’s bulk upload feature, which uses a simple spreadsheet, is the go-to method for efficiency and consistency at scale.

How to Manually Add a New Location

If you're dealing with just a few new branches, manually adding them is your best bet. It’s direct and gives you full control over each entry right from the start.

1. Sign In to Google Business Profile: Head to business.google.com and sign in with the Google account you use to manage your business.
2. Add a New Business: On the main dashboard, look for a button that says "Add business" and select "Add single business" from the dropdown.
3. Enter Business Name and Category: Type in your business name. Google will show existing businesses to avoid creating duplicates. Since this is a new location for an existing brand, select your business name, then choose the business category that best fits what you do (e.g., "Italian Restaurant," "Clothing Store").
4. Specify It's a Physical Location: Google will ask if you have a location customers can visit. Select "Yes" and proceed. This is what creates the pin on Google Maps.
5. Enter the Address: Carefully type in the full, accurate address of your new location. Double-check for typos in the street name, suite number, and postal code. Google may suggest a corrected, standardized version of the address - it’s usually best to accept it.
6. Provide Contact Information: Add the specific phone number and website URL for this location. Avoid using a centralized call center number if a direct line to the location exists. If each location has its own landing page on your site, use that specific URL for better local SEO.
7. Complete the Verification Process: This is the most important step. Google needs to confirm your business is physically located at the address you provided. The most common verification method is by postcard. Google will mail a card with a unique code to the business address. Once it arrives (usually in 5-7 business days), you’ll log back in and enter the code to make your listing go live. Other verification methods like phone call, text, or email are sometimes available.

Repeat this process for each of your new locations. Once verified, each one will appear as a separate profile in your dashboard, ready to be managed.

How to Bulk Upload Multiple Locations (For 10+ Locations)

When you’re scaling up with many storefronts, the bulk upload process via spreadsheet is a lifesaver. It takes a little setup, but it saves countless hours and minimizes inconsistencies.

Step 1: Create a Location Group

Before you can upload in bulk, you need to create a "Location Group" (what Google used to call a "Business Account"). This acts as a folder to keep all your business locations neatly organized under one umbrella.

• From your Google Business Profile dashboard, click the "Businesses" tab on the left.
• At the top, you'll see a button labeled "Create group."
• Give your group a name (e.g., "[Your Brand Name] - US Locations") and click "Create."

Now you have a dedicated space to import your locations into.

Step 2: Download the Data Template

Inside your newly created Location Group, click the "Add business" button and select "Import businesses" from the dropdown menu.

On the next screen, you’ll see several options. Click on "Download template" to get the official spreadsheet formatted exactly how Google needs it. You can't just use any old spreadsheet, you have to use this one.

Step 3: Fill Out the Spreadsheet

Open the downloaded template in Google Sheets, Excel, or another spreadsheet program. You’ll see many columns, but don't feel overwhelmed. A few are mandatory, and others are highly recommended. Here are the most important ones:

• Store Code: This is a unique identifier YOU create for each location (e.g., "NYC-001," "LA-002"). It’s the single most important field for managing locations over time, as it's how you’ll update specific profiles later. Keep it simple and consistent.
• Business Name: Enter your brand name here. It should be identical across every single location entry.
• Address Fields (Line 1, Locality, Administrative Area, Postal Code, Country/Region): Fill these out accurately for each location. Use the official address and avoid abbreviations whenever possible.
• Primary Phone: The direct phone number for that specific location.
• Website: The URL for the location-specific landing page if available. Otherwise, use your main homepage.
• Primary Category: The main category that describes your business. Make sure this is consistent for all locations.
• Hours of Operation: Format the hours exactly as shown in the template (e.g., "Monday: 09:00AM-05:00PM").

Step 4: Upload the Completed Spreadsheet

Once you’ve filled in the data for all your locations, save the file (as a .csv, .xls, or .xlsx). Go back to the "Import businesses" page in your Google Business Profile manager and choose "Select file" to upload your completed spreadsheet.

Step 5: Review and Fix Errors

After uploading, Google will process the file. This might take a few minutes. It will then show you a preview of the changes. This is your chance to catch any mistakes. Google will flag issues like:

• Formatting Errors: A ZIP code in the wrong column or a phone number in an incorrect format.
• Duplicate Locations: If a listing for an address already exists, Google will flag it.

The system will allow you to fix many errors directly on the review screen. Once everything looks good, click "Submit."

After submission, your new locations will appear in your dashboard with a "Pending review" status. Bulk verification might be required to get them all live. Google often works with large chains to streamline this, but smaller multi-location businesses may still need to verify a percentage of their locations individually before the rest are approved.

Best Practices for Managing Your Listings

Getting your locations listed is just the beginning. The real value comes from ongoing management and optimization.

• Maintain Data Consistency: Accuracy is everything. Routinely check that your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) are identical not just in Google, but across all online directories (Yelp, Facebook, etc.).
• Localize Your Content: Don't just set it and forget it. Use Google Posts to share updates, offers, and events that are specific to each location. Upload high-quality photos of each unique storefront, interior, and local team members. This shows customers that each branch is an active part of its community.
• Engage with Reviews and Q&A: Monitor and respond to reviews for every single location. An empathetic response to a negative review or a thank you for a positive one builds trust. Similarly, pre-emptively answer common queries in the Q&A section for each profile ("Do you have free parking?" or "Are you dog-friendly?").
• Leverage Location User Roles: Avoid a management bottleneck by assigning roles. In your location group settings, you can add local store managers as "Site Managers" for their specific listing. This allows them to respond to reviews and update hours without giving them access to your entire business account.

Final Thoughts

Adding and managing multiple locations on Google Business Profile might seem daunting at first, but with the right process, it becomes a scalable and powerful part of your local marketing strategy. Whether you're carefully adding a second storefront or uploading a spreadsheet with a hundred, a well-organized approach saves time and helps new customers find you every single day.

Once your location listings are squared away on Google, keeping the social media streams for each of those locations fresh and engaging is the next major challenge. Thinking about localizing social content for a dozen different stores can feel overwhelming. That's why we built Postbase. We focused on making multi-account management genuinely simple, with a visual content calendar that lets you see your entire strategy - across every platform and location. Our unified inbox also brings all your comments and DMs into one place, so your team can engage with local communities without drowning in notifications and app-switching.