Google Business Profile for multiple locations: setup and bulk verification

A business with several sites needs one Google Business Profile per location, all managed from one account. If you have 10 or more eligible locations of the same business, you can apply for bulk verification instead of verifying each profile one by one.

One profile per location

Each physical site customers visit gets its own profile, with its own address, hours, phone number, photos and reviews. Do not merge sites into one profile and do not create profiles for places customers cannot visit. Keep names consistent across branches, adding the area only where it is part of the real trading name.

Bulk verification: what Google requires

From Google's Business Profile help page on bulk verification:

• You need at least 10 eligible profiles from the same business. Duplicate, suspended or disabled profiles do not count.
• Agencies managing several different businesses in one account cannot bulk verify.
• The business cannot be a service-area business.
• No verified account for the business can already exist. If someone else verified a profile, you must request access.
• Your spreadsheet must list all the profiles you manage, and the account must have no errors.
• Only owners or authorised representatives can verify, and the number of profiles should match the real size of the business.

The steps

1. Upload a spreadsheet of all your locations to Business Profile Manager. Uploading alone does not request verification.
2. In Business Profile Manager, go to Verifications, then Chain, then Start.
3. Complete and submit the form.
4. Google reviews the account and may contact you. You get an email when bulk verification succeeds.
5. Google may ask for video verification, which needs an authorised representative at the location.

Staying verified

Google says it may de-verify accounts that do not manage their profiles or that abuse bulk verification. Keep hours, phone numbers and closures up to date, and check each profile for suggested edits from the public.

Reviews across locations

Business Profile Manager shows reviews location by location. Once you have a dozen or more sites, reading and replying from there becomes slow, and it is hard to compare branches. Loculens connects to Google Business Profile, finds your branches, and shows every location's reviews, averages and unanswered reviews side by side. Our guide to managing Google reviews for multiple locations covers the routine.

Related reading from Braivex

Multi-site groups also hire across branches; our post on right to work checks covers the paperwork. Letting and estate agencies with branches may want our portal comparison for buyers.

Frequently asked questions

Can one Google Business Profile have multiple locations?

No. Each location needs its own profile, managed together in one account.

How many locations do I need for bulk verification?

At least 10 eligible profiles of the same business.

Can a service-area business bulk verify?

No. Google's help page excludes service-area businesses.

Next step

Once your profiles are verified, connect them to Loculens and see every branch's reviews in one place. The trial is 14 days with no card.