Can a business have more than one Google Business Profile?
Yes, one for each real location. Google's guidelines say: "Do not create more than one page for each location of your business, either in a single account or multiple accounts."
A second location therefore gets its own profile. It isn't added to the first one.
Which moving company locations qualify for their own profile?
A moving company that travels to customers and doesn't serve them at its office is a service-area business. Google's rule for those businesses is specific: "If you have different locations for your service business, with separate service areas and separate staff at each location, you're allowed one profile for each location."
Some addresses don't qualify:
- Virtual offices. Google says a rented mailing address where the business doesn't operate "isn't eligible for a Business Profile."
- Unstaffed offices. A service-area business can't list a virtual office "unless that office is staffed during business hours."
- Co-working spaces, unless the office "maintains clear signage, receives customers at the location during business hours, and is staffed during business hours by your business staff."
- P.O. boxes. Google says "P.O. boxes or mailboxes located at remote locations aren't acceptable."
Under these rules, a second address doesn't qualify on its own. The location needs its own staff and its own service area.
How large can each location's service area be?
Google says a profile's overall service area "shouldn't extend farther than about 2 hours of driving time from where your business is based," adding that "for some businesses, larger service areas may be appropriate." See what is a service area business.
Should every location use the same name and category?
Yes, in most cases. Google says: "All locations must have the same name unless the business's real world representation consistently varies from location to location. All locations must also have the same category if they provide the same service."
Google's example: all Home Depot locations use "The Home Depot" rather than "The Home Depot at Springfield." Adding a city to each location's name doesn't fit the rule unless the business uses that name in the real world.
Which phone number and website should each location use?
Each location should have its own. Google says to "provide a phone number that connects to your individual business location, or provide a website that represents your individual business location."
For a website, that usually means a page for each location with its address or service area, phone number, and local details. Google's spam policies treat pages "created to rank for specific, similar search queries" as doorway abuse, so each page needs content that's specific to the location. See service area pages vs. doorway pages.
How do you manage several profiles?
Use a business group. Google describes it as "like a shared folder for your profiles" and recommends that a business managing several profiles "create a business group and use that group to add, verify, and manage your profiles."
Groups have two roles:
- Owners can manage who has access, delete the group, or transfer it.
- Managers can add, edit, and delete profiles in the group but can't add or remove users.
Google says anyone added as an owner or manager "can access all current and future profiles placed in the group." A company with several brands can create a separate group for each.
Can several locations be verified at once?
Usually not for movers. Google offers bulk verification when a business has 10 or more locations, but one of its requirements is "your business isn't a service-area business." A moving company with service-area profiles verifies each location individually. See Business Profile verification.