Managing Google Business Profiles for multiple locations requires accurate information, consistent management, and ongoing attention. For businesses with multiple locations, keeping profiles current across Google and other major platforms can become increasingly difficult as the number of locations grows.
Small errors can lead to incorrect information being displayed to customers, missed opportunities to engage with reviews, and difficulty understanding how individual locations are performing. Here are four common mistakes businesses should avoid when managing multiple locations.
Mistake #1: Failing to Maintain Accurate Information Across All Locations
Business information can change frequently. Hours, phone numbers, addresses, services, website URLs, and other details may need to be updated across multiple locations.
Why It Matters:
Google recommends that businesses provide complete and accurate information on their Business Profiles. Google uses business information to help surface relevant local search results across Google Search and Maps.
For multi-location businesses, keeping information accurate across every profile can be challenging when updates are handled individually.
Solution:
Use centralized management to maintain business information across locations. Digital Footprint Management (DFM) gives businesses a centralized platform for managing listings and keeping information consistent across Google, Bing, Apple Maps, and other supported directories and platforms.
Mistake #2: Treating Local SEO as a One-Time Task
Creating and verifying a Google Business Profile is only the beginning. Businesses should continue to monitor their profiles, review the information displayed, add relevant content, and address issues as they arise.
Why It Matters:
Google says local results are primarily based on relevance, distance, and prominence. Google also states that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Providing complete and detailed business information helps Google understand what a business offers and match it with relevant searches.
Google also notes that Business Profiles can receive updates from other sources, including user suggestions and publicly available information. Businesses may need to review and manage these updates to help keep their information accurate.
Solution:
Give your team tools that make ongoing listings management easier. DFM helps businesses manage their digital listings across Google, Bing, Apple Maps, and more than 50 search engines and review sites from one platform.
Whether you have an in-house marketing team or work with an outside agency, centralized listings management can help reduce the time spent making the same updates across multiple platforms.
Mistake #3: Neglecting Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are a visible part of many Google Business Profiles and can influence how potential customers evaluate a business. For businesses with multiple locations, monitoring and responding to reviews can become difficult when every location generates its own customer feedback.
Why It Matters:
Google recommends responding to customer reviews because doing so shows customers that their feedback is valued. Google also states that more reviews and positive ratings can help a business’s local ranking.
Google Business Profile also allows verified businesses to respond to reviews directly, making review management an important part of maintaining an active business presence on Google.
Solution:
Centralize review monitoring and response management. DFM provides review alerts and tools that allow businesses to monitor customer feedback across locations and respond from one platform. AI-assisted response capabilities can also help teams manage a larger volume of reviews while maintaining oversight of the responses being published.
Mistake #4: Not Monitoring Performance Data
A Google Business Profile provides more than basic business information. Verified businesses can access performance data showing how customers find and interact with their profiles.
Why It Matters:
Google’s Business Profile performance reporting provides information about how customers discover a business through Google Search and Maps and what actions they take after finding the profile. Depending on the profile, available metrics can include searches, views, calls, website clicks, direction requests, messages, bookings, and other interactions.
Google also allows businesses managing multiple profiles to download performance data for multiple locations at once, making it possible to compare performance across locations.
Businesses can also connect Google Business Profiles with Google Analytics to evaluate Business Profile activity alongside website and app data.
Solution:
Use centralized reporting to monitor performance across locations and marketing channels. DFM provides reporting and analytics tools that allow businesses to bring digital marketing information into one platform, making it easier to monitor performance and compare results.
Simplify Multi-Location Management with Digital Footprint Management
Managing multiple Google Business Profiles does not have to mean managing every location separately.
Digital Footprint Management brings listings management, reputation management, reporting, social media, and other digital marketing tools together in one platform. Your team can use one subscription and one login to manage multiple accounts and locations while keeping important information and performance data in one place.
Whether your business has an in-house marketing team, works with an agency, or uses a combination of both, DFM provides the tools to help simplify day-to-day digital presence management.