Before this course: Local Customer Growth (course 3.7.2), which builds on Google Business Profile & Local Marketing (course 3.7). You already run the local growth loop (reviews, replies, consistent listings, honest offers, tracking) for one place. Here you scale it to several locations without losing quality.
One brand, many profiles
One lemonade stand is easy to look after. Ten stands in ten parks need a map, a boss for each stand, and the same sign on every table. Multi-location marketing is the map, the bosses and the sign.
- Google's rule is one profile per location: do not create more than one page for each location of your business, in one account or several.
- A business group (previously called a business account) is where you manage many locations. It lets you share location management with several users. Google recommends one business group per business or brand.
- Two roles exist in a group: owners and managers. Both can create, edit and delete profiles in the group. A person added to the group can reach all current and future profiles in it. You can also add people to single profiles.
- Only an owner can delete a group, and deleting it cannot be undone. A group cannot act as the manager of another group.
- One group gives one dashboard, but people may see profiles they should not manage. Several groups limit access but split the dashboard.
- Departments that act as separate public-facing entities can have their own profile with a different name. A section inside another store (a food bar inside a grocery store) does not qualify.
- Virtual offices are not eligible. A co-working space qualifies only with clear signage, customer reception in business hours and staff on site.
- List every location you market: name, full street address, phone, manager, opening date.
- Mark each as storefront (customers visit) or service area (you travel to them).
- Remove anything that is not a real location (virtual office, P.O. box, a shelf inside another shop).
- Decide how many business groups you need: one per brand is the default; use more only if different teams must not see each other's profiles.
- Write who will be owner (two people is safer) and who will be manager for each location.
- Check: every real location is on one list, has one planned profile, and has a named person responsible.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "More locations mean more ways to get lost. Start with a map."
[Screen: a table of locations with address, phone, manager] "List every location, its address, phone and manager."
[Text on screen: One profile per location] "Google's rule: one profile for each real location."
[Host] "Then decide who owns it, and who manages it. Two owners is safer than one."
Build your location list with a storefront or service-area mark for each, and name an owner and a manager. If you have no business, use a practice chain of five locations.
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.
For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Multi-Location Marketing: scale local presence" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "One brand, many profiles". What the lesson teaches: - Google's rule is one profile per location: do not create more than one page for each location of your business, in one account or several. - A business group (previously called a business account) is where you manage many locations. It lets you share location management with several users. Google recommends one business group per business or brand. - Two roles exist in a group: owners and managers. Both can create, edit and delete profiles in the group. A person added to the group can reach all current and future profiles in it. You can also add people to single profiles. - Only an owner can delete a group, and deleting it cannot be undone. A group cannot act as the manager of another group. - One group gives one dashboard, but people may see profiles they should not manage. Several groups limit access but split the dashboard. - Departments that act as separate public-facing entities can have their own profile with a different name. A section inside another store (a food bar inside a grocery store) does not qualify. - Virtual offices are not eligible. A co-working space qualifies only with clear signage, customer reception in business hours and staff on site. The exercise I'm working on: Build your location list with a storefront or service-area mark for each, and name an owner and a manager. If you have no business, use a practice chain of five locations. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "One brand, many profiles" from the course "Multi-Location Marketing: scale local presence". Here's what the lesson says: One lemonade stand is easy to look after. Ten stands in ten parks need a map, a boss for each stand, and the same sign on every table. Multi-location marketing is the map, the bosses and the sign. The activity: Build your location list with a storefront or service-area mark for each, and name an owner and a manager. If you have no business, use a practice chain of five locations. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help, Create & manage business groups: support.google.com/business/answer/6085339?hl=en
- Google Business Profile Help, Guidelines for representing your business: support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en
- Google Business Profile Help, Bulk location management overview: support.google.com/business/answer/3217744?hl=en
Bulk setup: spreadsheet, store codes and verification
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
Same brand, true local details
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
One useful web page per location
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
Reviews and replies across all locations
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
Compare your locations and protect customer data
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
Rules, roles and your multi-location playbook
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
Final project
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
Quiz
How many Business Profiles should one location have?
One.
What is a business group for?
Managing many locations in one place and sharing access with owners and managers.
How many locations do Google's bulk tools target?
Ten or more. With fewer, add and verify locations one by one.
Is uploading a spreadsheet enough to verify locations in bulk?
No. You must also request bulk verification, if you qualify.
What is a store code?
A unique ID for each location in the spreadsheet (up to 64 characters, no special characters).
What happens to a spreadsheet column that has a heading but no data?
It deletes the existing information in that field.
Which details should stay the same across all locations, and which should be local?
Brand name format, logo and tone stay the same; address, phone, hours and photos are local.
Why should a location use a local phone number when possible?
Customers reach that shop directly, and Google recommends a local number under the business's control over a central call-centre number.
What is doorway abuse?
Making pages mainly to rank for similar searches, such as pages for towns you do not serve, that send people to a less useful page.
What should every location page contain that other pages do not?
Real details for that place: its address, hours, team, photos and services.
Why do UTM values need one naming rule?
They are case sensitive, so "Google" and "google" split the data.
Why should each location have its own review link or QR code?
So reviews land on the right profile.
Final exam
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
Certificate
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.