Two Google Business Profiles same name, phone number but different addresses. I would like to merge into one but Google has confirmed "no"

[teganmonaco]

I'm a Photographer with 2 GBP's. My first GBP in Etobicoke has over 144 five star reviews and is where I started my business (out of my home studio). I've recently opened up an additional GBP with my new studio (physical address). Hoping I can merge them both but received reply back from Google today that this is not possible and they recommend one be "closed".

Studio My studio google business profile - new studio business location (26 reviews)
Home Home Location - studio home location no longer being used (145 reviews)

Is there a way to merge both profiles to show as one location covering those service areas? Can reviews from one profile be moved over to an existing GBP? Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I clean up my SEO and listings for my photography business.

Google's Reply to merging:
"I understand that you want to merge these profiles since they are the same business, Unfortunately we cannot do that even if you update the other profile with the address also they cannot be merged as the profiles are different initially when created. As you are concerned about the reviews of your profile we request you to please delete one profile and get back to us so that we can try to transfer the reviews to the live profile also we cannot assure regarding the transferring reviews."

 

[ElizabethRule]

Ask Google if they can mark one profile as "moved" and transfer the reviews that way.

As Joy says here in this thread "The difference between [merged and moved] is usually the address. If the addresses are different, it's a move, if they're the same, it's a merge."

Hopefully the current support person you are talking to can do this! If not, start a new support thread and ask them to mark one of the listings as "moved" - I suggest keeping the older listing with the reviews and then removing the address and making it a service area business (if its not already). Of course, make sure the address of the listing you are keeping (whether hidden or not!) is the address your business is legally registered to & you do business out of.

 

[teganmonaco]

Thank you - I've tried both having one set up as a service area and also showing the address but still got the decline from Google. My main GBP has my physical business location and business address!

 

[ElizabethRule]

Ahh I see, Google probably won't marked a listing that has the address showing as "moved" to a SAB.

You can try to update the address on the SAB to your studio address and then ask support to merge. They may be willing to merge before you reverify or Google might not even ask you to reverify.

The biggest "risk" here is Google marking one of the listings as "duplicate" but in that case that is essentially a merge and the end goal so that would be a win anyway! Give that a try and let us know if that works.

h/t to @Stefan Somborac for consulting on this with me