Whenever I get a call from a franchise owner with multiple locations, the story is usually the same: Things are already in a mess: suspensions, incorrect business details, mismatched branding, and franchisees who have gone rogue with their Google Business Profiles (GBP).

Most of these headaches could be avoided if franchisees were given clear expectations and proper guidelines. Managing business profiles isn’t just about keeping things tidy; it’s about protecting the brand, maintaining visibility, and ensuring consistency across all locations.

 

The Golden Rule for Multi-Location Franchise Profiles

Before attempting to fix any issues, there’s one fundamental rule that needs to be in place:

The franchisee owns their business profile. Your organisation account is the manager.

If you’re setting up the business profile on their behalf, verify later, assign them as the owner, and retain manager access. Once they complete their details, you can request verification.

This ensures franchisees have control over their business profiles while allowing you to maintain oversight without risking account suspensions due to policy breaches.

 

Set Clear Franchisee Business Profile Guidelines

Franchisees need to know what’s expected to prevent problems before they start. A well-structured set of guidelines will help them understand what changes to expect, what they can edit themselves, and how their profile will be managed.

 

• Naming Consistency

Franchisees left to their own devices often stuff keywords into their business name or omit branding altogether. That’s a problem.

 

 

The brand name should be consistent across all locations, matching how the business is presented on the company website. Customers searching for a franchise name expect to see uniform branding.

 

• Address & Service Area Settings

A common issue is franchisees using their home address or setting their service area too wide, overlapping with other franchise locations. This needs correcting to ensure compliance with Google’s policies and to prevent disputes between franchisees.

If the business operates within a specific service area rather than a fixed address, that should be set accordingly.

 

• Business Description

Business descriptions should follow brand guidelines while reflecting the local franchisee’s presence.

A good approach is:

• Include a brand-approved introduction.
• Add a personalised touch with the franchisee’s background (e.g. “Steve has been operating in X area for Y years and has been part of the Brand family for Z years”).
• Keep it relevant and professional.

This strengthens brand identity and helps with customer trust and engagement.

 

• Website Links

Website links should direct users to the correct location page on the main website, ideally with UTM tracking added for performance monitoring.

Franchisees with standalone websites should be encouraged to include a link to their official location page to reinforce their affiliation with the brand and brand equity.

 

• Products & Services

Brand-approved images and descriptions should be used for products and services.

Google sometimes adds or removes services algorithmically, so franchisees must understand how this works and why certain services may not always appear as expected.

 

• Photos and Quality Matters

Many franchisees upload low-quality, irrelevant, or poorly cropped images, which reflect badly on the brand.

Guidelines should include:

• Officially branded images where possible.
• High-quality, relevant photos of work or services.
• Correct dimensions and formats for best visibility.

 

• Google Posts and Using Them Properly

Besides branded updates, franchisees should be shown how to post relevant updates themselves.

Examples include:

• Recent installations or completed projects with before-and-after images.
• Local success stories, such as customer testimonials or events.
• Team updates, like “Millie just passed her driver’s test – congratulations!”

 

• Who Manages Promotions?

Some franchises allow individual franchisees to run their promotions, while others centralise this at head office. If offers are permitted locally, clear guidance should be provided on adding them correctly.

 

• Who Handles Customer Enquiries?

A decision needs to be made—should franchisees manage their own Google Chat, or should customer enquiries be handled centrally?

If franchisees add their number to chat but fail to respond, this could damage the brand’s reputation, and franchisees should be aware of this.

 

• Managing Reputation at a Local Level

If bookings and customer interactions are handled centrally, the best approach is to provide a direct link for customers to leave a review. If franchisees manage their bookings, they should be responsible for prompting customers to leave reviews.

Bad reviews are inevitable, but franchisees need to know how to handle them professionally:

• Acknowledge the issue.
• Offer a solution if appropriate.
• Never argue or become defensive.

Franchisees should also be reminded that responding to positive and negative reviews demonstrates good customer service.

 

Help Us, Help You

A well-maintained GBP strategy requires good communication between franchise owners and franchisees.

Clear expectations must be set if you want your brand to remain visible, reputable, and easy to manage. Provide the proper support, enforce best practices, and regularly check in to ensure franchisees keep their profiles updated and compliant.

A structured, well-managed approach benefits franchise owners, franchisees, and customers.

 
Online Ownership provides multi location business consulting to franchises and vendors. Feel free to drop us a line for a no obligation chat about your franchise.
 

 

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