Why Does Google AI Overviews Combine Reviews From Two Different Locations?

Why do reviews from different locations get mixed?

• Brand-level searches. "[Brand] reviews" is about the brand, so an AI Overview reasonably draws on every location's reviews and on brand-level review sites.
• Company-level review platforms. Some review sites rate the company as a whole, so a complaint about one branch counts against the brand everywhere.
• Shared website pages. One testimonials page, or a reviews widget pulling reviews from every location, presents all reviews as if they were about one place.
• Location pages that are not distinct. Pages that differ only by town name give Google little to separate.
• Profile problems. Duplicate profiles, profiles merged after a move, or two profiles sharing one phone number or website link can blur the evidence.
• Articles and posts that name the brand, not the branch, such as "terrible service at [brand]" with no location.
• Ambiguous questions. "[Brand] near me" may be answered from reviews of a branch that is not actually nearest.

When does combining matter?

The damage is greatest when one branch has a problem, such as a staffing crisis, a health inspection or a bad run of reviews, and the others do not. Mixing then spreads one branch's reputation across the brand.

How do you test whether reviews are being mixed?

1. Search branch-specific questions in Google: "[Brand] [town] reviews", "Is [brand] [town] good?", and "Best [service] in [town]". Do this from, or set to, each branch's area where you can.
2. Read the AI Overview's claims about the branch, such as friendly staff, long waits or cleanliness. Check whether they match that branch's reviews or another's.
3. Open the cited sources. Note whether they are branch-level profiles, company-level review pages, your own site or articles.
4. Look for profile problems: search Google Maps for your brand and check for duplicates, closed or moved profiles, and profiles with the wrong phone or website link.
5. Record results per branch, so you can see which branches suffer from mixing.

How local signals feed AI Overviews is covered in how local SEO signals affect Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT recommendations.

What should you change?

Business Profiles:

• One verified profile per location, with its own address, phone number and hours.
• Link each profile to its own location page, not the home page.
• Resolve duplicates and profiles left over from moves, and check that each branch's reviews sit on the right profile.

Website:

• A distinct page for each location, with its address, staff, services, opening hours, parking and anything else that differs.
• Show only that location's reviews on each location page, labelled as such.
• Label brand-wide testimonials by location where you can, or keep them on a brand page.
• Do not expect review markup to separate locations. Google's review snippet guidelines exclude self-serving reviews. A business marking up reviews about itself on its own site is not eligible for review stars in search. Visible, clearly labelled content matters more.

Reviews:

• Give each location its own review link, on receipts, emails, signs and QR codes, so customers review the branch they used.
• Reply to reviews from the branch's profile, mentioning the branch where it helps readers.
• Send each branch’s own review link, so reviews land on the right location’s profile rather than a company-level page.

Directories:

• Create separate listings per location on the directories that matter in your category, with branch-specific phone numbers and links.

Other kinds of AI error about business details are covered in why Google AI Overviews hallucinate prices, competitors or business details.

What about franchises and dealer networks?

Franchises mix reviews more than most businesses, because each franchisee is a separate company trading under one name. A franchisee with poor service can drag down answers about every outlet, and the brand's head office may control the website while franchisees control their own profiles. A few practices help:

• Agree a standard for location profiles in the franchise agreement: naming, categories, phone numbers, website links and who answers reviews.
• Give every outlet a page on the brand site, managed centrally, with the outlet's own details and reviews.
• Keep head-office reviews separate, such as complaints about national promotions or billing, on a brand page rather than on outlet pages.
• Monitor answers per outlet, so the brand can see where one outlet's problems are spreading.

The same applies to dealer and installer networks that trade under a manufacturer's brand.

What if a branch-specific answer is plainly wrong?

Send feedback on the AI Overview, naming the branch and pointing out that the review content belongs to another location. Then fix the underlying sources, since feedback alone rarely changes answers quickly. If a problem at one branch has been resolved, say so on that branch's page and in review replies. A new manager, a renovation or changed opening hours gives future answers accurate material to draw on.

What might an illustrative case look like?

Consider an illustrative dental group with three clinics. For "Is [group] [suburb] good?", Google's AI Overview mentioned long waits and billing complaints. Those complaints came from reviews of its city-centre clinic, which had been short-staffed. The suburb clinic's profile linked to the group's home page, where a widget showed reviews from all three clinics together. The group linked each profile to its own clinic page and showed only that clinic's reviews on each page. It gave each clinic its own review link and QR code at reception. A few weeks later, the suburb answer described that clinic's own reviews, and the city-centre problems appeared only in answers about the city-centre clinic.

What do people ask about AI Overviews and multi-location reviews?

Should each location have its own website?

No. Separate pages on one site, each linked from its own Business Profile, are enough.

Can we ask Google to separate the reviews?

Google does not separate reviews in AI Overviews on request. Fix duplicate or wrong profiles, and make each branch's sources distinct.

Does this affect other assistants?

They can, for the same reasons. The same fixes help, plus separate per-branch listings on the directories those assistants cite.

How long does it take for answers to separate?

Often a few weeks after profiles and location pages are fixed, as Google picks up the changes. Branches with few reviews of their own take longer, so make sure every customer at those branches is asked for an honest review.