Step 1: Open your Excel 2010 file that contains the columns of data that you want to combine. Step 2: Identify the columns of data that you want to combine. For example, I want to combine columns A and B in the image below. Step 3: Click inside an empty column where you want the combined data to be displayed. Step 4: Type =CONCATENATE(XX, YY) into the first cell where you want to display combined column data. In the example below, I am combining data from cells A2 and B2.