Method | Rankings | Keeping Reviews | Frequency
Businesses change names and rebrand all the time, so if you’ve ever wondered ‘can I change my Google business name’, don’t worry, it’s possible to change the name of your business on your GMB listing. It isn’t too difficult to do, either.
However, a common concern that arises when considering a name change on Google is that any reviews you already had will disappear. ‘Can I change my Google business name’ then soon becomes ‘will my reviews disappear if I do it?’.
If that were to happen, it would set you back a long way, since success in the digital space is in some part reliant on the amount of reviews you have as they can boost your visibility and lend credibility to your company. In this guide, we’re going to let you know exactly how you can change your business name without losing your precious reviews!
Can I change my Business name on Google?
In short, yes, the answer to the question ‘can I change my Google Business name’ is an emphatic yes.
To do so, you will need to have the right level of authority. In any GMB page, there are three user types, which are the owners, manager, and site manager. Only the owner of the page and the manager have the ability to edit primary business information, which includes changing the name of the business.
You can even edit the business name after your GMB age has been verified, though if you do, you will have to go through another verification process.
How can I change my Google Business Name: Step by step guide
Changing your business name in your GMB page shouldn’t be too difficult, provided you know what to do. It can be an important process in your company’s rebranding efforts, since you want customers to know about the new name as soon as possible.
It’s worth noting that only the owners and managers of the company’s GMB listing will have the authority to make changes to primary business information which includes the company name. Site managers won’t have permission to make the change.
With all that in mind, here are the steps you’ll need to take to complete your rebrand and update your company name online:
1. Sign in to Google My Business
First, you’ll need to sign into your Google My Business page with a simple Google Search.
2. Choose the info menu
Once you’re logged in to the GMB dashboard, you’ll see a column on the left-hand side with different tabs. Select the tab which says ‘Info’.
3. Go to the business name section
Where you see the current name of your business, click the pen icon to the right of the text.
4. Add a New name
Delete the current text in the ‘business name’ field, and replace it with the new name for your business.
5. Save
To finish the process, click ‘Apply’ at the bottom right-hand corner of the field, and you’ve changed your business name. You may still need to wait on verification for the change to go through, though.
Will changing the business name affect my rankings?
After losing reviews, another common concern with changing a business name on Google is that it will plummet your company’s rankings. If this were to happen, you would of course lose a lot of organic internet traffic and you’d essentially be starting over with regards to your online presence.
Thankfully, changing your business name should have little to no impact on your search ranking – provided you take the necessary steps.
Big brands change names often, recently for example, fintech company TransferWise shortened its name to Wise. You’d think that this would negatively impact search traffic, but it likely didn’t have as much of an impact as you’d imagine.
Why?
Because a company that knows what it’s doing will make sure they have everything in place before they carry out a rebrand.
One of the most important things to do if you’re planning on changing your business name is to sort out the redirects. With a 301 redirect, you can permanently change one URL to another, which means you can convert any traffic to your old business name to your new one. So even if the majority of your customer base is still searching your old business name in Google, they will be redirected to a page with your new business name.
In addition to redirects, updating your GMB listing to reflect the name change will help raise awareness of your rebrand. You can also shout from the rooftops across any social media platforms you have, to reach as far and wide as possible, minimizing the chance that your audience is unaware of your new business name.
Can I keep my reviews after I change my business name?
Yes, as mentioned earlier, it’s possible to have your cake and eat it too!
You can keep your reviews even after you go ahead and change your business name.
Google understands that rebranding is an important process sometimes in growing a company or shifting the direction of a business. As a result, they’ve made it possible to keep your reviews when you decide to update your business name. Review marketing is an excellent approach to building social proof and brand loyalty, so it makes sense that Google would preserve them.
Best of all?
You don’t even have to do anything.
Once you update the business name in GMB, and have your business verified once again, the reviews will stay in place.
The worst thing you can do is try and create a new GMB listing when you want to change your business name, since this will make it almost impossible to keep your current reviews.
How many times can I change the business name on GMB?
In theory, you can change the name of your business on GMB as much as you want.
However, in reality, changing the name too frequently can trigger warnings or suspensions, and also affect your ranking negatively.
As such, it’s best to limit the amount of times you change your business name to avoid any problems.