How to change your business name on Google
Rebranding, buying a business or correcting a mistake all mean changing your name on Google. It is one of the most closely checked edits there is, so doing it in the right order matters. Done well, you keep your reviews and your rankings.
What Google allows in a business name
Your name on Google should be the name your business uses in the real world: on your signage, vehicles, website, invoices and paperwork. Google does not allow:
- Keywords or services that are not part of your real name ("Smith Plumbing Water Heater Repair")
- Your city or area, unless it is part of your real name
- Phone numbers, website addresses or special offers
- Taglines or slogans
A name that follows these rules is much more likely to be approved, and much less likely to be suspended later.
How to change it, in the right order
1. Change the real world first
Before you touch Google, put the new name everywhere else:
- Your website, especially the homepage and contact page
- Signage, vehicles and uniforms where you can
- Your business registration, if the legal name changed
- Invoices, email signatures and social profiles
When Google checks your edit, everything it finds should agree with the new name.
2. Change the name on your Business Profile
- Open your Business Profile and choose Edit profile.
- Go to the business name field and enter the new name.
- Save.
The change goes under review. A name change can take several days to be approved, and Google may ask you to verify again. Our guide to video verification helps if it does.
3. Update your other listings
Change the name on Bing, Apple Maps, Yelp, Facebook, the BBB and your industry directories. Mismatched names across the web can cause Google to doubt the change, or even to create a duplicate listing for the old name. See duplicate Google Business Profiles.
While the change is under review
- Do not make other edits to the profile until the name change is approved.
- Keep answering reviews and posting as normal.
- If the edit is rejected, check that your website and signage show the new name, then try again or contact support with evidence such as a registration document. Why edits are not approved covers this in more detail.
Will it affect my ranking?
A genuine name change rarely hurts rankings for long, because your reviews, history and location stay the same. You may see a short dip while Google processes it. Where people go wrong is adding keywords during the rebrand: it can give a short boost, and then end in a suspension or a forced correction.
If your business is going through a rebrand and you want the whole change handled, including directories, we do this as part of citation building.
Questions owners ask
Will I lose my reviews if I change my business name?
No. Changing the name on your existing profile keeps its reviews and history. Creating a new profile for the new name would lose them and create a duplicate.
Can I add my city or main service to my business name?
Only if it is genuinely part of your legal or trading name, as it appears on your signage and paperwork. Adding keywords to your name on Google alone breaks its guidelines, and competitors often report it.
My competitor has keywords in their name and ranks above me. What can I do?
You can suggest an edit to their listing on Google Maps with their real name, or report it through Google's business redressal form. Many keyword stuffed names are corrected when reported with evidence such as their website or signage.
Find out who is getting your calls
The free Maps audit shows where you rank across your service area, which competitors are taking the calls you are missing, and exactly what it would take to become the first call. The findings are yours to keep.
Get your free Maps audit