How to Change Your Business Name or Address on Google Without Getting Suspended
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To change your business name or address on Google safely, update the existing profile rather than creating a new one, make the change match the real world first (signage, website, ABN or business name registration), change one thing at a time, and be ready to verify again. Google reviews these edits; most take minutes, but some take up to 30 days.
Why are name and address changes risky?
They are the details Google relies on most to confirm a business is real. A sudden change can look like someone trying to take over a listing or stuff keywords into a name, so Google may review it, ask you to verify again, or in some cases restrict the profile while it checks.
What should you do before changing your name?
- Make sure the new name is your real trading name: on your signage, website, invoices and business name registration
- Don't add keywords or locations. Google says extras like service descriptions or locations in the name can lead to suspension (Google)
- Update your website first, so Google sees the new name there
- Have proof ready: business name registration, ABN details, a photo of the new signage
What should you do before changing your address?
- Only change it when you actually trade from the new address
- If you work from home and customers don't visit, hide the address and set a service area instead
- Put up signage at the new location if customers visit
- Update your website, invoices and directory listings at the same time
If you move and accidentally end up with a new profile, Google says you can ask support to move reviews from the old one, though not every change qualifies (Google). See duplicate Google listings.
How does Google review the edit?
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Accepted | The change is live on Search and Maps |
| Pending | Still being reviewed: usually about 10 minutes, sometimes up to 30 days |
| Not approved | Google couldn't confirm it. You may be able to appeal |
Those statuses and timeframes come from Google's help page on profile edits (Google).
Will you need to verify again?
Possibly. Google may ask a verified business to verify again after information changes (Google). If you're waiting on a postcard code, Google says not to edit your name, address or category, because that cancels the code (Google). If you're asked for a video, see video verification step by step.
What mistakes cause suspensions?
- Creating a brand-new profile instead of editing the old one
- Changing name, address, category and phone all on the same day
- Adding "Plumber Sunshine" or similar to the business name
- Using a virtual office or PO box as a storefront address
- Repeatedly re-submitting a rejected edit
If your profile is suspended, see Google Business Profile suspended.
What order should you make the changes in?
Google checks your details against the real world, so change the real world first and Google last. This is the order we use:
- Register the new business name with ASIC if you trade under a name that isn't your own (ASIC), and update your ABN details
- Put up new signage at the shop, or new branding on your vehicle
- Update your website: name, address, logo, footer and contact page
- Update invoices, quotes, email signatures and social profiles
- Change the name or address on your Google Business Profile, one at a time
- Update directories and other listings once Google has accepted the change
Leave a few days between changing the name and changing the address if you're doing both. It makes each change easier for Google to check, and easier for you to see which one caused a problem if anything goes wrong.
What if Google doesn't approve the change?
If an edit shows as not approved, Google couldn't confirm it, and you may be able to appeal (Google). Before you do, work out why it might have failed.
- Does the new name exactly match your signage, website and registration, with no extra words?
- Is the new address a real place where you trade, not a virtual office or mailbox?
- Did you change several things at once, so it looked like a different business?
- Is your website showing the new details yet?
Fix what you can first, then appeal with evidence: a photo of the new signage, your business name registration, and a recent invoice or utility bill with the new details. Don't keep re-submitting the same edit without changing anything; it rarely helps and makes the history harder to follow.
If you can't resolve it, contact Business Profile support and explain the change in a few plain sentences.
What should the website say after a rename or move?
Customers who knew the old name or address will search for it. The website should make it obvious they've found the right business.
- Add a short line on the homepage and about page: "[New name], formerly [old name]" for the first few months
- Update the address and map on the contact page, with directions to the new location
- If you change domain names, redirect every old page to its matching new page, not just to the homepage
- Update the business name in your site's structured data, so search engines read the new details
- Check the footer, page titles and image alt text for the old name
How do you tell existing customers?
Your regular customers are the people most likely to be confused, and the easiest to tell.
- Post an update on your Google Business Profile with a photo of the new signage or premises
- Send a short message to customers who have agreed to hear from you, explaining what changed and what stays the same
- Put a sign at the old location with the new address, if you can
- Mention it in person and on receipts for a few months
Keep the message simple: what changed, what didn't, and how to reach you. If you send marketing emails or texts, follow the Spam Act rules on consent and unsubscribing. See email and SMS marketing rules.
What about your other listings and directories?
Your business probably appears in more places than you remember: directories, industry associations, supplier lists, social profiles and old ads. Mismatched details confuse customers and make your business look less reliable.
- Search your old name and old address in Google to find where they still appear
- Update the listings you control, starting with the ones that send you customers
- Ask others, such as your industry association or shopping centre, to update theirs
- Keep a list of where you're listed, so the next change is quicker
See keeping your business listed the same everywhere for a checklist.
Should you change your phone number at the same time?
Only if you have to. Many customers save your number in their phone and never look you up again. The phone number is one of the details that links your old and new information together, for customers and for search engines. Keeping it the same through a rename or move makes the change smoother.
If you must change it, set up a message or call forwarding on the old number for as long as you can, and update it on your Google profile, website and listings on the same day.
Check your profile and your enquiries for a few weeks after the change.
- Confirm the edit shows as accepted in your profile, and search for your business on Google Maps from a phone
- Check your performance report for calls, direction requests and website clicks before and after the change (Google). See reading your performance report
- Ask new customers whether they had any trouble finding you, and fix anything they mention
- Watch for a duplicate listing appearing with the old details, and deal with it straight away
Changing your name or moving premises? Morphic updates Google Business Profiles, websites and directory listings together so they match. Get a free quote, or book a 30-minute call.
Related service. Google Business Profile management.
Related reading: Is Your Business Listed the Same Everywhere?, Duplicate Google Business Listings and Australian Business Directories.
Title 15 and Main Content 15: leave empty.
Related reading. How to Set Holiday Hours on Google (Christmas and Public Holidays).
Key Takeaways
Edit the existing profile; never create a new one for a name or address change.
Make the change real first: signage, website, registration and invoices.
Change one key detail at a time and keep the name free of keywords.
Edits can take from minutes to 30 days, and Google may ask you to verify again.
Update your website and directories so every listing matches.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
