How to Change Your Google Business Profile Name and Appeal If Google Reverts It
By Clay Lawrence, Review Harvest · · 8 min video
The short version
To change your Google Business Profile name, open the profile, click Edit profile, change the name and save. It normally goes through within 10 minutes. Keywords in the business name are the second biggest map pack ranking factor in the 2023 SEO research study by Whitespark, so use your business name plus one main keyword. Adding a keyword that is not in your real name is technically against Google's terms and Google may change it back. If it does, register a DBA with the keyword in it and send the paperwork through Google's business name change form.
Do this, in order
- 1
Pick one main keyword to go with your business name
Use your business name followed by the one service you most want to rank for, for example carpet cleaning or air duct cleaning, not both. Leave the city out: Google knows where you are from your website or the address on your profile.
- 2
Check whether the keyword is already in your real name
If your business is already called something like Joe's Plumbing Services, you are set. Google cannot do anything about a name that is your actual business name.
- 3
Know the risk before you change anything
Adding a keyword that is not part of your real business name is technically against Google's terms of service, and Google does not recommend it. The worst we have seen Google do to a client is change the name back automatically and send an email saying the profile was updated.
- 4
Open your profile and click Edit profile
Make sure you are logged in to the email that manages the profile, then type the name of your business into Google. Click Edit profile.
- 5
Change the name and click Save
The change is marked as pending and normally goes through within 10 minutes. It almost always goes through the first time. If Google objects, the email tends to arrive a week or a couple of weeks later.
- 6
If Google keeps removing the keyword, get a DBA
A DBA (doing business as) with your main keyword in it makes the name official. Once you can send in paperwork showing that this is the name of your business, Google cannot remove it.
- 7
Open Google's support form for a business name change
Logged in to the email that manages the profile, select the profile you want, type name change or business name change, and pick the option about changes to the business name. Click Next step, click Next step again, and under contact options choose Email to open the form.
- 8
Fill in the form and choose business title
Add your name, whether you are the owner, the business name, the business address, your Maps link and your website. For the part of the profile that is incorrect, select business title. In the description, say that Google keeps changing your name but this is your actual business name.
- 9
Attach your proof and submit
Once you select business title, extra fields appear where you can add files: screenshots or business documents, such as your DBA, showing the name of the business. Click Submit. Google normally says seven to 10 business days.
Does a keyword in your business name help you rank on Google?
Yes. Having your main keyword in the name on your Google Business Profile is the second biggest ranking factor for the map pack, based on the 2023 SEO research study by Whitespark. Across the hundreds of profiles we have helped optimize, it has been one of the most powerful changes there is.
Most businesses already have their primary category taken care of, because that one is usually straightforward. The keyword in the name is the next lever.
You can see it in local search results. Search for cryo near me and the business at the top has cryo in its name, though it also has more reviews than the others. Search for air conditioner replacement and the names in the map pack say air conditioning and cooling over and over.
One local example is beach bonfires. Search it and nearly every business in the map pack has beach bonfires in its name. Some of them added it after their business name with a dash, and they rank better for it. A client with 387 reviews has Beach Bonfires in the actual name of the business.
Is it allowed?
Not if the keyword is not really part of your business name. Adding it is technically against Google’s terms of service, and Google does not recommend it. Know that before you make the change.
The worst we have seen Google do to a client is this: its algorithm changes the name back automatically and Google sends an email saying your Google Business Profile was updated.
The one thing Google cannot touch is your real name. If you are a plumbing company and the business is already called Joe’s Plumbing Services, you are golden. If the keyword is not in your name today, a DBA (doing business as) that includes it makes the name official, and you can send in the paperwork to prove it.
What should the name look like?
Your business name, then your main keyword. Nothing else.
A carpet and air duct cleaning client in San Diego had both services and the city in the profile name. That is a lot. Adding the location is bold, and adding two main keywords is bold. The better version is the business name plus whichever one service the company wants to prioritize: carpet cleaning or air duct cleaning.
Skip the city. Google knows where you are from your website or from the address on your Google Business Profile.
How do you change the name on your profile?
- Make sure you are logged in to the email that manages the profile.
- Type the name of your business into Google so your profile comes up.
- Click Edit profile.
- Change the business name and click Save.
The change is marked as pending for a little while and normally goes through within 10 minutes. In our experience the name change almost always goes through the first time. If Google is going to object, the email tends to come a week or a couple of weeks later. That depends on your industry and where you are located, because some areas and industries are more competitive and more harshly monitored.
If you have the time, the order is: add the keyword, and if Google keeps removing it, get a DBA and send it in.
What do you do when Google changes the name back?
Send Google proof that the name is real, through its support form. Submit the request from the email that manages your Google Business Profile.
- Select the Google Business Profile the request is about. You probably only have one or a couple.
- Type name change or business name change, and choose the option about changes to the business name.
- Click Next step, then Next step again. Google is offering help articles here; keep going to the contact options.
- Click Email. This opens the form.
- Add your name, whether you are the owner, the business name and the business address.
- Add your Maps link. Go to your Google Business Profile and click the small maps icon on it. The page that opens is the Google Maps version of your profile, and its link is the one to paste in.
- Add your business website.
- For the part of the profile that is incorrect, select business title.
- Describe the issue: Google keeps changing your name, but this is your actual business name.
- Selecting business title reveals extra fields where you can add files. Attach screenshots or business documents, such as your DBA, that show the name of the business.
- Click Submit.
Google normally says seven to 10 business days. Sometimes it is three days, sometimes 24 hours, and sometimes it feels like never.
How To Rank #1 On Google Overnight: the full series
- 1What the Google Map Pack Is and How to Track Your Ranking in It
- 3How to Change Your Google Business Profile Name and Appeal If Google Reverts It
- 4How to Ask Customers for Google Reviews: Ask, Make It Easy, Remind, Automate
- 5How to Fill Out Every Section of Your Google Business Profile
- 6How to Check and Fix the H1 and Heading Tags on Your Website
- 7Link Each Google Business Profile Product to Its Own Service Page
- 8Internal Linking for Local SEO: Link Back to Your GBP Landing Page
- 9Which Citations and Backlinks Help Your Google Business Profile Rank
Common questions
Does putting a keyword in your Google Business Profile name help you rank?
Yes. Keywords in the business name are the second biggest ranking factor for the Google map pack in the 2023 SEO research study by Whitespark. Search for a local service and you will often see the keyword repeated in the names of the businesses in the map pack.
Is it against Google's rules to add a keyword to your business name?
Adding a keyword that is not part of your real business name is technically against Google's terms of service, and Google does not recommend it. If the keyword is in your actual business name, or you register a DBA that includes it, Google cannot do anything about it because you can send in the paperwork.
What happens if Google changes my business name back?
The worst we have seen Google do to a client is automatically change the name back and send an email saying the profile was updated. If that keeps happening, get a DBA with your main keyword in it. Then submit the business name change form with the DBA attached as proof.
How do I change the name on my Google Business Profile?
Log in to the email that manages the profile and type your business name into Google. Click Edit profile, change the name, and click Save. The change is marked as pending and normally goes through within 10 minutes.
Should I put my city in my Google Business Profile name?
No. Use your business name and your one main keyword. Google already knows where you are from your website or from the address on your Google Business Profile, and adding the location on top of keywords is a bold move.
How long does Google take to review a business name request?
Google normally says seven to 10 business days. In practice it has been three days, or 24 hours, and sometimes it feels like it never comes.
