Changing Your Business Info? Do This First or Risk Losing Rankings

Thinking about updating your business name, address, phone number, or even your website URL?

Hold up—before you make the change, there’s one thing you need to know.

If you update your business info the wrong way, you risk disappearing from local search results. Yes, seriously. Google might stop trusting your business—and that means fewer calls, fewer clicks, and fewer customers.

But don’t panic. The good news is this: if you plan ahead, you can update your info and protect your rankings at the same time.

Here’s exactly what you need to do before making any changes.

Why This Matters

Your business name, address, and phone number—commonly known as NAP—play a huge role in local SEO. Google uses this data to verify that your business is real, consistent, and trustworthy.

So when your NAP suddenly changes without warning—or worse, becomes inconsistent across the web—Google gets confused. And confused Google means lost visibility. Your Maps listing could drop in rankings. You might stop showing up for searches you used to dominate.

It happens more often than you think. A business moves to a new location, updates their Facebook page but forgets to update Yelp, and boom—suddenly, traffic drops.

Don’t let that happen to you. Inconsistent NAP data damages your credibility and ranking. Learn more about NAP consistency in SEO.

What to Do Before You Change Anything

Before you even touch your Google Business Profile or website, take a few smart steps. These don’t take long—but they make a big difference.

1. Audit Your Current Info

Start by making a list of everywhere your business info appears online. Include:

• Google Business Profile

• Website

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Yelp

• Bing Places

• Apple Maps

• Online directories (YellowPages, MapQuest, etc.)

• Industry-specific listings (like Avvo for lawyers or Healthgrades for doctors)
  
  

This list becomes your roadmap. You’ll use it to update every single listing later.

2. Save What You Already Have

Before you make any edits, take screenshots of your current profiles. Save copies of:

• Your current Google Business Profile

• Website contact page

• Facebook About section

• Directory listings

Why? Because if something goes wrong—say, your listing gets suspended or a review disappears—you’ll want proof of what your info looked like before the change.

It’s like having a backup before a big system update. Check for Google’s suggested updates before overwriting anything.

3. Update Your Website First

Your website is your source of truth. Google crawls your site and compares it with other listings to confirm accuracy. So before you update your Google Business Profile, make sure your website reflects the new info first.

This includes:

• Contact page

• Footer

• Schema markup (if you use it)

• Header banners or business cards (if relevant)

If Google sees conflicting info between your GBP and your site, it might delay the update—or flag it as suspicious.

4. Prep Your Citations

Now that you have your list of listings and you’ve updated your site, prepare a checklist of places where you’ll need to make changes. This includes the big-name directories and any niche ones you’ve been listed on.

Set a day (or two) to go through them systematically. If you have a team, delegate. If not, take it one section at a time.

How to Safely Update Your Info

Now comes the fun part—making the change. But do it in this order to keep your rankings stable.

1. Update Your Google Business Profile First

Start with your Google Business Profile. This is the most critical listing, and Google wants to see consistency across the web that matches what you put here.

Log into your GBP, go to the “Info” tab, and carefully update:

• Name

• Address

• Phone number

• Website URL (if applicable)

Make sure everything is correct. Typos and formatting errors can cause delays—or worse, trigger a verification request.

Google might ask you to reverify your listing via postcard or email, especially if you change your address.

2. Update Other Listings

After GBP, move on to:

• Your website (double-check everything!)

• Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

• Yelp and other major directories

• Any industry-specific platforms you rely on

Pro tip: Keep your formatting consistent. For example, if you use “Street” on your website, don’t shorten it to “St.” elsewhere. Even tiny inconsistencies can cause trust issues with search engines.

Bonus Tips to Keep Your Rankings Safe

• Check your business category: While you're in your GBP dashboard, make sure your primary category still fits your new setup. Moving from “Coffee Shop” to “Bakery”? Update the category.

• Use your new info consistently: Add it to new posts, photos, and updates across your channels.

• Get new reviews: After your change, ask a few loyal customers to leave a review. It helps show Google that your business is still active and trusted.
  
  

Red Flags to Avoid

• Changing everything at once with no backup: If something goes wrong, you’ll have no way to recover.

• Forgetting old listings: One outdated directory can confuse Google and hurt your rankings.

• Not verifying changes with Google: After you update, make sure Google has accepted your edits. If they’re still “pending” after a few days, follow up.

• Neglecting schema markup: If your website uses schema (structured data), don’t forget to update your business info there too.

• Incorrect edits: If you’re not careful, changes can result in a suspended listing. Here's how to avoid profile suspension.

Final Takeaway

Changing your business info doesn’t have to wreck your rankings. But doing it without a plan? That’s where things go sideways.

By auditing your current listings, updating your website first, and rolling out consistent changes across platforms, you stay ahead of the curve—and ahead in local search.

Remember: Google rewards businesses that look organized and trustworthy. So when you handle changes like a pro, you don’t just protect your SEO—you actually strengthen it.

Need help managing your updates? We’ve helped dozens of local businesses transition smoothly without losing search visibility. Reach out—we’re happy to help.