🌴 A Note From The Jungle
Thinking about changing your business name? You might just need a new GBP then. This week we take a look at Google’s re-branding rules for profiles and the growing use of AI mode for local searches. Let’s get cracking 💥
🦍 Ask GMB Gorilla
Hey GMB Gorilla…I want to change the name of my business and I heard changing the business name on my profile will cause it to be suspended. Is this true and how can I make the change with minimal pain?
Howdy human! You know, you’re the 27th person who has asked me this in the last two weeks. Must be the leaves that has everyone thinking about changing their business name! In all seriousness, changing the business name on a Google Business Profile needs to be handled properly as its considered to be a field sensitive to changes.
Google published guidance this year on rebranding your Google Business Profile that has added a layer to this. In the past when you made a change to the name a field, it would get accepted, rejected, or the profile would suspended. If it was rejected or your profile was suspended, you’d then need to submit DBA/LLC paperwork and a utility bill with details matching the profile to get the name change approved.
Today, the result of a name change are still the same, but Google’s updated guidelines around a name changes alters the potential outcomes for businesses.
Here’s what they say:
Your Business Profile may be eligible for rebranding (defined as an eligible name change without creating a new Business Profile) if you make a minor name change, in which the proper nouns and services described in the business name remain unchanged and the business category remains unchanged.
You may also be eligible for rebranding if you have multiple locations and the business name changes.
If your business meets the rebranding criteria above, you can update your business name when you edit your business information.
If your business changes its name but doesn't meet the criteria above, then it's considered a new business. You must mark the existing Business Profile as closed and then create a new Business Profile with your new business name.
This means that in practice if Google determines that the name change is to drastic, for a single location, and or you need to update other information such as the category with the change you may need to create a brand new profile. It’s very different than in past when you would merely need to back up the change with paperwork - you never know how Google is going to rule.
What we thinking is driving this is Google’s desire to prevent or at least slow the number of businesses grabbing DBAs just to keyword stuff the business name field to gain a rankings advantage. This still works, but in many cases, a substantial enough change would be denied. Forcing these businesses to start from scratch with a new profile hurts that strategy big time. Some point to Google also having a greater care around reviews, more clearly defining that reviews are tied to a specific business entity and if that entity changes, the reviews are no longer valid.
Our experience so far with profiles that need an update to the business name field is mixed. We’ve seen customers making minor name changes not be accepted despite proper paperwork and escalations. While others customers making what we thought was a large change to the business name got accepted. Heck, we even see edits to the business name be auto-accepted that don’t seem like they should auto-approve.
At the end of the day this is a pain for owners making a change for non-SEO reasons, but probably a good thing for consumers in the long run. When a business changes names, owners, locations, etc the historical reviews may no longer be relevant since a lot could have changed.
🌴 Jungle Watch
Google AI Mode for local search
Google AI Mode is getting pushed and talked about more as the AI arms race continues. It only means one thing: more of your customers will be using it (and you should be too).
Google continues to experiment with AI result layouts: AI Mode is still considered an experimental feature, so it is not surprising that Google continues to roll out new result layouts, features, and functionality. This is giving marketers a first hand glimpse into what the future of search might look like long term.
Google AI Mode is different from traditional search: While Google Business Profile information is heavily used and integrated with AI mode results for local searches, secondary trusted sources such as BBB profiles, are appearing more frequently than in the organic. In many cases the cited sources for results shown are wildly different than what Google offers in the organic SERPs.
AI Mode is often giving different results too: AI Mode is not just a different presentation of the organic SERP, the methods and processes used to come about the results generate are different too. AI Mode will also often mention the same businesses as an organic SERP, but in different prioritization, with different reasons for them the business appearing in the result set.
AI results aren’t going away and should get better: Right now there’s a lot of talk in the space about bad answers, but like most tech, things will only get better. While some of the bad results will deter users from adopting AI mode in full, you just have to look back to the early days of Google to know that results then weren’t always great.
That said, now is a great time to begin using AI mode and seeing how you appear relative to your competitors. You might be surprised…or need to alter your plans for 2026 👀
🍌 Banana Bites
OpenAI releases the CHatGPT Atlas web browser 🔮 OpenAI
Black Hat GEO is REAL 🎩 Search Engine Land
New Google Business Profiles Insights feature spotted in the wild. 🌴 SE Roundtable
🆘 Need GBP Help?
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Did You Know? The average gorilla life expectancy in the wild is between 35-40 years. 🦍
Till next time,