Edit the address on your existing Google Business Profile instead of creating a new one, then expect Google to ask you to verify the business again at the new location. Once that is done, update the same address on your website, Apple Maps, Bing and anywhere else customers look, so every listing points people to your new door.
I have moved a business myself, and the online side is the part that is easiest to get wrong. The building gets the attention, while the old address quietly keeps sending customers to an empty storefront. Here is the order I would do it in.
Should I create a new Google Business Profile for my new location?
No. Google says plainly not to create a new profile because your physical location changed. You keep the same profile, edit the address, and your history comes with you.
That matters most for reviews. According to Google's help page on moving reviews across Business Profiles, if you move to a new address and keep the same business name, your reviews transfer automatically. A second profile splits your reviews, confuses customers and can break Google's rule of one profile per business location. If you already made a new profile by accident, that same page explains you can contact Google about moving the reviews over.
There is one exception worth knowing. If you are also changing your name in a way that makes you a different business, Google treats it as a new business. A simple move under the same name is not that.
How do I change my business address on Google?
Open your Business Profile, choose Edit profile, then Location, and select Edit beside your business location. Enter the new address and save.
Google's guide to managing your business address walks through the same steps, which also work in the Google Maps app. A few practical tips:
- Type the full, accurate address exactly as the post office knows it, including suite or unit numbers.
- If Google cannot find the address, fix the highlighted parts first. If it still fails, use Adjust to drop the pin on your building.
- Check the pin either way. A pin on the wrong side of a shopping center in Crozet or a business park off Route 29 is enough to send someone to the wrong entrance.
- If you are moving from a storefront to working out of your home or truck, you may now be a service-area business. In that case, hide the address and list the areas you serve instead.
Will I have to verify my business again after moving?
Yes, plan on it. Google's edit your Business Profile help page says that if you move your business to a new address after it is verified, you must verify it again.
Google chooses the verification method, so be ready for whatever it asks. That often means having your new signage up, your business name visible at the new space, and proof such as a lease or utility bill in your name at the new address. If Google asks for a video, it helps to show the outside of the building, the signage and the inside where you work. Doing the address change once you can actually show the new space tends to go more smoothly than doing it weeks before the move.
How long does it take for the new address to show up?
Usually minutes, sometimes weeks. Google says edits usually take up to about 10 minutes to review, but some take up to 30 days.
You can watch progress on the edit status of your profile. Pending means it is still under review. Not approved usually means Google could not confirm the change was accurate, which is a sign to double-check the address format, the pin and your signage before trying again or appealing.
Because of that window, I would avoid making the change at the last minute before a grand opening. Give yourself a buffer.
What else do I need to update after a move?
Everything that shows your address. Google is only one of the places customers and AI assistants pull your details from, and a mismatched address anywhere is an easy way to send someone to the old location.
Work through this list the same week you change your Google profile:
- Your website. Update the footer, contact page, any location or service-area pages, embedded maps and any schema markup that lists your address.
- Apple Maps. In Apple Business Connect, update the location and check that the pin sits on the correct building. Apple's guide to editing or removing a location shows how to drag the map or enter coordinates. Do not use the permanently closed option for a move, since Apple notes that marks the location as permanently closed on Maps.
- Bing Places. Update your address so it matches Google exactly. My guide to claiming your listings on Apple Maps and Bing covers both if you have not set them up yet.
- Social profiles. Facebook, Instagram and any booking or ordering apps you use.
- Directories and associations. Chamber listings, industry directories, Yelp and anywhere a past customer might look you up.
- Offline pieces. Business cards, invoices, email signatures, voicemail greetings and the sign on the old door telling people where you went.
The goal is the same name, address and phone everywhere. I wrote more about why that matters in what NAP consistency is and why it matters.
Will moving hurt my local search rankings?
It can change them, and nobody can promise it will not. Where you are located is part of how Google decides which nearby searches you show up for, so moving across town can shift who sees you.
A move from downtown Charlottesville out to Waynesboro or Staunton puts you closer to a different set of customers. What you can control is everything else: a verified profile, the right category, fresh photos of the new space, steady reviews and a website that clearly says where you are now. Those are the same basics covered on our local SEO page, and they matter even more in the months after a move.
If you are not sure where your listings stand right now, the free local business growth scorecard is a quick way to spot gaps before or after you move.
What can I do today?
- Write down every place your address appears online and offline.
- Set your Google address change for when your sign is up and you can show the new space.
- Gather a lease or utility bill for the new address, ready for verification.
- Take a few photos of the new storefront, entrance and interior to add once the move is live.
- Put a sign on the old door and a note on your website for the first few months.
If a move is already on your plate and this list feels like one more thing, this is the kind of work we handle at STANDBY. We update the listings, keep the details consistent, and refresh your site through our website builds so you can focus on getting the new space ready.
Common questions
Will I lose my Google reviews if I move?
Not if you keep the same profile and the same name. Google says reviews transfer automatically when a business moves to a new address under the same name, with a few category exceptions such as hotels.
Should I mark my old location as permanently closed?
Not on Google if you are simply moving. Edit the address on your existing profile instead. Marking it closed and starting over is meant for situations like a name change that makes you a different business.
Can I change my address before I actually move?
You can, but verification may ask you to show the new location, signage and proof of address. Changing it once you are set up in the new space usually avoids failed verification and customers showing up early.
Moving soon and want a second set of eyes on your listings? Book a free 15-minute call and we will walk through what needs updating.