How do I move my local business without losing my Google Maps visibility?

What should I do before, during, and after the move?

Keep the existing profile when the business changes physical location. Google says not to create a new Business Profile because of a location change. If the business moves to a new address and keeps the same business name, Google says it will transfer the reviews automatically, although certain categories may not have reviews moved automatically.¹ Dining, lodging, and entertainment venues are the exception: Google rejects their location edits and tells a relocated business in one of those categories to mark the old profile permanently closed and create a new one.² See why a Google Maps ranking can drop after moving for the same relocation branch.

Should I show the new address, hide it, or use both?

Choose the setting from how customers actually meet the business at the new location.

A coworking-space address has additional conditions. It must have clear signage, receive customers during business hours, and be staffed during business hours by the business's own staff. A rented mailing address where the business does not operate is a virtual office and is not eligible.³

How do I prepare the profile before I edit it?

1. Decide which of the three location settings matches the new operation. Do not choose a storefront address simply because it is a convenient mailing address.
2. Confirm the address, suite or floor details, signage, staffing, and customer-reception hours at the new location. Google says the address and service area must be accurate and precise.³
3. If the business will travel to customers, list the cities, postal codes, or other supported areas it actually serves. Do not use the service-area list as a list of places where the business merely wants to appear.⁴
4. Check the individual location page and phone number that the Business Profile will send customers to. The phone should connect to that location, and the website should represent that location.³
5. For a before-and-after visibility record, save the exact query, searcher location, date, and result shown before making the edit.⁷

What should I update outside Google Business Profile?

Prepare customer-facing changes before the move, publish them when the new operation is real, then check the old and new locations after the profile edit. Google requires the Business Profile to match how the business is represented in the real world, so a pre-move draft should not describe an operation that has not started.³

1. Before the move, record every page or public listing customers use to find the address, phone, hours, or directions. Include the business website, Apple Maps, Bing Places, Yelp, and important trade directories.
2. When the new location opens, update the website and public listings with the same official business facts. For a service-area business, do not publish the hidden base address just to make the records match.
3. After the Google edit, search the business name with the old address, the new address, and the phone number. Check for outdated profiles, duplicates, a previous business still shown at the new address, and wrong directions. Correct only factual records the business owns or is eligible to edit.
4. Keep a log of each URL, the edit date, and the value customers can see. The log separates customer-information cleanup from Google's address, service-area, and verification windows.

How do I change the new business address in Google Business Profile?

If the business is a dining, lodging, or entertainment venue, do not use this location-edit path. Google rejects location edits for those venues. Mark the existing profile permanently closed and create a new profile at the new location. See why a Google Maps ranking can drop after moving for this exception.²

For other businesses, use this path:

1. Go to the Business Profile.
2. Select Edit profile, then Location.
3. Next to Business location, select Edit.
4. Enter the new address details and select Save.

If Google cannot find the address, correct the fields highlighted in red. If the address still cannot be found, select Adjust to place the map pin.⁵

Enter the physical address on Address Line 1. If a mailbox or suite number must be specified, Google says to put the mailbox or suite number on Address Line 2. The address must describe where the business operates, not where it receives mail.³

How do I hide the address when the business is service-area only?

Use this path when customers do not visit the business at its base:

1. Go to the Business Profile.
2. Select Edit profile, then Location.
3. Next to Business location, select Edit.
4. Turn off Show business address to customers.
5. Select Save.

Google says to hide the address only when the business is a service-area business. After the address is hidden, the profile shows the service area. If no service area is entered, Google chooses a local area that can be edited later.⁵

How do I add or edit the service area after the move?

Use this path:

1. Go to the Business Profile.
2. Select Edit profile, then Location.
3. Next to Service area, select Edit.
4. Select a suggested service area or enter one.
5. Select Save.⁴

Apply Google's service-area limits while editing:

• Use up to 20 areas per profile.⁴
• Enter cities, postal codes, or another supported area type. Do not enter a radius around the business.⁴
• Keep the overall boundary generally within about two hours of driving time from the business base; Google notes that larger areas may be appropriate for some businesses.⁴
• Make the list as specific and accurate as possible.⁴

Google says an approved service-area edit may take up to 48 hours to show on the Business Profile. Record when the approved area becomes visible.⁴

What should I change on the website and phone?

Make the linked contact paths describe the individual location after the move.

• The phone number should connect to the individual business location and remain under the business's direct control. Google recommends a local number instead of a central call-center helpline when possible.
• The website should represent the individual business location.
• Do not use a phone number or URL that redirects customers to a different landing page or phone number.
• Do not use a premium phone number, regardless of the caller rate.³

Open the profile's phone and website links after saving. Confirm that each one reaches the moved location without sending customers to a different branch or central destination.³

Does moving to a new address require re-verification?

Yes. Google says a verified Business Profile must be verified again when the business moves to a new address.⁶

Google automatically determines which verification methods are available. The options depend on the business type, public information, region, and business hours, and Google may require more than one method. The owner cannot choose a different method outside the options Google shows.⁸

If postcard verification is available and selected, do not edit the business name, address, or category while waiting. Google says the mailed code will not work after those details change. Most codes arrive within 14 days, the code expires after 30 days, and requesting a new code invalidates the previous one.⁸

After the verification steps are complete, Google says verification reviews take up to five business days, although rare cases can take longer.⁸

How long will the address, service area, and verification changes take?

Keep the windows separate in your move log. A profile can display an address edit while the moved, formerly verified profile still needs re-verification.⁵⁶⁸

How should I check Google Maps visibility after the move?

Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity. Distance refers to how far the business is from the searching customer. Google also says complete and accurate information is more likely to appear in local results, but no one can request or pay for a better local ranking.⁷

Use a comparison record rather than one unlabelled search:

Repeat the same record after the relevant profile and verification windows. Treat the result as an observation tied to its query, searcher location, and date. This comparison is not a ranking guarantee. Do not claim that the address edit alone caused a position change. For related diagnostics, see why a Google Maps ranking can drop after moving; for service-area setup, see setting up Google Business Profile service areas. For broader work that does not depend on the move itself, see Google Maps optimization.