Change Address on Google Business Profile When a Branch Moves

Your Koramangala branch is moving two streets away, or your Andheri store is shutting while the Powai store takes its customers. In either case, how you update Google decides whether people walk to the right door. The right way to change address on Google Business Profile is to edit the existing profile, not to create a new one. You should also expect Google to ask you to verify the business again. This guide covers each step, plus what to do when a branch closes or two branches merge.

It is written for brands and agencies that handle several locations, but the same steps work for a single shop.

Moving, closing or merging: which change are you making?

Before you open the profile, decide which of these situations you are in. Each one needs a different action on Google, and mixing them up is how brands end up with duplicate or "ghost" listings.

Situation	Example	What to do on Google
Branch relocates	A dental clinic moves from 100 Feet Road to HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar	Edit the address on the existing profile, then re-verify
Branch closes for good	A Hyderabad biryani outlet shuts its Madhapur kitchen	Mark that profile as permanently closed
Branch closes for a while	A Baner gym closes for six weeks for renovation	Mark it as temporarily closed
Two branches merge into one	Two Gurgaon showrooms combine into a bigger one in Sector 29	Keep the profile at the address that stays open and mark the other permanently closed
Business changes name and identity	A franchise outlet leaves the brand and reopens under its own name	Google treats this as a new business: mark the old profile closed and create a new one

The last row comes straight from Google's guidelines for representing your business: if a business changes its name and does not qualify as a rebrand, you mark the existing profile as closed and create a new one. A simple move to a new address is not that case.

How to change address on Google Business Profile, step by step

Before you change the address: a short checklist

Google reviews address edits and will ask you to verify the new location, so get the new site ready first. A common cause of rejected address edits is a profile that says one thing while the street, the website and the signboard say another.

Put up the signboard. Google's guidelines say businesses that show their address should keep permanent, fixed signage with the business name at that address. Take a clear photo once it is up.
Update the branch page on your website. Change the address, map embed and directions on the location page first. If you run a store locator, update that entry too.
Write down the exact new address. Include the building name, floor, shop or unit number and a landmark where Indian addresses need one, for example "2nd Floor, Above Axis Bank, 80 Feet Road".
Check the phone number. If the branch number is changing, decide whether to edit it in the same session or separately. Changing one major detail at a time makes any rejection easier to trace.
Save your current data. Download or screenshot the branch's recent performance (calls, direction requests, website clicks) so you can compare before and after the move.
Make sure you have owner or manager access to the profile, and that it sits in the right business group if you manage many branches.

Edit the address

Google's Edit your Business Profile page lists two routes. Sign in to the Google Account that manages the profile.

On Google Search (computer or phone)

Go to your Business Profile on Google Search.
Select Edit profile.
Find the business location or address field and enter the new address.
Select Save.

In the Google Maps app

Open the Google Maps app on your phone.
At the bottom right, tap Business.
Tap Edit profile and update the address.
Tap Save.

Get the address and pin right

Google's business address guidelines ask for a complete street address, including building, suite and floor numbers. Where the official address is not accurate enough, which is common in Indian lanes and layouts, you can add nearby cross streets or landmarks. If Google cannot find the address, or it has no street number, you can place the pin on the map yourself. Zoom in and drop it on your actual entrance, not the centre of the building complex.

If you are a service-area business, such as a pest control or AC repair company that visits customers, you do not show your address at all. Google's guidelines say service-area businesses should hide their address and list service areas instead. When a home-based business moves, update the hidden address and check that the service areas still match where you work.

What happens after you save: review and re-verification

Two things happen after you change address on Google Business Profile.

First, Google reviews the edit. According to Google's page on what happens to your Business Profile edits, edits usually take up to 10 minutes to review, but sometimes take up to 30 days. The status will show as Accepted, Pending or Not approved. Google may reject a change it cannot confirm as accurate, and you may be able to appeal a rejected edit.

Second, you will need to verify again. Google's help page is direct about this: "If you move your business to a new address after it's verified, you must verify your business again." The verification guide explains the rest:

Google chooses the verification method automatically, and you cannot change it. Options include phone or text, email, video, and postcard.
Verification reviews take up to 5 business days.
If you get a postcard, most codes arrive within 14 days and codes expire after 30 days.

If Google offers video verification, film at the new address once it is ready to open. As general advice, a clip that shows the signboard, the street or a nearby landmark, and that you can open staff-only areas or use the equipment is the kind of proof that helps. Do not wait until opening day to start, because the old address may keep showing while the edit is pending.

How to close a branch on Google Business Profile

When a branch shuts, do not delete the profile or leave it showing the old hours. Google's Mark your business as closed page gives these steps.

Permanently closed (one profile)

Go to your Business Profile and select Edit profile.
Select Hours.
Under "Business hours", select Edit and choose Permanently closed.
Select Save.

The profile may still appear on Search and Maps, but it will clearly show that the business is closed. That stops people from driving to a locked shutter.

Temporarily closed

Use the same steps and choose Temporarily closed. Google suggests this for closures longer than 7 days, an off-season, or an indefinite closure. For closures of 7 days or less, such as a short Diwali break, use special hours instead. Note that for broad searches, temporarily closed businesses can rank below open ones, so switch the status back as soon as you reopen.

Closing several branches at once

In Business Profile Manager, tick the branches you want to close, open Actions at the top, and choose Mark as temporarily closed or Mark as permanently closed. Confirm in the dialog. This is how a retail chain closes several mall stores after a lease review without editing each profile one by one.

Closing is not the same as removing

Google also lets a primary owner remove a Business Profile from their account. That only removes your management and your own content (posts, photos, videos, review replies). Customer reviews stay, and the listing may still appear on Maps. For a branch that has shut, marking it permanently closed tells customers what they need to know. Removing it just takes away your ability to manage it.

Merging two branches into one location

Brands often consolidate, for example two small clinics in Pune combining into one larger centre. Google's guidelines say not to create more than one page for each location, so do not open a third profile for the merged site.

Pick the profile that will represent the combined location. If one branch is moving into the other's premises, keep the profile at the address that stays open.
If the merged centre is at a new address, change the address on that profile using the steps above, then re-verify.
Mark the other profile as permanently closed.
Update the website, store locator and any directory listings so they show only the surviving address.

Google's help pages do not describe a way to transfer reviews from one profile to another, so plan as if the closed branch keeps its reviews. Keep the profile with the stronger review history when the choice is otherwise even.

After the move: protect your local visibility

Google says local results are based on relevance, distance and prominence (Tips to improve your local ranking). A new address changes the distance part for every customer, so the set of searches where you appear will shift. Even a move of one kilometre in a dense area like Andheri West can change who sees you.

Check your listings everywhere else. Update Bing, Apple Maps, Justdial, Practo, Zomato or whichever directories your industry uses. You can manage these listings on Google, Bing, Apple Maps and 20+ directories from one place.
Add fresh photos of the new storefront, signboard and interior.
Track rankings around the new address. A single rank check from one spot will not show the change. A geo-grid lets you see where you rank street by street around the new location.
Ask recent customers for reviews in the normal way. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking, and there is no way to pay for a better ranking.
Watch for unwanted edits. Address and pin changes can attract suggested edits from Maps users. Check the profile weekly for the first month.

When the old address still shows on Google Maps

Sometimes an old listing stays visible after a move, for example one created years ago by a customer or a previous manager. If you cannot manage it, report it through Google Maps. Google's Maps help page gives these steps:

Open Google Maps and find the old place.
Select Suggest an edit, then Place closed or not here.
Select Moved to a new location.
Choose the correct location on the map, tap Ok, then Submit.

Google reviews these edits, so the change can take some time to show on the map. If the old listing is a true duplicate of a profile you manage, follow the duplicate removal process instead.

Frequently asked questions

Will I lose my reviews if I change address on Google Business Profile?

When you edit the address, the business keeps the same profile, so you are not starting a new listing. Google's help pages do not say that an address edit removes reviews. Creating a fresh profile at the new address, however, would start it with no reviews and risk a duplicate.

Should I create a new profile instead of editing the address?

For a simple move, no. Google's guidelines say not to create more than one page per location. A new profile is only right when the business itself changes, for example a name change that Google does not treat as a rebrand.

How long does an address change take?

Google says edits usually take up to 10 minutes to review but can take up to 30 days. Re-verification reviews take up to 5 business days, and a postcard code, if Google sends one, usually arrives within 14 days.

Will my ranking drop after a move?

Google does not promise any outcome. Because distance is one of the three local ranking factors, you will appear for a different set of nearby searches. Complete, accurate information and steady reviews help the new location build up.

Plan the move before moving day

To change address on Google Business Profile cleanly, get the signboard and website ready first. Then edit the same profile, re-verify promptly, and close or report anything left behind at the old address. For a chain, write these steps into a branch move checklist so every store manager follows the same order. If you run many locations, multi-location management keeps closures, moves and hours consistent across the network. If you want to see how a move affects your rankings, talk to RankMonk for a geo-grid view of the old and new neighbourhoods.