Rebranding SEO: Transitioning Google to Your New Brand Name

Recently rebranded your company but your old name still dominates search results? This is a common challenge. This guide outlines how to effectively shift Google's focus to your new brand name and improve your online visibility.

“Our company recently rebranded. We're seeing our old brand name dominating search results, while our new brand barely registers. What's the best approach to transition brand equity?”

Step 1: Update Your Owned Ecosystem

Start by ensuring your new brand name is consistent across all your digital assets. This includes seemingly obvious places like your homepage, but also extends to less obvious areas:

  • Title tags and meta descriptions
  • Alt text for images
  • Knowledge Base pages
  • Structured data markup
  • Unused social media accounts
  • Employee bios (on and off your site)

Conduct a thorough audit to catch all instances of your old brand name, even on less frequented pages. This ensures your brand SERP aligns with your new branding.

Step 2: Manage Third-Party Mentions

Getting third-party sites to recognize your new brand name is crucial. Start with easier updates like author bios on guest posts, webinars, and podcasts. Ensure these bios reflect your current company name and link to your updated website.

Updating these citations can positively influence Google's Knowledge Panel and search results. Encourage others to use your new brand name when mentioning your company online.

Step 3: Build Your New Brand Presence

Some third-party sites may be unresponsive to update requests. In these cases, focus on proactively building your new brand's online presence. A rebranding campaign can generate buzz and signal the change to your audience and search engines.

Continuously create content, engage in public appearances, and build relationships online. As your new brand name gains traction, Google's Knowledge Graph will receive stronger signals, and outdated mentions will become less influential.

Setting Realistic Expectations

Rebranding in search takes time and effort. Track your progress by monitoring mentions of your new brand name and observing shifts in search results. As your new brand gains prominence, accurate content will naturally prevail.

Focus on building a robust online presence for your new brand. This long-term strategy will ultimately outweigh outdated mentions and solidify your new brand identity in search.

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