Web Design

How do I change my website's domain name, or rebrand, without losing Google traffic?

The website is one part of a domain or name change, and Search Console, the old domain, DNS and email, and the Business Profile each run on their own documented rules.

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Changing a domain without losing Google traffic means permanently redirecting every old URL to its matching page on the new domain, then filing the move in Search Console's Change of Address tool. Google's Change of Address help says to keep those redirects for at least 180 days, and its site-move guide says generally at least one year, so the old domain stays registered and redirecting; the same guide says visibility in Search may fluctuate temporarily during the move. A new business name keeps the existing Business Profile only if it meets Google's rebranding criteria; otherwise Google considers it a new business.

The Change of Address tool is filed after the redirects are live

Search Console's Change of Address tool comes after the redirects: it tells Google a site has moved from one domain or subdomain to another and helps migrate its Search results, and Google's help says to use it "after you've moved and redirected your site". Google says to 301 the old homepage to the new homepage and recommends 301s for the old site's canonical pages, and the tool checks ownership and 301s on a few pages before it sends the request. The page-by-page map those redirects follow is covered in redesigning a site without losing rankings.

The tool has conditions. Google's help says the person filing must own both the old and new Search Console properties under the same Google account, that the tool can be used only on domain-level properties, and that it does not move subdomains below the domain entered, www included, so every variant of the old domain gets its own request, each verified. Google's documentation changelog recorded that guidance in June 2026: "The domain migrations work best when all variants of a site are migrated properly." The tool is not for http to https, www to non-www on the same domain, pages moved within one site, or a host or CDN change that leaves the visible URLs alone. For a recently purchased domain, Google says to make sure it is clean of outstanding issues from the previous owner.

Google's change of address actions run for 180 days, then stop

A filed change of address tells Google to emphasize crawling and indexing the new site over the old one, forwards signals from the old site to the new one, and tells Google to prefer the new site when choosing canonical pages; Google's help says these actions continue for 180 days after the migration starts, a period in which Search Console shows both sites a notice that the move is in progress and the request can be canceled.

The 180 days describe the tool, not a recovery time. Google says it does not erase the old site from the index, and old URLs can keep appearing when they are available and have no equivalent page on the new site; redirects plus rel=canonical tags on equivalent pages can reduce how many show, and Google's redirect guide says the old names "will fade away without you doing anything" as users get used to the new domain. The switch date opens a period of overlap, not a clean cut.

The old domain stays registered and redirecting long after the switch

Google publishes two durations for keeping redirects after a domain move. Its Change of Address help says to maintain them for at least 180 days, longer if Google Search still sends traffic to them, and recommends keeping the old domain registered for at least a year "to prevent others from buying and using your abandoned domain for malicious purposes"; after the 180 day period, it says, Google treats the old site as unrelated if it is still present and crawlable. Its site-move guide says to keep redirects as long as possible, generally at least one year, so Google can transfer all signals, including links on other sites, and from users' perspective to consider keeping them indefinitely while updating the site's own links and any high-volume links from other websites.

Keeping a domain for years assumes the business controls it. A domain registered in an agency's or a former designer's account puts the redirects themselves at risk, which is one reason fair SEO contract terms put the domain in an account the business controls.

A domain move combined with a redesign makes Google relearn the pages

Google's Change of Address help says keeping the same site architecture in the new location helps pass signals more directly to the new site, and that combining a site move with a redesign of the site's content and URL structure will probably bring some traffic loss, as Google might need to relearn and reassess the individual pages. It also says not to chain site moves, A to B and then straight on to C, and to try not to combine multiple moves to a single location. That makes the order a planning decision: move the domain with the existing pages and paths, then redesign, so the domain move and the web design build each get a launch date of their own.

Nameserver and registrar changes can cut off business email

A rebrand that changes registrar or nameservers puts business email at risk, because DNS records route both the website and the mail. Google Workspace's help says MX records direct a domain's email to the servers hosting its user accounts, and that moving DNS records to a new host leaves email and the website unaffected as long as every record moves: "You must copy all DNS records for your domain to stay fully functional."

The builders say the same. Squarespace's help says custom nameservers disconnect a Squarespace domain from the site and stop its Squarespace DNS records from applying, so MX or DKIM records for email must be re-added at the new provider, and before a transfer away it says to record the DNS settings, since most domain hosts cannot keep them in place during a transfer. Wix's help says business email will not work after a domain transfers away until the MX records are added again.

Registrar transfers carry limits of their own. ICANN's registrant FAQ says a domain cannot move to another registrar for a period after a change to the registrant's name, organization or email address unless the registrar offers an opt-out, suggests completing a transfer before changing contact details, and says an owner may be able to change web hosts or nameservers instead of registrars and avoid the transfer and its lock altogether. An ICANN policy working group has recommended removing the lock that follows a change of registrant, so the current registrar is the one to ask what applies, and the email provider's own help is the one to follow for mail.

A new business name either qualifies as a rebrand or starts a new profile

Google handles a new business name on a Business Profile in one of two ways. Its guidelines define rebranding as "an eligible name change without creating a new Business Profile" and say a profile may be eligible after a minor name change in which the proper nouns and services described in the name and the business category all stay the same, or when a business with multiple locations changes its name; a qualifying business updates the name by editing its business information. Any other name change is considered a new business: the existing profile is marked closed and a new one created. Google's help on moving reviews follows the same line: for a minor or multi-location name change the reviews remain, owners can request a move of reviews to a new profile, Google might move reviews itself or remove irrelevant ones after significant changes, and "Not all business changes qualify to move or remove reviews." Business Profile support decides a given case.

Google also says to enter the name exactly as it appears on real-world signage, stationery and branding, that changing a verified name may mean verifying again, and that some businesses may need to verify before changing any information. The website field takes the full URL, including https://, and Google says to make sure Googlebot is not blocked on the site. The field should carry the new domain once the move is live; everything else on the profile is ordinary Google Business Profile management. Every other listing that shows the old domain or name needs the same correction, as do social profile links and the business cards, letterhead and posters Google's starter guide says should carry a business's URL, and NAP consistency across listings sets the order for that cleanup.

Plan a domain or name change before the switch date, while every old address still answers: a free SEO audit of the current domain shows which pages and rankings the move must carry.

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Frequently asked questions

Does the Change of Address tool apply to an http to https switch or a www change?

No. Google's Change of Address help says not to use the tool for a move from http to https, for switching between www and non-www on the same domain, for moving pages within one site, or for a hosting or CDN change that keeps the same URLs. For pages moved within one site, Google's help says to add redirects and update sitemaps instead.

Will the old domain keep showing in Google after the move?

For a while, yes. Google says it does not erase the old site from the index, and old URLs can keep appearing when they are available and have no equivalent page on the new site. Redirects and rel=canonical tags on equivalent pages can reduce how many old URLs show, and Google's redirect guide says the old names fade as users get used to the new domain.

What happens to Google reviews when the business name changes?

Google's help says the reviews remain for a minor name change, in which the proper nouns, the services in the name and the category stay the same, or for a business with multiple locations that changes its name. Any other name change is considered a new business. Google describes a request to move reviews to a new profile and says it might move or remove reviews itself, but not all changes qualify, so Business Profile support decides a given case.

Will a domain with keywords in it rank better?

Not on its own. Google's SEO Starter Guide says keywords in a domain name or URL path alone have hardly any effect on ranking beyond appearing in breadcrumbs, and that apart from country targeting it does not matter which domain ending a site uses. A new domain is worth the move for the brand, not for a ranking lift.

Can the website move to a new host without transferring the domain?

ICANN's registrant FAQ says an owner may be able to change web-hosting providers instead of registrars, avoiding the inter-registrar transfer and its lock, or update the domain's nameservers or hosting IP address. Moving DNS still means copying every record, including the MX records that carry email.

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