Client Purchasing Location A, Moving Location B into A + Changing Location A Store Name

[AllSearch52]

Hi,

Hoping to get some help in this scenario

Client Purchasing Location A (buying a diff well established brand)- 300+ reviews
Moving their Location B (national brand) with 59 Reviews into Location A premises
Changing Location B/rebranding to "Brand Name Location A" (which is their typical naming convention eg AllSearch52 Brooklyn"

What is the best approach to minimise downtime/likelihood of lost reviews ?

 

[ElizabethRule]

Is the original brand, Location B, going out of business? If it is and they will no longer be using this business name and/or this address, technically Google will want you to mark the location as closed for users to understand you no longer operate out of that location with that business name. The reviews are technically for another business so I doubt Google will move them over to a different brand's listing.

In order to change the address of Location/Business B you would have to ACTUALLY move your business to the new address and verify it with Google (likely video verification). this means signage for Business B at the new location, business docs proving the address change etc. I do not recommend rebranding and then changing the address either as the listing(s) could get suspended.

 

[AllSearch52]

No, The original brand is closing Location B and moving into then rebranding Location A as their own(the competitors business they just purchased) , they are just expanding by acquiring competitors and rebranding the competitors business.

Location B will now operate from the rebranded Location A store. The store name will be Brand Location A.

There will be new signange, business docs, phone number etc

 

[ElizabethRule]

Ok that makes sense, but is your goal to merge the two listings at the Location A address in order to consolidate the reviews into 1 listing? If so I don't see how that would be possible since these are two separate brands and the reviews are for a different company.

 

[AllSearch52]

Ok that makes sense, but is your goal to merge the two listings at the Location A address in order to consolidate the reviews into 1 listing? If so I don't see how that would be possible since these are two separate brands and the reviews are for a different company.

Hi,
Yes the goal was to merge two listings at Location A in order to consolidate reviews into 1 listings.

Initially it made sense(even though they are 2 seperate brands, I assumed since Location A was being acquired and rebranded then it was ok and likely to keep the reviews) but it appears not.

The ideal scenario is where the 300+ reviews can be kept/utilised but i now realise this may not be possible.

 

[AllSearch52]

Just updating you on how it went.

I recommended the client changed the name of the business they purchased into "Their BrandName+Location", As as result the 300+ reviews were able to be retained despite the business name change.

The previous location Location B with 59 reviews, is marked as "permanently closed (relocated to Their BrandName+Location).

Outcome was a win with no issues or reverification required.