New Business acquires lease from business that is permantly closing

[eitskowitch]

Have you been in this situation?

New business acquires the lease from a business that is permanently closing. I understand that you don't want the closing business to be open in GMB (it doesn't reflect the real world) but is this considered a duplicate since the business name and phone number are completely different?

And if this is a duplicate, is it really best practice to remove or merge all the other inaccurate NAPs the closing business occupies?

Or can you just start building new citations with the new businesses, Name, Address, and Phone? (The address is the only thing that is duplicate)

 

[Tim Colling]

Or can you just start building new citations with the new businesses, Name, Address, and Phone? (The address is the only thing that is duplicate)

I would do that and also I would submit a report that the predecessor business is permanently closed.

 

[Colan Nielsen]

Agreed. If the address is the only same factor then it's not a duplicate.

Is it safe to assume that the business category is different as well?

In this case mark the old listing as closed create a new listing for the new business and fillout the top 30 or so citations.

 

[Tim Colling]

and fillout the top 30 or so citations.

Yikes yes @Colan Nielsen , I should have mentioned citations too. Excellent point!

 

[eitskowitch]

Actually no @Colan Nielsen, @both share the same category (the new business and old business have the same category).

When you say "fillout the top 30 or so citations" I'm assuming you mean build 30 or so new citations but would you do anything with the old businesses citations?

 

[SERPSniper]

build 30 or so new citations but would you do anything with the old businesses citations?

Do you control those "old citations" if not how could you do anything but mark them closed?

once the new GMB is verified and the new citations filter down everything should work itself out. Work on your SEO and Content and wait a few months and then adjust. good luck.

 

[eitskowitch]

Do you control those "old citations" if not how could you do anything but mark them closed?

once the new GMB is verified and the new citations filter down everything should work itself out. Work on your SEO and Content and wait a few months and then adjust. good luck.

I could try and claim the old citations and then update instead of building new ones.

 

[SERPSniper]

I could try and claim the old citations and then update instead of building new ones

yes you could, lots of work.Need to change NAP and don't forget email address, delete all the pictures, change all the about us info. what about the old reviews?

I THINK A NEW LISTING sounds A lot easier and would be your creation from the get.

 

[eitskowitch]

Yes it would be much easier. If they have good reviews maybe it's worth it but a lot of work for sure.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Was the business bought by your company?

If not, the GMB page would have to be marked as closed. And I don't think ethically one should try to claim their listings and change them. It is possible they could reopen even if they say they aren't.

Now, if your owner has legal rights to the old company, that's a different story and the strategy is different (and better in my opinion) if that's the case.