A Simple Checklist for Fixing Business Listings After You Switch Domains

You got a better domain name. Good. Now comes the part nobody warns you about: your old website address is still sitting in a hundred places online. On Google. On Yelp. On that Chamber of Commerce page from 2019. On the invoice template you never think about.

Fix those, and the switch is clean. Skip them, and customers click old links that go nowhere—and Google keeps showing the wrong address for months.

Here is a simple business listings checklist after a domain change. Work through it in an afternoon. You don't need a marketing person. You just need to be thorough.

Before you start: make sure the old site still points somewhere

This one comes first for a reason. Before you touch a single listing, confirm your old web address forwards to the new one. That's called a redirect. It means someone typing your old name still lands on your new site instead of an error page.

If that's already handled, great. If you're not sure, read whether old links still work after you move to a new domain before you go further. It saves you from chasing links that were never going to break in the first place.

The checklist

Go in this order. The first few reach the most customers.

1. Google Business Profile

This is the big one. It's what shows up when someone searches your business name or your trade plus your city. Update the website field to your new address. That's it—but do it first.

Google can take a little while to catch up, so the sooner you change it, the sooner your listing is right. We walk through the exact steps in how to update your Google Business Profile after a domain change.

2. Yelp, Facebook, and the big directories

These rank well and get a lot of clicks. Update your website link on each one:

• Yelp
• Facebook page
• Instagram bio
• Bing Places
• Apple Maps
• Your trade's directories (Angi, Houzz, Healthgrades, Avvo—whatever fits your line of work)

For a fuller walkthrough of these, see fixing your Yelp, Facebook, and directory links after a new domain.

3. Your email signature and any "contact us" text

Every email you send is a small ad. If your signature still lists the old address, you're pointing people the wrong way all day. Fix the signature on your phone and your computer.

While you're at it, decide whether your email address itself is changing too. That's a separate question—covered in should you change your email address when you get a new domain.

4. Printed and physical materials

These don't update themselves, so make a list:

• Business cards
• Invoices and estimates
• Van or truck lettering
• Signs and window decals
• Flyers, brochures, and door hangers
• Receipts and packaging

You don't have to reprint everything the day you switch. But note what needs changing so you order the new version next time instead of reprinting the old one out of habit.

5. Anywhere you advertise or list yourself

Think about where your business name shows up that isn't your own site:

• Chamber of Commerce and local business groups
• Trade associations and licensing boards
• Sponsorship pages (the youth league, the church bulletin)
• Online ads—Google Ads, Facebook ads, anything running
• Your voicemail greeting, if it names your website

6. The stuff hiding in plain sight

A few spots people always miss:

• QR codes on menus, signs, or mailers
• Your Google reviews link you hand to customers
• Text-message or appointment reminders
• Old blog posts or press mentions you control

Keep a running list as you go

Open a note on your phone. Every time you find your old address somewhere, write it down—even if you can't fix it that minute. You will not remember it later. A two-column list ("where" and "done?") is all you need.

Some of these you don't control, like an old newspaper article or a supplier's directory. For those, a working redirect from your old address does the job. The link still leads customers home.

Tell your customers, too

Fixing listings handles the machines—Google, the directories, the search results. But your regulars deserve a heads-up in plain words. A short note on your site, a social post, maybe an email: "We've got a new, easier web address. Here it is."

Keep it simple. Here's what to tell customers when your website address changes, with wording you can copy.

How long until everything settles?

Most listings update the moment you save them. Google's search results can lag a few weeks while it re-checks your site. That's normal. As long as your redirect is working and your Google Business Profile is correct, you're covered during the wait.

If you want to double-check how Google handles a site move, their own guidance is worth a read: Google's documentation on moving a site with URL changes.

One small next step

You don't have to do all of this today. Start with the top three—Google, the big directories, your email signature. That covers most of the people who'll look you up this week.

Still weighing whether a cleaner name is even worth the switch? Browse names for your city or trade, or ask us about one specific domain. It takes less than a minute, and there's no pressure either way.