A corporate rebrand is exciting and success relies on the talents of many departments working together. renaming it requires careful planning and execution – even more so when it comes to the digital side.

Your company's online presence plays an important role in how your brand is discovered and perceived by customers, partners, potential employees and other stakeholders. From a digital reputation perspective, how can a company ensure that the transition to the new brand is seamless?

It's essential—but not sufficient—that searchers can easily find your new site or that your social media drives visitors to the right pages. Your emerging brand needs to be defined and optimized as an entity without losing recognition, followers or reputational mileage.

To provide one smooth transition and maintain and improve your evolving digital reputation, we recommend these 20 essential action items to consider when rebranding your company:

Naming and profiles

1. Choose a name that works online: When choosing a new name for your company, research the availability of domain names and social media tools that match it. Consider SEO Implications your new name – will it be confused with other similar sounding brands?

2. Update your brand name on business profiles: Identify the most important business profiles where your company is listed, such as Bloomberg, Crunchbase and LinkedIn. Update your company name, logo and description across these platforms to reflect your new brand identity. Make sure all information is accurate and consistent to avoid confusion among stakeholders.

3. Update your brand name on social media channels: Provide new social media handles that reflect your new name and update your profile names, bios and images across all channels. Inform your followers about the change and provide them with your new handles to ensure a smooth transition. For some platforms, such as LinkedIn, a formal process may be required to update your page.

4. Update your Wikipedia page: If your company has one Wikipedia page, create an editor account, and use that account to request the change via the Talk Page linked to your company's Wikipedia page. Include third-party sources reporting on the name change. Note that lead pages related to your company may also need to be updated.

5. Update your Wikidata profile: Update your company Wikidata login with your new company or brand name and ensure that all properties and associated identifiers reflect your renamed identity. Add an “also known as” or “alias” entry for your old name to maintain a link between your past and present identity.

6. Update executive social media profiles: Encourage key executives to update them LinkedIn and other relevant profiles with your new company name and description. You may want executives to also share content related to the rebrand to reinforce the message and demonstrate their support for the new direction.

7. Use the old name for continuity: To help bridge the gap between your old and new brand identity, consider including “(formerly (old name))” in your post-rebrand company descriptions. Use this phrase on your website, business profiles, and press releases to provide context and continuity to your audience.

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communication

8. Communicate the change online: Make sure your reappointment notice is received digitally. For example, if you create a page or video that reveals your brand, logo, etc., make sure it's optimized for both new and old names so everyone can find it.

9. Inform subscribers by email: Send a dedicated email announcing the change and explaining the reasons for it. Reassure your subscribers that their relationship with your company will continue without interruption and highlight any benefits or improvements that come with the rebrand. This communication helps maintain trust between you email audience and gives subscribers an opportunity to ensure that email from your new domain is not inadvertently marked as spam.

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Web

10. Migrate your website so Google can find it all: Make sure robots.txt is not set to block Google. Plan a smooth transition to your new domain by making sure your new site covers all the topics previously covered on the old site. Notify Google of a change of address Google Search Console to minimize any potential negative impact on your search ranking.

11. Redirect old site pages to new ones: Set up 301 redirects from the old URLs to the relevant new ones to ensure that visitors and search engines are directed to the correct content. This process helps maintain the equity of your connection and minimizes the risk of broken connections or lost traffic.

12. Update content and metadata: Do a thorough review of your website's existing content and update each of your mentions old brand name to reflect your new identity. This includes blog posts, product descriptions, case studies and other marketing collateral. Optimize your website's metadata, such as title tags, meta descriptions and header tags, to include your new brand name and relevant keywords.

13. Update your brand knowledge dashboard: Pretend knowledge panel before renaming. Make sure Google updates your knowledge panel to reflect your new name, logo, and description. Make sure the social media icons show the new names where they have changed. Provide updated information and monitor the dashboard for accuracy, suggesting modifications if necessary.

14. Update your local knowledge panel: If your business has a physical presence, update yours Google Business Profile with your new company name and make sure local citations in directories and review sites reflect your new identity. Consistency across all local touchpoints increases your visibility and credibility in local search results.

15. Contact third-party sites and ask them to update your company name and links: Identify high-value websites that mention your old brand name. Contact to request an update of your new name. Prioritize pages based on authority, relevance, and link value to your business.

16. Update advertising and creative campaigns: Review existing ad campaigns across different platforms (eg Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads). Update them to reflect your new brand name and messaging, and stop or adjust any campaigns that feature too much of your old brand to avoid confusion. Develop new ad creative (copy, images and video) that showcase your rebranded identity and value proposition.

17. Use Google Ads to capture searchers using the old name: To capture search traffic related to your old brand name and drive it to your rebranded website, consider setting up a brand search campaign on Google Ads. Bid on keywords related to your old company name and use ad copy to inform searchers about your new name and site. Direct clicks to either a dedicated rebrand landing page or a page that clearly reflects the change.

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Tracking and Monitoring

18. Track your company's old and new names: Set up alerts for your old name to catch any persistent references across the web. Analyze the transition of search volume from your old name to your new name using tools like Five IMPACT™ blocks, Google TrendsOR SEMrush. This data will help you evaluate the effectiveness of your rebranding efforts and identify areas that may require additional attention.

19. Monitor Google Search Console and Google Analytics: Use it Google Analytics to track impressions and clicks for brand searches related to your old and new names. Monitor referral traffic from links using both names to gauge the effectiveness of your rebranding efforts. Google Analytics can help you analyze the change in brand search volume and track the performance of your rebranded website.

20. Monitor for mentions and sentiments of new brands: Set up alerts using a tool like Google Alerts to track new mentions of your updated brand name across the web and social media. Monitor sentiment around your rebranding so you can react if necessary. Engage with positive mentions to reinforce your new brand identity.

CONCLUSION

Rebranding your company requires a comprehensive approach to your online presence that takes into account the various digital touchpoints and their impact on your reputation. By following this guide, you can navigate the tactical complexities of rebranding from a digital reputation perspective and emerge with a strong and cohesive online presence. Consistency, communication and attention to detail are the keys to a successful rebrand. With careful planning and execution, your rebranded company will be well positioned to thrive in the digital landscape.

– with contributions from Avi Bieler