Taking over an existing practice? Do not immediately create a new Google Business Profile. First arrange access to the existing profile and agree who will manage it. Then check the name, contact details and links patients see on Google.
Between handing over the keys, meeting the team and making practical arrangements, Google can be overlooked. Until the appointment button points to the old website or only the previous owner can make changes. A short check before the handover prevents discovering this on your first working day.
Find out who has access before the handover
Search for the practice as a patient would. Also check the old practice name and any other locations. Save links to the profiles you find and discuss them with the seller. Do not just ask whether a Google account exists; check who can actually open the right profile.
- Who can currently change the information?
- Which practice and location does each profile represent?
- Where do the website and appointment buttons lead?
- Who will be responsible after the takeover?
Have the buyer use their own business Google account. Agree who will accept invitations and when you will check together that access works. A shared password makes it harder to know who still has access later.
Arrange the handover of the existing profile
Ask the current primary owner to add the new person responsible as an owner. The primary role also needs to be transferred. Google restricts some actions for new owners and managers for seven days. Start well before the handover date. Follow the current steps in Google’s primary ownership transfer guide.
Check together that the new owner can open the correct profile. Remove old access only after the handover is complete and it is clear who will make future changes. Also record which suppliers still have a role, so a former web designer or marketer does not remain involved unintentionally.
Nobody knows who manages the profile. What now?
Find the existing profile and follow the process to request ownership. Google gives the current owner three days to respond. If there is no reply within those three days, an option to claim or verify the profile may appear. That option is not always available.
Do not create a second listing as a quick fix while you wait. That creates another management problem. Record which request is in progress, who receives the confirmation email and who will check the next step.
What happens to the reviews?
If only the owner or manager changes and the business name stays the same, Google says reviews are retained. A new owner cannot simply erase old reviews to start again. Different conditions may apply to duplicate listings or more substantial changes. See Google’s guidance on moving reviews.
Agree in advance how to handle existing responses. You can explain on the website what is changing and when. Do not present reviews from the previous owner’s time as proof of new results achieved by your team.
Is the practice name or location changing too?
Takeovers are not all the same. A practice may continue under the same name, make a small name change or become a substantially different business. Google treats these situations differently. Check the business listing guidelines before changing a name or profile.
Also look at listings for individual dentists that appear in your search. A practitioner and a practice are not automatically the same thing. Do not change everything at once before establishing which profile represents whom.
Check the route a patient would use
After the handover, pick up your phone and search for the practice again. Tap the website button, open the appointment link and check the phone number. Check that the address, opening hours and practice name are still correct. There is no need to submit a test enquiry containing patient details.
For several locations, check each one separately. A working link on the main profile tells you nothing about the others. Use the approach to Google profiles for multiple locations. For a broader check, see improving your dental practice’s Google profile.
Finally, agree with one colleague who will keep checking the profile. A proper handover only helps if someone takes responsibility for later changes. This article covers the public Google route; arrangements for the purchase and patient records need to be handled separately.
Frequently asked questions about a practice takeover
Do I have to start collecting Google reviews again?
Not just because the owner changes. If the business name stays the same, Google says reviews are retained. Assess a substantial name change or a different business separately.
When should I start the Google handover?
Arrange it before the handover date. Allow time to check accounts and profiles and to accommodate any waiting period.
