Changing your name on Facebook can cause your Google search results to display your old name in some places. This is because Google indexes and caches information from across the web, so it can take some time for your new Facebook name to propagate fully in Google’s systems. However, there are a few things you can do to speed up the process of updating your name on Google.
Check Your Facebook Name
First, make sure you have fully updated your name on your Facebook profile. Go to your Facebook profile, click on the down arrow in the top right corner, and choose “Settings”. On the left sidebar, click “Name” and enter your new name. Be sure to click “Review Change” to confirm it. Once your new name is updated across Facebook, it will begin to update across the web.
Update Your Google Profile
Your Google profile also needs to be updated to match your new name. Visit your Google account and click on your profile picture, then choose “Manage your Google Account”. On the left sidebar, choose “Personal info”. Update your name here, and be sure to click “Save” at the bottom. This will begin pushing your new name out across Google services.
Remove Links to Old Name
The next step is to remove any links on websites, social media, or other profiles that have your old name. Search for your old name on Google and scrub any profiles, articles, or sites that still have your old name showing. The less links to your old name that exist, the faster Google will switch to your new name.
Create New Profiles
Begin creating brand new profiles on websites and services using your new name. For example, make new social media profiles on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc using your new name. Creating brand new profiles helps establish your new name across the internet.
Ask Publishers to Update Name
If you have any articles, stories, or content published on other sites and your old name is on them, reach out to the site owner and ask them to update your name. Most publishers are willing to update contributor names upon request. The more name change requests you submit, the fewer old name references there will be.
Submit Name Change to Google
Google provides a tool to submit name changes directly to them. Visit the Google Search Console and submit a request to change your name in Google search. Be sure to verify your site’s ownership in Google Search Console first. This helps Google update their databases faster.
Search Your Old Name
Keep searching for your old name on Google regularly and continue scrubbing and fixing any outdated name references. The longer your new name exists online and the less your old name appears, the faster Google will make the switch permanent.
Be Patient
It takes time for Google to crawl the web and update their vast search indexes. Don’t expect an overnight change. Typically it takes 4-6 weeks of ongoing effort to see the majority of search results reflect your new name. But diligently fixing name references helps expedite the process.
Redirect Old URLs
If you have a website or blog that had your old name in the URL, do a 301 redirect to the new URL with your updated name. For example redirect:
www.myoldname.com to www.mynewname.com
This tells Google that the old URL is permanently redirected to the new one, which helps associate the new name.
Fix Link Authorship
If you link to any articles or content you authored under your old name, update those links to show your new name. For example, change:
<a href=”www.article.com/article-name” rel=”author”>Old Name</a>
To:
<a href=”www.article.com/article-name” rel=”author”>New Name</a>
Disavow Old Links
If your old name has any sketchy or questionable backlinks, use Google’s disavow tool to tell Google not to associate those links with your new name. Log into Google Search Console and under “Manual Actions” select “Disavow Links”. Upload a .txt file containing URLs to junk backlinks.
301 Redirect Each URL
Perform an individual 301 redirect on each URL where your old name appears. For example:
www.oldsite.com/old-name.html to www.newsite.com/new-name.html
Redirecting on a URL-by-URL basis helps search engines associate each outdated reference with your new name.
Update Structured Data
If your site or profiles use structured data/schema markup, update your name in that code. Structured data helps search engines understand your pages. So having your new name in structured data ensures engines associate it properly.
Conclusion
Changing your name on Facebook and Google takes time and effort. But using these key steps can help expedite the process. Continually monitor for outdated name references, submit change requests, and redirect old URLs. With vigilance and patience, you can fully update your name across the internet.