Imagine moving a software business from North Pier to North Pier Studio. A customer asking for alternatives to the old brand may now see both names in the same answer. Marketing sees two mentions. The customer sees two apparently different companies and has to guess which one still sells the product.
Decide which names belong together
For each name, keep the official domain, the period it was used and one primary page explaining the relationship. A renamed company can be one entity. An acquired product sold under its own name may deserve a separate product-level view. A shared word is not enough: confirm an ambiguous match against the answer's URL or description.
Count distinct answers again
In a ten-answer example, four answers use the old name, three use the new one and two use both. The business appears in five distinct answers, not seven. Save the mapping version alongside the report and recalculate the earlier period with the same rules. Keep the original spellings for anyone investigating a mistaken attribution.
Try buying under the old name
Start at the old name in the answer. Can a buyer verify the rename, identify the current product and find its pricing without guessing a domain? A short dated note on the old product page may do more for these visitors than another launch story. Keep the original name on that note: it is the clue that brought them there.
