Google Business Profile verification: get verified first time

What Google verification is, and why it matters

Google Business Profile verification is how Google confirms your business is real and that you're allowed to manage it. Until you verify, you can't edit your details or reply to customers.

Google's own help page says you need to verify your business to edit its information or interact with customers. Once you're verified, you gain ownership of your Business Profile. From then on, you control what shows on your listing in Search and on Google Maps.

Verification also matters for being found. In its tips for local ranking, Google says verifying tells it you're authorised to represent the business, "so it's more likely to show up in search results". And the Performance figures that show your calls, website clicks and searches are only available for verified profiles.

For an installer, this is the step that turns a listing into something you can work with. Everything else, from categories to reviews, comes after it. If you haven't created your profile yet, start with our guide to setting up a Google Business Profile.

The verification methods, and how each one works

Google picks the methods automatically and you can't change them. You may be asked to use more than one.

Which options you see depends on your type of business, the public information about it, your region and your opening hours. These are the methods Google lists:

How to verify with a video recording

Plan your shots, then record one unedited video of at least 30 seconds that shows where you are, that the business exists and that you manage it.

Video is the option Google recommends where it's available. It's recorded and uploaded from a mobile device, live. You can't upload a clip you filmed earlier, and you can't edit it. Here are Google's steps:

1. Open your profile on your phone and tap "Get verified"

   You may be asked to enter your phone number first.

2. Tap "Business video", then "Next"

   Read the requirements and allow access to your location, camera and microphone if asked.

3. Tap "Start recording"

   Use the record button to start and the stop button to finish. Once the video starts, keep going in one take.

4. Review it, then tap "Upload video"

   If something's missing, tap "Try again" and record it again before you upload.

What an installer should film

Many installers work from home or a yard that customers never visit. Google calls this a service-area business, and it lists what to show in three parts. Here's how that translates to a solar, battery or heat pump business:

A 40-second shot list

• 0 to 10 seconds: the street sign at the end of your road, then pan to your house or unit.
• 10 to 20 seconds: walk to your van and show your business name on the side.
• 20 to 30 seconds: unlock the van and show your tools and equipment inside.
• 30 to 40 seconds: hold up an invoice in your trading name, with bank details covered.

How long verification takes

Google says verification reviews take up to five working days, and on rare occasions longer.

When your business is verified, Google sends a confirmation email. You can then add owners and managers to the profile. Do it straight away, so you're not the only person who can get in.

If your verification video fails

Open "Review issues" in your profile, read the reasons, and record a new video with everything from the first one plus what was missing.

Google flags a rejected video with a "Review issues" notification. Usually the fix is to show the three things more clearly. Common gaps for installers:

• No clear location marker. A driveway or an industrial estate without a sign doesn't prove where you are.
• The business name isn't visible. If your van isn't signwritten, show branded workwear, business cards or an invoice.
• No proof of management. Film yourself unlocking the van or opening the unit.
• Breaks in the recording. It must be one complete take.

Other messages you might see

If "Get verified" appears on your profile again, Google couldn't completely verify the business. Try again, or use another method if one is offered. If Google asks for more information, it's likely because recent changes to your business details need checking. And if the video fails to upload, Google's advice is simply to try uploading again.

When you have to verify again

Some edits send you back through verification: changing your name, moving address, or adding or editing a category.

• Google says that if you change your business name after it's verified, you might need to verify again.
• If you move to a new address after verification, you must verify again.
• Adding or editing a category can trigger another verification too.

So get these right when you set up, and change them only when the business really changes. Rebranding, moving your base or adding a new main service are good reasons. Testing a different category to see if it ranks better isn't.

Verification or reinstatement?

Verification is for new or unverified profiles. If your profile was suspended or disabled, you need a reinstatement request instead.

They're easy to confuse, because both stop you managing your listing. But a suspended profile has been flagged for breaking Google's guidelines, and a new video won't fix that. You have to find the cause, fix it and ask Google to look again. Our guide to a suspended Google Business Profile walks through reinstatement step by step.

Do you need to pay for a verification service?

No. Google doesn't charge to add, claim or verify a profile, and the video has to come from you.

Companies offering paid verification services can help you plan, but they can't film your street, your van or your paperwork for you. Be wary of anyone who asks for your Google password to do it. Add them as a manager instead, so you stay in control. Our guide to auditing your Google Business Profile shows how to check who has access.

Business verification questions