Google Business Profile verification: how to get verified

A Google Business Profile can't show up in the map results until Google verifies it. Verification is how Google confirms that the business is real, that it's where the profile says it is, and that you're the person who runs it. Most home service businesses now verify with a short video recorded on a phone, and the review usually takes up to five business days. This guide covers every method Google offers, what to show in the video, how long each step takes and what to do when verification fails.

The short version

1. Fill out the profile completely before you start: name, address or service area, phone number, category and hours.
2. Click Get verified on the profile and choose one of the methods Google offers you.
3. If it's a video, record it in one take on your phone through the Business Profile, showing your location, your business and proof that you run it.
4. Don't edit the name, address or category while you wait.
5. Expect up to five business days for a review. If the Get verified button comes back, Google couldn't confirm the business and you'll need to try again.

Before you start

Verification goes faster when the profile is filled out first. Make sure the business name matches your license, your signage and your truck lettering, the address or service area is right, and the phone number is one a person can answer.

If you travel to customers, like a plumber or a pressure washer, you can hide your address and list the towns you serve instead. You still verify against a real address, but customers won't see it. A mailbox store or a virtual office won't pass, because Google needs a real location tied to the business.

The Google Business verification methods

Google decides which methods to offer based on the type of business, its category and how much it can already confirm. You'll only see the options that apply to you when you click Get verified. These are the methods Google describes in its help center:

• Video recording. You record a video on your phone through your Business Profile showing your location, your business and proof that you manage it. This is the method most home service businesses are offered now. Google says reviews take up to five business days.
• Live video call. A Google support person joins a video call and asks you to show the same things. Google says it isn't available to every business and calls only happen during business hours.
• Phone or text. Google calls or texts a code to your business number. An automated phone menu can't receive the code, so use a number a person or a cell phone will answer.
• Email. A code goes to the email address shown on the verification screen.
• Postcard. A code is mailed to the business address. Google says most codes arrive within 14 days and expire after 30 days.
• Instant verification. If you've already verified your website in Google Search Console with the same account, Google may verify the profile right away. Businesses with ten or more locations can also apply for bulk verification.

Google Business Profile video verification: what to show

The video is where most people get stuck, usually because they show too little. Google's requirements are specific. The video has to be one unedited recording with no breaks, at least 30 seconds long, and recorded live on your phone through the Business Profile. You can't upload a video you recorded earlier.

In that one recording, show three things:

• Where you are. Street signs, the building number, nearby businesses or landmarks that place you at the address on the profile.
• That the business exists. Your business name on something permanent, like a sign, a wall, a window or the lettering on your truck.
• That you run it. Something only the owner or an employee can do, such as unlocking the shop, opening a storage room or a work van, or showing your business license.

For a service area business that works out of a home, Google asks you to show street signs or other identifiers near the address, then the tools, equipment or vehicles you use for the work. A good order is to start at the street sign, walk to the house number, then open the van and show your equipment and the name on the vehicle. Keep it to a minute or two and don't edit it.

How long Google Business verification takes

• Phone, text and email codes arrive within minutes.
• Google says verification reviews, including video recordings, take up to five business days.
• Postcards usually arrive within 14 days, and the code expires after 30 days.
• After you're verified, it can take a little longer for every detail to show in Search and Maps.

While you wait for a postcard, don't request a new code. Google says a new request cancels the code that's already in the mail. Don't change the business name, address or category either, because the review is tied to those details.

When Google Business Profile verification fails

If the Get verified button shows up again after you submitted, Google couldn't confirm the business. You can try again with a different method if one is offered, or record a new video that fixes what was missing. These are the most common reasons it fails:

• The video didn't show the location, the business and proof of management together in one recording.
• The video was cut, paused or uploaded from your camera roll.
• The business name on the profile doesn't match the sign, the truck or the license.
• The address is a mailbox store, a virtual office or a coworking desk.
• Someone already has a profile for the same business at the same address. In that case, request access to the existing profile instead of creating a new one.

A suspended profile is a different problem with its own process, which we cover in what to do when your Google Business Profile is suspended. And if someone calls offering to verify your profile for a fee, read our post on Google Business Profile scam calls. Verification is free.

Common questions

Can I verify without a postcard?

Often, yes. Many businesses are offered video, phone, text or email instead of a postcard. Google chooses the options, so you can only pick from the ones you're shown.

Can I verify a business that runs from my home?

Yes. Set the profile up as a service area business, hide the address, and show the street, your house number and your work equipment in the video.

Can someone else verify the profile for me?

The person verifying has to be able to show the location and prove they run the business, so the owner or an employee usually records the video. Once the profile is verified, you can add a manager without sharing your password. Here's how to add a manager to your Google Business Profile.

After you're verified

Verification gets you onto the map, and your position after that depends on your primary category, your services, your reviews and the pages on your website. Our guides to choosing Google Business Profile categories and five Google Business Profile fixes are good next steps. If you'd like us to set up and run the profile, that's part of our Google Business Profile service.