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From your Business Profile, choose Get verified, then complete whichever method Google offers: phone or text code, email, live video call, recorded video or postcard. Google picks the methods and you can't change them. For a service business, video usually means showing your street signs, your tools or truck, and proof you run the company. Google says reviews take up to five business days.
Key takeaways
- Google decides which verification methods you see. You can't request a different one.
- Video verification needs one unedited take of at least 30 seconds, recorded in the Business Profile on a phone.
- Service businesses should show the location, the tools of the trade and proof they manage the business.
- Don't edit your name, address or category while waiting on a postcard code; Google says the code won't work.
- Expect Google's review to take as long as five business days, sometimes more.
Why does verification matter?
Until Google confirms you run the business, your profile is either hidden or easy for anyone to edit. Verification is the step that turns a listing into something you control: your hours, your phone number, your photos and your replies to reviews. For a contractor, an unverified profile is a profile that can quietly send calls to the wrong number.
Google's verification help page lists four ways to verify: phone or text, email, live video call, and a mailed postcard, plus a recorded video option described on its own page. You don't choose among them. Google states that verification methods are automatically determined and can't be changed. Your job is to be ready for whichever one appears.
What you'll need
- The Google Account that will own the profile. Use a company account you'll keep, not a personal account a future employee might leave with.
- Your exact legal or trade name, spelled exactly as it is on your vehicle lettering, paperwork and website. Mismatches between these are a common reason verification stalls.
- A real business address. Even if you'll hide it later as a service-area business, Google needs it on record. A P.O. box or a remote mailbox doesn't qualify under Google's guidelines.
- Your phone, charged, with the Google Maps app or a browser signed in. Video verification has to be recorded and uploaded from a mobile device.
- Proof you run the business, ready to show on camera: keys to your shop or truck, a business document such as a permit, invoice or utility bill, branded equipment or apparel.
How to start verification
If you're creating a new profile, Google's add or claim help page gives the order:
- Go to business.google.com/add.
- Choose Add your business to Google.
- Enter your business details by following the on-screen instructions.
- Select a verification option and follow the on-screen steps.
If your business already appears on Google Maps but nobody has claimed it:
- Search for your business name and city on Google Maps.
- Select Claim this business, then Manage now.
- Pick a verification option and follow the instructions.
If someone else already verified it (a former partner, an old marketing vendor), Google's request ownership page describes the route: go to business.google.com/add, enter the name and address, choose your business, select Request access, fill out the form and submit. Google says the current owner has 3 days to respond. If they don't, you may get the option to claim the profile, though Google notes that option isn't always available.
For an existing profile you already manage that still shows as unverified, go to your Business Profile and select Get verified.
How each verification method works
Phone or text
- Go to your Business Profile and select Get verified, then Phone or SMS.
- Answer the call or open the text with the code.
- Enter the code on your profile.
Make sure the number on the profile rings a phone someone will answer. If calls route to an answering service or phone tree, a text may be the easier option if it's offered.
- Go to your Business Profile and select Get verified, then Email.
- Follow the steps in the email Google sends.
Live video call
- Go to your Business Profile and select Get verified, then Live video call.
- Choose your language and select Start call.
- Use your phone's camera to show a Google support agent your location and your proof of ownership.
Recorded video
Google's video page sets firm rules. The video must be an unedited, unique and complete recording with no breaks, at least 30 seconds long, recorded and uploaded from a mobile device through your Business Profile. It must not include sensitive info such as bank, tax or ID numbers, private info about you or others, or other people's faces.
- Open your Business Profile on your phone and select Business video.
- Tap Start recording and film in one continuous take.
- Watch it back and check it against the requirements.
- Tap Upload video.
Postcard
- Go to your Business Profile and select Get verified, then Postcard.
- Check that the mailing address is correct and request the code.
- When the postcard arrives, enter the 5-digit verification code on your profile.
While you wait for a postcard, leave the profile alone. Google warns that if you edit your business name, address or category, the code it sent you won't work.
What a service business should show on video
For businesses that serve customers away from their address, Google asks the video to cover three things. Plan a 45 to 60 second route before you press record:
- Where you operate. Google says to record street signs, nearby landmarks or other identifiers at your business address. Start at the curb and pan from the street sign to the building. Avoid empty land or spots with nothing to identify them.
- That the business exists. Show the professional tools, equipment or products you use: the lettered truck, the trailer with the pressure washer, ladders and lifts, the van shelving stocked with parts, branded shirts.
- That you manage it. Google suggests recording yourself performing a service or accessing business-only assets, or showing business documents such as a permit, invoice or utility bill. Unlocking the truck or the shop door with your keys works well.
Film in daylight, hold the phone steady, and keep customers and crew out of the frame. If you need to show a document, cover account numbers before you start.
A dry run helps. Walk the route once without recording, decide what you will say, and time it. Owners who work from home sometimes worry about filming the house; you only need enough to tie the address to the business, such as the street sign, the house number and the work truck parked in the driveway.
What happens after you submit?
Google says verification reviews take up to 5 business days, and on rare occasions longer. Three outcomes are common:
- Verified. Your profile shows publicly and you can edit it. Now is the time to set up your service areas if you haven't.
- Review issues. Google's help page says this notice means your video was rejected. Select it and follow the prompts to try again.
- A request for more information. Google may ask you to verify updated business details. Answer it fully and keep the details consistent with your website and signage.
Common errors and how to fix them
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Only one method is offered and it's one you can't do easily | Google sets the options. Prepare for that method rather than waiting for another to appear. |
| The postcard code doesn't work | Check whether anyone edited the name, address or category after you requested it. If so, request a new code and leave the profile untouched until it arrives. |
| Video rejected | Reshoot in one take of 30 seconds or more, with clear street signs, your equipment and proof of management. No edits, no other people's faces. |
| Get verified shows up again on a profile that was verified | Google's help page says to verify again using one of the methods offered. |
| Someone else owns the profile | Use Request access. Keep the confirmation email; it's where the claim option appears if the owner doesn't respond. |
Some marketing companies verify the profile under their own Google Account and add you as a manager. If you part ways, getting it back is slow. Verify it yourself as the owner and give vendors manager access only.
What to do next
- Fill in categories, hours, services and photos. Our Business Profile guide for contractors walks through each field.
- Create your Google review link and start sending it after every job.
- Set up Google Search Console for your website. Google's verification page notes that some businesses are verified instantly when their site is already verified in Search Console, which helps if you add a second location later.
- If you want help keeping the profile, website and listings consistent, see our local SEO service or ask for a free system quote of your current setup.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose postcard verification instead of video?
No. Google says verification methods are automatically determined and can't be changed. Prepare for the method you're offered.
How long does Google take to verify a Business Profile?
Google says verification reviews take up to 5 business days, and on rare occasions longer.
Can I verify a business that runs from my house?
Yes, as a service-area business. Google still needs a real address on record, and you can remove it from public view if customers don't visit.
What if a former employee owns our profile?
Use Google's Request access process. Google says the current owner has 3 days to respond, after which you may be able to claim the profile.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business on Google
- Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business with a video recording
- Google Business Profile Help: Add or claim your Business Profile
- Google Business Profile Help: Request ownership of a Business Profile
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
General information for service-business owners, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state; check with a qualified professional for your situation.