Google My Business Verification: Video, Codes and What to Do When It Fails
Your profile's set up but Google keeps saying "Get verified". Here's how each verification method works, what to film for a video, and what to do when Google says no.
Google My Business verification is the step where Google checks that you really are the business you've said you are, and that you really are where you've said. Until it's done, you can't properly manage your profile, and it may not show to customers at all.
For some trades it's a ten-minute job. For others it turns into a fortnight of rejected videos and "Get verified" buttons that won't go away. This guide covers how to check whether you're verified, how each method works, what to film if Google asks for a video, and what to do when it fails.
Is my business verified on Google? How to check
If you're asking "how do I know if my Google business is verified?", it takes a minute to find out. Sign in to the Google Account that manages your profile, then search "my business" on Google or open your profile at business.google.com. Then look for these signs.
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| A "Get verified" button on your profile | You're not verified yet, or Google couldn't fully verify you. Try again, or use another method if one is offered. |
| A "Review issues" message after sending a video | Google didn't accept the video. It tells you why, and you can record another. |
| A request for more information | Usually follows a recent change to your details. Select Get verified and go through it again. |
| A confirmation email, and no Get verified button | You're verified. You can reply to reviews, add photos and edit your details. |
| A message saying someone else manages the profile | Someone else verified it first. You can request ownership from them rather than starting a new profile. |
That last one catches out a lot of trades. A previous web designer, a former business partner or a marketing company you used once may have verified your profile with their account. Google has a request ownership process for exactly this, and it's far better than making a duplicate.
Why Google makes you verify
Google says verifying is how you gain ownership of your Business Profile. It's also how Google keeps fake listings off the map, which matters in trades. Emergency call-outs attract people who'd happily set up a listing for a plumber who doesn't exist, take the call and pass it on.
So the checks are a nuisance, but they're also what stops your listing sitting next to a dozen fake ones. Worth keeping in mind when it gets frustrating.
How to verify my business on Google: the methods
Google picks the method for you, based on things like your type of business, what it already knows about you, your region and your opening hours. You can't swap to a different one, and you might be asked for more than one. Whichever you get, this is how to verify Google My Business listings with each one, based on Google's verification help page.
| Method | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Phone call or text | Google sends a code by call or SMS. You enter it on your profile. | Google says automated phone menus won't receive the code. If calls go to an answering service, use a mobile you answer yourself. |
| Google emails instructions to an address. You follow them. | You need to be able to get into that email address. | |
| Video recording | You film a short video through your profile on your phone. Google reviews it. | It must be one continuous recording, filmed live. More on this below. |
| Live video call | You show a Google support person around on a video call. | Be on site and ready to show your location, your equipment and proof you run the business. |
| Postcard | Google posts a five-digit code to your address. You enter it on your profile. | Google says most arrive within 14 days and codes expire after 30. Don't change your name, address or category while you wait, and don't request a new code, or the first one won't work. |
| Instant | Sometimes happens if you've already verified your website in Google Search Console. | Not something you can ask for. |
Keep any code to yourself. Google says it will never ask you for it, and you shouldn't share it with anyone, even people who help manage your profile.
Video verification for a trade without a shop
Google recommends video verification where you're eligible, and it's common for trades. It's also where a lot of trades come unstuck, because so much of it assumes you have a shop. The good news is that Google's video verification page has a separate section for service-area businesses, so you know what it wants.
The rules that apply to everyone
- It has to be filmed live, through your Business Profile on your phone. No uploading an old clip.
- Google wants an unedited, complete recording with no breaks. One continuous take.
- It must be at least 30 seconds long.
- Don't show bank account, tax or ID numbers, private information, or other people's faces.
What to show if you go to customers
Google asks a service-area business to show three things:
- Where you are. Street signs, nearby landmarks or other clues at your business address. If you work from home, Google says you can film signs and landmarks in your immediate neighbourhood.
- That the business exists. Your tools, equipment, products, workspace, business cards or branded workwear.
- That you run it. Google's examples include filming yourself opening your branded van, or doing a job, or showing a permit, invoice or utility bill with the business name that matches your profile.
A worked example
Say you're a plasterer working from home in Rotherham, and Google asks for a video. A plan that covers everything in one take might look like this:
- Start at the end of your road, with the street sign in shot. Pan round so the houses and anything recognisable nearby are visible.
- Walk to your van, still filming, and show the business name on the side.
- Open the van with your keys and show your tools and materials.
- Hold up an invoice or utility bill with your business name on it, matching your profile exactly. Keep account numbers out of shot.
- Finish on something only you'd have: your branded workwear, your trade cards, a bucket of your mixing gear.
Practise once without recording. It's easy to get halfway through, realise you've left the keys inside and have to start again.
How to send it
On your phone, open your profile, tap Get verified, choose the business video option and follow the steps. Allow access to the camera, microphone and location if asked, record, watch it back, and re-record if you need to before you upload. If the upload fails, Google says to try again.
How long verification takes
Google says verification reviews take up to five working days, and in rare cases longer. That includes video reviews. A postcard adds the time it takes to arrive, which Google puts at up to 14 days for most.
When it's done, you'll get a confirmation email. If you're still waiting after a week, check your profile for a Review issues message before assuming it's lost.
Why Google My Business verification fails, and what to do
The video didn't show enough
Google gives examples of why videos get rejected: the business name isn't visible, the surrounding area isn't shown, or there's no proof you're authorised to run the business. Tap Review issues, read what Google says, and film again. Google says the new video must include everything from the first one, plus whatever was missing.
Your name doesn't match your paperwork
If the profile says "Smith Plumbing & Heating Sheffield", the van says "Smith Plumbing" and the invoices say "D Smith", Google can't match them. Use the real-world name everywhere. Keyword-stuffed names don't just fail verification, they're one of the main reasons profiles get suspended.
You've said customers visit, but they don't
If you set yourself up with a public address but you've no signage and nobody visits, you can't film a shop front because there isn't one. Google says a business without permanent signage should be a service-area business. Change the setup, hide the address and try again.
The code never arrives
For phone codes, make sure the number on the profile is one you answer directly, not a menu or a call-answering service. For postcards, wait the full fortnight before doing anything, because requesting a new code cancels the old one.
You changed something and now Google wants you to verify again
Google says you may need to verify again after changing your business name, and you must after moving address. Changing your category can trigger it too. Make one change at a time, and do it when you've got time to deal with a verification request.
You've run out of options
If Google offers no more ways to verify, or you're stuck in a loop, contact Google Business Profile support from the help centre. Have photos of your van and tools, a utility bill and your website address ready.
What not to do
- Don't create a second profile to start fresh. You end up with a duplicate, and Google wants one profile per business.
- Don't rent a virtual office to get verified. Google says a service-area business can't list a virtual office unless it's staffed during opening hours. It's a common reason for a Google Business Profile suspension later.
- Don't use a friend's shop or a relative's address. If you don't run the business from there, the video can't honestly show it.
- Don't pay someone who offers to verify you at their address. It's the sort of thing that gets profiles, and sometimes accounts, removed.
Once you're verified
Verification only gets you in the door. Now the profile needs filling in properly: services, a description, real photos and a steady flow of reviews. My guide to setting up a Google Business Profile covers the set-up screens, and the Google Business Profile checklist goes through every setting worth getting right, including the categories for each trade.
The profile is one half of being found locally. The other half is a website that backs it up, which I explain in my local SEO guide for tradespeople. If you'd like me to look at both, start with the free Search Opportunity Review on my local SEO for tradesmen page. I'll tell you honestly what's worth doing next.
