How to verify your business on Google

The verification methods

• Video recording — most common, done in the Google Business Profile app
• Phone call or text to your business number
• Email to a business address
• Postcard by mail — slow and unreliable for many areas
• Live video call with a Google representative

What to film for video verification

Record one single clip without stopping the camera. Google wants to see three things: that the location exists, that your business operates there, and that you are the person managing it.

• Start outside: the street, a nearby street sign or landmark, then your signage
• Walk to your door and go inside without cutting the recording
• Show your equipment and stock — chairs and dryers, tools, ovens, shelves
• Show branded items: uniforms, receipt book, business card, branded invoice
• Finish by showing you have control: unlocking a cupboard, using the till, keys

Tips that prevent a rejection

• Film in daylight and keep the camera steady
• Do not stop, pause or edit the clip
• Do not film a photograph of the premises — film the premises
• Service-area businesses: film the vehicle, tools and branded paperwork
• Say nothing confidential; the recording is reviewed by Google staff

How long it takes

Most reviews come back within a few days, though it can take longer. You can keep editing the profile while you wait; the changes appear once verification passes.

If your verification is rejected

Rejections are usually about evidence, not honesty. Look at what your clip did not show — signage, branded material, or proof of access — and record again more slowly. If you are rejected repeatedly, request a live video call so you can answer questions directly.

A business with a working website and consistent contact details across the web is easier to accept, because Google can match what it sees against other information.