First post on this site. Thanks for all the great material so far.
I am really struggling trying to get my Google Business Profile verified. I have submitted multiple videos and multiple online applications for support. I am wondering if you all do anything special to get verified?
This is a home business and just starting out so I dont have a storefront or any signage to show. I showed the work van, the equipment, my home office area. I don’t talk at all during the videos. I also just ordered some Van magnets with my logo and phone # etc…
so maybe that will help.
Do I need to be more specific and narrate the video explaining what everything is? Maybe go into my programs quickbooks Website etc…?
Been through this process, it’s tedious. Do you have you business registered with the state your in? TIN number? Are you a LLC or Sole Prop? Is your address confirmed with Google maps? Pass a background check? These are all the hoops I had to jump through.
Believe it or not- calling Google actually worked and smoothed the process some what. Try this number for Google: +1 (252) 362-4671
Getting verified is nice- no one else in my service area is verified by Google, so it’s good good that customers see a unique selling point and that your legit. Hope this helps.
LLC partnership.
Video verification is my only option when i go to verify it. I was able to round about get to some other options but they never worked. Business is registered with the state, I have an EIN #, just registered with the better business bureau.
Its a service based business so you just select areas you are servicing not a specific address, this seems correct per Googles documents.
I tried reaching out to support but the support ticket says it gets created with an ID of NULL which to me means tis not going through. Everywhere I read seems to say you can’t really get support you just have to keep submitting until they are satisfied.
I was just hoping there were some tips on how to get verified, or specifically what people showed on their video.
I have passed background checks before but not sure how or where i would use this for the Google business profile.
No Problem at all.
I was reading things changed in 2022 and most people now need to do a Video for verification.
If I am ever able to get verified I will add what I did accomplish that here for anyone else that may need help.
I went through this a couple months back… I was verified and then when I was editing some of the info on the page it got switched from the “service area” to a specific address “storefront”. Only option that was given was to upload a video… but every upload either wouldn’t complete and if it did it would get declined. I found a tech support number (I’ll have to see if I can find it again for you) and did a video call with them. The tech had a list of things that I needed to show them in order to be verified (work vehicle with signage, where the tools are stored, business cards or marketing material, articles of organization, and something else I can’t think of at the moment) the whole process took all of 10 minutes and everything got sorted.
Select your business.
Tell us what we can help with: verification
Selected no way to verify
Emailed them saying that my uploads were failing and that I needed to talk to tech support
A few days later I got a response with a link to join a video call.
I was suspended for a year, thank goodness for already being established, but could have done better that year, Anywho… I hired a guy, Daryl Rosenblatt, he specializes in restoring GBP’s. He gave me a lot of homework & he did stuff on his end . up & running in 10 days.
Last thing we did was send 2 videos 1) 20 min video for trailer, verbally explaining everything. show your yard signs, business cards, all the equip, everything & what it is used for. Also showing vehicle I towed with & plates for both.
2nd video - went outside & showed cross streets of where I lived, even though I was a service location not storefront, proving I wasn’t making address up, On way into my home I showed trailer etc. Then walked through house to office. started @ computer showing monitor screen, displaying I was owner of GBP and another tab showing state reg etc etc, QB’s too. I then proceeded to video everything in office, shelves storage & described. Another 20 mins later, whoever watched these videos could start up their own biz!
Other things to consider, Anywhere you were listed on the Internet must match identically- exact Business Name - address (where it is permitted) must be exactly the same - character for character. The times you are open, email… all of it. keep in mind, its most a computer doing the search and it all need to match or it’ll red flag it. Google your business and click everywhere you see it & verify info is same.
For me , I had moved two times in 6 months from original location, when I changed address I did it wrong and had to change my Google business name as I had the town in name. (Never was a problem till then) That or the ex flagged me for old address? lol $450 later, I was back up. I had a list of things I had messed up through out the year before I reached out for professional help.
Hope this helps & good luck!
It seems mine only took about 10 min. i didnt have to do a video…i used my home address…my business name…facebook as a webpage but also bought a 2 year web domain for like $25…& a email address… So when asked how would i like to be verified ? i said direct mail to my physical address, they mailed me a pin number in about a week. i put it in the verification code…that was it.
I think it has a big part in establishing a physical address rather than a service area. But to the best of my knowledge, in recent years, they’ve ceased the practice of sending postcards and have shifted exclusively to video verification.
Ok Ant thanks for the update mine was done 2 years ago so that could be the case. However I do get scammers calling me while working saying my business is not verified, when I check on there regularly seeing my verification symbol on Google. My question was once you get verified If you don’t move locations are you verified for Life? so I don’t know…
@Clark6 Sorry miss read your comment, there are a couple things (location and name mainly) that if you edit them on your GMB it will trigger the re-verification process… I’ve heard that others can report that information isn’t accurate and that it can trigger a re-verification as well, though I don’t know how accurate that is… I feel like that could be an issue with scummy competition false reporting.
I’ve been paying for a Google ads for over three years now and starting this year I was not getting as many calls at all compared to how many I used to. When I talkd to my website manager/Advertising specialist he told me that the only way to get verified on Google is you now have to be just a window cleaner, not only specifically doing professional exterior cleaning. I do offer window detail, but that is not a big part of the business and I do not want to compete with somebody who’s only expenses is to drive around an old Chevy S10 with the wate fed pole, DI filter, and some squeegees. I typically do not do the insides of the windows, except on rare occasions. The expenses for somebody with the equipment that we use, the higher insurance premiums and higher Workmen’s Comp. premiums make it difficult to be competitive pricewise with somebody who can start a window cleaning business with $5000.
Has anybody else been told that you have to be Primarily a window cleaner and can offer pressure/soft washing service?
Fun fact - the Ads reps are there specifically to get you to spend more money.
The reps used to be helpful, now they are slimy outsourced money grabbers. Supposedly Ads and GMB are separate entities, so he wouldn’t have access to that information.
My question was once you get verified If you don’t move locations are you verified for Life? so I don’t know…
