{"id":15430,"date":"2022-09-16T13:49:29","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T13:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/google-business-profile-video-verification\/462489\/"},"modified":"2022-09-16T13:49:29","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T13:49:29","slug":"google-business-profile-video-verification-best-practices-via-sejournal-sherrybonelli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=15430","title":{"rendered":"Google Business Profile Video Verification Best Practices via @sejournal, @sherrybonelli"},"content":{"rendered":"

Verification is an important step in properly setting up a Google Business Profile<\/a> (GBP).<\/p>\n

Before your GBP will become visible to the public and you can do all the fun things with your profile \u2013 like creating posts, responding to reviews, updating your profile, and more \u2013 you must first verify it.<\/p>\n

\"VerificationScreenshot from Google Business Profile, August 2022<\/em><\/span>\"Verification<\/div>\n

When a business (i.e., merchant) sets up a Google Business Profile<\/a>, Google offers a method (or sometimes several ways) to verify the profile.<\/p>\n

This verification process helps Google ensure that the business is a real and legitimate business that is eligible for a GBP and meets Google\u2019s guidelines for representing your business on Google<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In an ideal world, Google would actually visit each and every location with a GBP to make sure the business is real and meets all guidelines.<\/p>\n

But that, obviously, is not possible.<\/p>\n

One of the ways Google can verify a business is through video verification. Video verification is the next best thing to actually visiting a business.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost like a \u201cdigital in-person\u201d check-in on the business.<\/p>\n

The video<\/a> allows Google to actually see the company and more details about the business.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s video verification method tries to authenticate and confirm legitimate businesses and (hopefully) weed out spammy and fake listings that could inundate the Local Pack, Local Finder, and Google Maps and confuse or hurt consumers.<\/p>\n

Various Verification Methods<\/h2>\n

As mentioned, Google provides several ways to verify your business<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that Google decides which verification method a merchant must use to verify its GBP.<\/p>\n

Businesses do not get to choose the method of verification \u2013 Google picks the verification method for them.<\/p>\n

Verification by postcards with PIN numbers used to be the typical method of GBP verification.<\/p>\n

But this seems to be changing, and businesses are receiving other ways to verify their Business Profiles.<\/p>\n

In February 2022, verifying businesses by postcards sent in the mail was listed first when Google outlined the verification process.<\/p>\n

\"GoogleScreenshot from Google, February 2022<\/em><\/span>\"Google<\/div>\n

However, by July 2022, verification via postcard was bumped down to last on the verification methods list:<\/p>\n

\"VerificationScreenshot from Google, July 2022<\/em><\/span>\"Verification<\/div>\n

This might be a signal that Google is moving towards other ways to verify GBPs, and that merchants should be prepared to verify their listings in ways other than just postcards \u2013 like phone, text, email, live video call, and video recording verification.<\/p>\n

Why Video Verification?<\/h2>\n

Google is trying hard to ensure that the GBPs set up are legitimate businesses meeting Google\u2019s guidelines.<\/p>\n

With the video verification process, Google is trying to garner the following information:<\/p>\n