GBP verification trips up more businesses than it should. The process sounds simple on paper -- confirm your business exists, confirm you are authorized to manage the profile -- but in practice plenty of legitimate businesses end up in rejection loops with no clear explanation. That frustration is something Google's own team has acknowledged publicly.
Lisa Lansman from Google's Global Partnerships team recently sat down with Shrina, a product manager on the Google Business Profile team, to discuss what has changed in the verification process and what businesses are still getting wrong. The conversation surfaced genuinely useful guidance. Staying current on this is a real part of any local SEO strategy -- a profile that cannot be verified is a profile that cannot be fully managed.
What Google's Verification Team Looks For
According to Shrina, the criteria are consistent regardless of business type or size. Reviewers need to confirm three things:
- Your business physically exists at the address provided.
- You are a genuine person, not a bot or a fraudulent actor representing a fake business.
- You are authorized to manage this specific Google Business Profile.
None of that sounds surprising. What is worth understanding is that Google is simultaneously trying to make this easier for legitimate businesses while tightening things up against fraud -- and those two goals are genuinely in tension. Every step that makes verification faster creates potential openings for abuse. Every fraud prevention measure creates friction for honest businesses. Shrina was candid about that tradeoff, which is actually helpful for understanding why the process sometimes feels unreasonable even when you are doing everything right.
Improvements in Video Verification
Video verification has historically been one of the more frustrating options -- mainly because rejection messages were vague and there was no way to preview your submission before it was evaluated. Google has addressed several of those pain points specifically:
- Clear rejection feedback: Merchants now receive detailed explanations of why a video was rejected and what specifically needs to change. This alone probably saves thousands of businesses from submitting the same flawed video multiple times.
- Video previews: You can now review your video before submitting it, which sounds basic but was not previously available.
- Animated tutorials: The Help Center now includes instructional videos showing what a compliant submission actually looks like, not just a written description of it.
- Multi-location verification: Simplified procedures for businesses with multiple locations, including chains and franchises, which previously had to navigate the process one location at a time.
Addressing Suspensions and Re-Verifications
Suspensions remain one of the most painful parts of GBP management, particularly because they can hit fully legitimate businesses that have done nothing wrong. Google acknowledged that incorrect suspensions happen and that the appeals process needs improvement. They are working on it -- though that phrase covers a wide range of timelines in practice. For businesses that find themselves suspended unexpectedly, slowing down before resubmitting is usually the right call. Resubmitting the same problematic video quickly will almost always produce the same outcome.
Best Practices for Video Verification
For Storefront Businesses:
- Your business name needs to be clearly visible on exterior signage in the video, not just on a document you are holding.
- Show interior spaces that match your business type. A dental office should look like a dental office.
- Demonstrate authorized access by doing something only an authorized person would do -- unlocking the front door, using a point-of-sale system, opening a secured area.
- Capture identifiable surroundings such as a visible street sign or a recognizable landmark, something that places the video at a specific real location.
For Service Area Businesses:
- Display branded vehicles, business cards, or professional equipment. Making sure the branded vehicle is clearly in frame and readable has resolved back-to-back rejections for service-area businesses we have worked with. That single change made the difference.
- Include footage of you actively providing services at a customer location if possible. This is often more compelling than anything filmed at a home office or personal vehicle.
- Use clear location markers so reviewers can confirm you are operating in a real service area.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Avoid filming generic fields or unmarked roads that lack identifiable features.
- Do not submit videos recorded by individuals not affiliated with the business.
Google is making real progress on smoothing out the verification experience. The improvements to video feedback and multi-location support are meaningful, and the willingness to name specific problems openly suggests more changes are coming. The core requirements are not going away, but the process of meeting them is becoming clearer. Need help managing your Google Business Profile? Contact Ruby Shore Software at 318.625.0860.