Answer the call or open the text with the code. Enter the code on your profile. Once you’ve received your postcard, sign in to Google My Business. Google uses these categories to decide when to display your business in local searches. Adding “restaurant” or “grocery” as a category isn’t enough. If you skip verification, it hardly makes sense to claim your Google Business profile at all, as you won’t be able to access most features without first completing the verification process.

It may take some time to review your Google Business profile listing, but is required to manage and use your Google Business profile. After your GMB review is complete, it’s time to optimize your Google business profile to provide useful information, engage with customers, and promote local SEO. First, find your business profile on Google Maps or Google Search and request to claim it. If you’ve claimed your listing, Google will show you appropriate verification methods, which can be done via email, postcard, or video.

Now that the foundations are in place, you’re armed and ready to successfully claim and verify your business with Google. Without a Google My Business account, you have no control over the information displayed on your business profile, and according to a BrightLocal study, 68% of consumers would stop using a local business after finding incorrect information online. In this post, I will first find out for you exactly what’s included in Google, and then give you a clear roadmap on how to create a Google My Business account and how to use that account to apply for and verify your business profile with Google. This verification option completes verification via a video call with Google Business Profile support.

Online businesses can use Google Analytics, Google Ads, and marketing tools to post their name and information. If your business listing is eligible, you’ll see Verify by Phone when you request verification. You’ll then need to delete the page from your Google Business Profile account and restart the process by creating and reviewing a new page for your business. Google needs to trust your Google Account to provide instant verification, and Google doesn’t allow many spam business categories to do so.

Thankfully, Google has added new verification methods in the form of video uploads and live video calls that are much faster.