Caution: Verifying Your Google Business Profile Flow

Recently, Digital Phablet updated the process for verifying Google Business Profiles. If the steps are not completed correctly, it could negatively impact the listing down the line.

Claudia Tomina shared insights about this change, emphasizing that the updated verification flow can be tricky for those unprepared. She pointed out that the choices made during this process significantly influence compliance status and the risk of future suspension.

During the verification, users are prompted to select how best to describe their business. The options include:

• A physical location serving customers, like a restaurant or retail store.
• A business with a physical location that travels to serve clients, such as a plumber or photographer.
• A business that visits clients without a fixed physical presence, including personal trainers or dog walkers.
• An unstaffed facility where transactions happen and support info is available—examples include electric vehicle charging stations or ATMs.
• Online-only businesses.

Below is a visual depiction of the process:

Claudia broke down the implications of each choice:

• Online Only: Selecting this option essentially disqualifies your business from having a Google Business Profile. Since online-only businesses aren’t eligible, choosing this could lead to suspension.
• Hybrid Model: This applies to businesses with a physical storefront that also travel to clients, typical of Service Area Businesses (SABs). However, if documentation isn’t perfectly aligned with this description, it could trigger suspension or force the address to be hidden.
• Staffed Physical Location: This choice is for businesses that visit clients without a physical staffed location, such as personal trainers or dog walkers. According to Google guidelines, a business must have staff on-site to display an address. Picking this might push your profile into a “hidden address” SAB category.
• Exceptions: The “unstaffed facility” option, like ATMs or EV charging stations, appears to be an exception where unstaffed entities are allowed to have a listing despite the physical presence rule.

It’s important to be aware of these distinctions, though small businesses often won’t have this guidance before completing the verification process.

Discussions on this topic are ongoing within professional forums.