Google requires all businesses advertising on our platform to undergo various levels of screening procedures. The screening process varies by type of service, the country that you’re in and whether the service provider advertises directly with Google or through one of our partner affiliates.
How Google screens Local Services businesses that advertise directly on our platform
Local Services businesses that advertise directly with Google undergo screening procedures that vary by category and region but may include licence, insurance and background checks. You can recognise these providers because their profiles have a note that says they have passed Google’s screening and verification process for the particular category in which they’re advertising.
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About Google Business Profile requirements (EMEA select countries only)
Based on industry and location, businesses must pass a series of business checks to run a Local Services ad. One important check in the verification process is making sure that Business Profiles on Google are properly connected to matching Local Services ads. When these are linked, managing your business on Google becomes easier and even more secure. Google matches your ad with your Business Profile to make sure authorised people can manage your ad, calls, messages and business details.
To pass this step, businesses that have a matched Google Business Profile must verify that they rightfully own or manage the profile. This also means claiming the profile if it is currently unmanaged on Google. If a Google Business Profile already exists for your business, you will see a profile preview on your dashboard. The person completing the business checks on Local Services Ads must also be a profile owner or manager, even if the profile is already claimed and verified by another authorised person connected to the business. When Local Services Ads detects that the signed-in user is not a profile owner or manager, there will be an option to request profile access on the dashboard. In the meantime, this person will not be blocked from completing other verification steps, but this step must be done before an ad can appear in search results.
Learn more about the verification process for Google Business Profiles.
Remember, you can view your profile to check the status of this step. It may take up to 24 hours for this step to be marked as done on the verification dashboard.
Background checks
Business owners, and in some cases, service professionals, may undergo background checks by third-party risk management companies with which Google has partnered.
Depending on the type of service and country in which the service is located, the business may undergo the following types of background checks:
- Business entity check
- Business owner background check
- Service professional background check
Read more about the requirements in our policy for Local Services Ads.
Third-party background check equivalency verification
In some instances, when a business owner background checks their service professionals in a way that meets Google’s standards, the business owner can apply for background check equivalency verification. If approved by Google, those service professionals can respond to Local Services leads without being additionally screened by Google’s background check providers.
Licence checks
Google verifies that advertisers hold applicable state, provincial and/or country-level licences for businesses and owners or managers, to the extent practical, and confirms that all workers are appropriately licensed. Note that in some cases where a business is on the border of two states, the provider may not be authorised to work in both states.
Google encourages you to review each provider’s profile to learn more about the licences that it has reviewed.
Insurance checks
Whenever applicable, each business must be insured. The insurance type and minimum amount required depend on the category and location.
Advanced verification
Advertisers in some business categories may need to undergo Google’s Advanced Verification screening, which may include a review of the company’s Google Ads account, publicly available data and video interviews conducted by Google. The check may also include inquiries into business registration validity, and evidence of unauthorised or misleading behaviour.Other screening
Google also continues to collect ratings and reviews from people who hired Local Services providers. As described in our policy, serious or repeatedly negative customer feedback may result in lower rankings (including not showing at all).
Read more about the screening and verification process
How providers from partner affiliate networks are screened
Some Local Services businesses don’t advertise directly with Google, but instead are members of one of our partner affiliate networks. These types of affiliate businesses aren’t screened through Google’s processes, but instead are screened by the relevant partner affiliate's procedures.
You can recognise these providers by the partner’s logo on their profile page, along with a note indicating that they are affiliated with that partner. We encourage you to review each partner’s screening procedures.
- Homesnap: Learn more about the Homesnap screening process
- Lawyer.com: Learn more about the Lawyer.com screening process
- Networx: Learn more about the Networx screening process
- Top rated local: Learn more about the Top rated local screening process
