Google may ask a business to verify its Business Profile with a video recording. The required evidence depends on whether the business has a storefront, serves customers at their locations, or uses a hybrid model. Planning matters because Google's current process requires an unedited, continuous recording made and uploaded from a mobile device through the profile.
THE VERIFICATION VIDEO
Location, existence, management
THE LEAD ATLAS METHOD
Once a verified local presence supports the organic strategy, Lead Atlas Data can build a separate custom business-contact list around the campaign's chosen categories and nearby locations for responsible outbound prospecting.See how custom list research works ↗Confirm the profile type and eligibility
A storefront serves customers at a staffed physical location with permanent signage. A service-area business travels to customers and should not display a home or non-customer-facing address. A hybrid business does both. The profile should reflect the real operating model before recording.
Online-only businesses that do not make in-person contact with customers are not eligible for a Business Profile under Google's current guidelines. Do not create a fictional storefront or virtual-office presence to obtain verification.
Plan the recording before starting
Google's current instructions require a unique, unedited recording with no breaks, at least 30 seconds long, recorded and uploaded from a mobile device through the Business Profile. A prerecorded file cannot be uploaded later.
Plan a physical route that can show location context, proof the business exists, and proof the person recording manages or represents it without exposing private information.
- Correct Google account and profile
- Mobile camera, microphone, and location access
- Visible location evidence
- Business signage, equipment, or materials
- Employee-only or management access
- No faces or sensitive account and ID details
Show where the business operates
For a storefront or hybrid business, include street signs, building numbers, nearby businesses, or recognizable surroundings connected to the profile address. Show permanent business signage with the same name used on the profile.
For a service-area business, show nearby street or location identifiers around the operating base. A home-based service business can show neighborhood context without displaying private interior details unnecessarily.
Show that the business exists
Storefronts can show the exterior, showroom, workspace, products, and permanent signage. Service-area businesses can show professional tools, equipment, branded vehicles or clothing, business cards, or a working setup relevant to the service.
Choose evidence that is current and connected to the listed business. Do not include unrelated equipment merely to make the operation appear larger.
Show management access safely
Demonstrate access that an employee or authorized representative would normally have, such as unlocking the premises or branded vehicle, opening an employee-only area, operating a point-of-sale system, or showing a non-sensitive business document that matches the profile.
Avoid bank information, tax or identity numbers, private details, and other people's faces. Review the recording before upload and start again if the required evidence is missing.
Submit, review, and respond to issues
Start verification from the Business Profile on the mobile device, follow the available method, record, review, and upload. Google's current help says review can take up to five business days, though the timing can vary.
If the video is not accepted, use the displayed issue details, record a new complete video that includes the original evidence plus the missing proof, and use official support paths if the available methods still fail. After verification, connect the profile to useful local content and measure calls, directions, website activity, and real customer outcomes.
THE TAKEAWAY
Match the profile to the real business model, plan a continuous route that shows all three evidence types, and follow the verification options Google presents rather than trying to force a different method.