Why Google asks for a video
Google wants to be sure that a business is real and that you run it. For many businesses the way to prove it is a short video. Google decides which businesses have to verify this way.
What to show
Where you are. Google asks to see outside signs, nearby businesses or a street sign, so it knows your listing is in the right place.
What you work with. Show your products, branded equipment, marketing materials or the tools you use to serve customers.
That you run the business. Show that you can get into areas only staff can enter, such as a storage room or a kitchen. Or show a till or your business documents. Or open the premises with your key.
A simple script to follow
Start outside. Show the street name or sign, then turn slowly to show the businesses next to you. Show your own signage or the front of the building, and say the business name.
Walk in. Show the inside of your premises and the tools, stock or equipment you work with. Show the place where customers deal with you.
Finish with proof that you run the place. Open a staff-only area, show your till, show a document in the business name or unlock a door with your key. Keep the camera moving, so it is clear that all of it is one place.
Working from home or on the road
A business that works from home can set up as a service-area business, with the address hidden from the public. You still verify, and the video shows your street, your tools and your proof that you run the business.
Proof can be a business-only login, a vehicle with your branding on it or a document in the business name. If you work from a vehicle, show the vehicle, the branding and your tools.
How to prepare
Charge your phone and film in daylight. Check that the name on your signage, your paperwork and your listing is the same. Have your keys and documents in your hand. Walk the route once without filming, so you know what you will show and in what order.
Show only your own premises and belongings.
What often trips people up
A business name on the listing that does not match the signage. A video that is too dark or too fast to read a sign. Nothing in it that shows you run the place. A street address that does not match the one on the listing.
Google does not always say exactly why it declined a video. Fix the things above, then film it again.
If Google does not accept it
Google tells you what to fix, and you can try again. Our Setup includes two verification attempts.
Once you are verified
Check your hours, including public holidays. Add real photos of your own place and your work. Write a short description of what you do and where. Reply to any reviews. Then ask your next customers for honest feedback, the same way every time.
Let us do it with you
Setup is R1,500 once-off, paid in full upfront. We prepare you for the video, claim or create the listing and set it up properly. Before you pay, three quick questions check that you can verify the way Google asks.