Google Guaranteed is now Google Verified
Get verified for Local Service Ads without the runaround
Still searching for Google Guaranteed? The badge has a new name and new rules. We get Dallas contractors through Google’s license, insurance and background checks and live on Local Service Ads, without weeks of rejected uploads.
What changed
Google Guaranteed is gone. Google Verified replaced it.
For years, the green check next to a plumber or roofer in Local Service Ads said “Google Guaranteed.” Some categories got “Google Screened” instead, and some got “License Verified.” Homeowners learned to look for it, and contractors learned to ask how to get Google Guaranteed.
On October 20, 2025, Google retired all three. As Search Engine Journal reported, they were folded into a single Google Verified badge, and the money-back guarantee that gave Google Guaranteed its name was dropped. Google no longer backs your work with a refund to the customer.
The search term stuck around. People still type “google guaranteed” and “google screened” thousands of times a month. Some agencies still sell it under the old name, as if a guarantee comes with the ad. It doesn’t.
What didn’t change is the hard part: Google still checks that you’re a real, licensed, insured business before your ad runs. That’s where most contractors get stuck, with a rejected insurance certificate, a license name that doesn’t match the business name, or a background check invite sitting unopened in a technician’s inbox.
What we do
Five things we handle so verification doesn’t stall.
- 01Eligibility checkWe confirm your trade and service area are open for Local Service Ads before you spend time on paperwork.
- 02License and insurance docsNames, addresses and coverage lined up so the documents match what Google sees on your profile.
- 03Background check follow-upWe track who has been invited, who has finished and who is holding up the account.
- 04Profile and review readinessYour Business Profile and reviews cleaned up, since they feed your ad and where it shows.
- 05Launch settingsJob types, service areas, hours and a starting budget set the day you’re approved.
How we get you verified and live.
Check before you apply
We look at your trade, your service area and any old Local Service Ads account, so you don’t open a duplicate or apply for a category Google doesn’t offer near you.
Gather the paperwork once
You send us your license, insurance certificate and the list of owners and technicians. We check names and addresses line up before anything is uploaded.
Chase every open item
We watch the account for requests from Google, nudge whoever owes a background check, and fix rejected documents the same week.
Go live with a plan
Once the Google Verified badge shows, we turn on the job types you want, set the budget and start reviewing every lead from week one.
LSA verification, explained
What Google checks before your Google Verified badge goes live.
Google sets the verification requirements, and they vary by trade and by location. A locksmith, an electrician and a house cleaner won’t see the same checklist. Treat anything below as the usual pattern, not a promise, and check Google’s current requirements for your category. Our guide to Local Service Ads requirements goes into more detail.
Business license, where your trade needs one
If your work requires a license, Google will ask for it and check it. The common snag is a mismatch: the license is in the owner’s name, the profile says the DBA, and the insurance certificate uses the LLC. We line those up before you submit, because a rejected document usually means starting that item over.
Insurance
Most categories ask for proof of liability insurance. The certificate has to be current and show the business Google is verifying. If your policy renews mid-process, we flag it so your ad doesn’t get paused for an expired document a month after launch.
Background checks
In many categories, Google requires background checks on the business owner and on technicians who go into customers’ homes, run through Google’s own partner. Each person gets an invite and has to finish it themselves. On a crew of eight working jobs from McKinney to Cedar Hill, this is where accounts sit for weeks. We keep a list and chase it.
Reviews and the Business Profile
Your ad pulls from your reviews, and Google looks at your profile to decide where you show. A thin review count won’t block verification, but it will hold back the calls once you’re live. That’s why we often pair this work with Business Profile cleanup.
Old badge, new badge
If you were already Google Guaranteed or Google Screened before October 2025, you didn’t have to start from scratch. Your account moved to the new Google Verified label. It’s still worth checking your documents are current, since expired insurance can pause an ad no matter what the badge is called. Our explainer on the Google Verified badge covers what homeowners see now.
What we won’t do
- Sell you a “guarantee” Google stopped offering.
- Promise a verification date. Google runs the checks and sets the pace.
- Submit documents we know will be rejected just to look busy.
Verification is the first job. Keeping the leads clean and the cost per lead down is the ongoing one, and that’s what our Local Service Ads management covers.
Google Guaranteed and Google Verified questions
How do I get Google Guaranteed now?
You can’t, under that name. Google replaced Google Guaranteed with the Google Verified badge on October 20, 2025. To get it, you sign up for Local Service Ads and pass the checks Google sets for your trade, which can include a business license, proof of insurance and background checks. We handle the paperwork and follow-up for Dallas contractors.
Does Google Verified still come with a money-back guarantee?
No. The money-back guarantee was dropped when Google Guaranteed was retired, as Search Engine Journal reported. The Google Verified badge tells homeowners Google checked your business. It isn’t a refund promise. If anyone pitches you a guarantee with Local Service Ads today, ask them to show you where Google offers it.
What happened to Google Screened?
Google Screened, used mostly for professional services, was folded into Google Verified at the same time as Google Guaranteed and License Verified. There is one badge now. If your business was already screened, your account carried over to the new label, but the documents behind it still need to stay current.
How long does LSA verification take?
It depends on your trade, how many people need background checks and how clean your documents are. Google sets the pace, so we won’t promise a date. What we can do is cut the delays on your side: matching names, current insurance and every technician’s check finished. Talk to us and we’ll tell you what your account still needs.