Google Guaranteed

Local Business Guarantee from Google

Have you noticed the green check marks that appear next to select listings whenever you initiate a Google search? That symbol means the business is Google Guaranteed.

What is a Google Guaranteed and how do you get one for your business?

A Google Guarantee (green check mark) is only granted to businesses who use Google Ads and pass Google’s rigorous screening process. Once your business has qualified, customers who are unsatisfied with your services for any reason may be reimbursed up to $2000 by Google. This gives customers piece of mind that they are choosing professional service providers and makes your business stand out from your competitors due to Google’s endorsement, but the advantages don’t end there.

In addition to the green check mark that immediately identifies your business as verified, your listing will always appear at the very top of every Google search result for your particular industry within your geographical location.  It also allows customers to request estimates and set appointments by simply clicking on your ad.

What are the benefits of a Google Guarantee?

A Google Guarantee provides trust, and a peace of mind that benefits business owners and online customers. Here’s how:

• Advertisers Pay per Lead – not Click! With traditional pay-per-click advertising, you pay every time your ad is clicked, even if you never make a connection with the customer. With a Local Services ad and a Google Guarantee, you only pay when your ad works.

• You will gain trust and build your brand with the Google Guarantee! Customers can choose your shop with confidence knowing you passed Google’s rigorous verification process and the Google Guarantee which protects unsatisfied customers for jobs booked through Local Service Ads with a lifetime cap for coverage of $2,000.

• You will appear at the top of Google search results! Google places Local Service ads on the very top of the results page on top of the map. Your ad with the green check mark alongside the “Google Guarantee” will be the first thing people notice in their results.

• You can highlight your positive reviews and ratings! Your Local Service ad includes past customers’ ratings and reviews to help you earn searchers’ trust.

• You will be included in voice search responses! Did you know that over 20% of all searches coming from voice search, Local Service Ads are one of the few ways you can make sure that you’re found on the 400 million devices powered by Google Assistant.

• No Ads or Keywords to Manage! Local Service ads will automatically trigger when a customer searches for one of thousands of relevant search terms, be in as broad as “Plumber” or specific as “leaky faucet under sink.” The ad format will automatically be created using information from your business profile.

Is my business eligible to be Google Guaranteed?

Most large metro areas of the United State currently have Local Service ads and Google plans to continue expanding its coverage. They also limit the Local Service ads to an expanding list of select industries. Check the list below to see if your industry and your location are currently eligible.

How to get started with Google Local services

To get started with Google Local Services, visit the sign up page. If you need any help, this guide will walk you through each step of the process. For existing businesses with a Google My Business page, the process would be much shorter, since your GMB page has most of these details already. The sign-up process is divided into three stages: welcome, sign up, create your profile. Each stage has a few few steps to guide you through the process. Here they are in order:

1. Connect with more customers. The first step highlights some of the benefits of signing up for Local Services ads, and also explains the previously mentioned Google guarantee. Note that when you sign up for Local Services ads you are automatically applying for the Google guarantee.

2. Eligibility. Before you can start the sign-up process, Google wants to make sure you are eligible. LSAs have not been rolled out to all of the job categories listed in all states yet. So this form helps avoid wasting your time if your business doesn’t qualify.

3. Set a budget. Now that your business has been deemed eligible for LSAs, it’s time to establish a budget of how much you’d like to spend. This budget is not set in stone, and can be easily adjusted at any time from the Local Services ads dashboard. Google’s help documentation outlines exactly how and when you’ll be charged for LSAs.

4. Business Info. Much like the previous eligibility form, entering your business info and email address (next step) helps Google determine whether or not your business is already registered in Google My Business.

5. Create Your Profile. The final stage in setting up your Local Services ads is creating your profile. If you have an existing Google My Business page, you’ll see a lot of the same information in this section, like business hours, address, and service type.

6. Create an account. Creating an account connects your Gmail, or other email address, to the local services business. Again, if you already have Google My Business set up, then this step is unnecessary.

7. Business details. Next, enter your business details including name, number of employees, and address. None of this information will be posted publicly, unless you choose to publish it.

8. Set up your service area. Google recommends service areas based on the previously entered address. You can choose to expand or narrow your service area based on where your customers are. The service area you select will determine who sees your Local Services ads, so choose carefully.

9. Set up your service types. Setting up your service types will help Google target potential customers looking specifically for your kind of business. For example, if they search “Area rug cleaner near me” and live in your service area, your business would likely show up at the top of search results.

10. Set business hours. Local Services ads are meant to connect customers directly to service providers. Google asks for your business hours, so they can show ads to customers during business hours, when you're most likely to respond. If they send you leads and nobody is in the office, or able to respond from the Local Services ads by Google app, it makes for a poor user experience.

11. Preview your ad. Finally, you get to see a preview of your LSA before finishing the sign-up process. The preview allows you to go back and change information, in case you wanted to change the primary business address or how your name displays.

12. License and insurance. The last step in the process is to upload license and insurance information. This allows Google to guarantee your business and it’s also a required part of the LSA platform. You can choose to skip this step, but you won’t be able to finalize your ads until you’ve completed the verification.Once you upload all of the required documentation, Google will then verify your business. Completing this process does not push any ads live, instead it takes you to your dashboard where you can adjust budgets and turn your LSAs on and off whenever you choose.

Bloomerang Solutions can help you get “Google Guaranteed”