Google has replaced the old Google Guaranteed badge with a single Google Verified badge for all Local Services Ads advertisers, and it has discontinued the money-back guarantee that came with the old badge. Google says eligible customers could request reimbursement for services booked through Local Services Ads before 7 December 2025, within 30 days of the initial service completion date. People still search for “Google Guaranteed”, so if that is what you were looking for, Google Verified is the badge to aim for now.

The Google Verified badge appears on your Local Services Ads profile and, according to Google, signals that your business has passed Google’s screening process. Here is how to get it in the UK.

What is the Google Verified badge?

Google Verified is a verification programme for local service businesses. Once approved, your Local Service Ad shows a green tick and the words “Google Verified”, which reassures customers and can lift your contact rate. (Google now uses this single badge for all advertisers, including professional services that previously had the separate Google Screened badge.)

Step 1: Check you are eligible

Google Verified is available for many home-service trades: plumbers, electricians, roofers, heating engineers, locksmiths and more. Eligibility depends on your business category and location.

Step 2: Pass the verification checks

To earn the badge you pass Google’s Local Services screening and verification process. For UK home services, Google lists a business check, public liability insurance, a business licence where applicable, identity verification for the business owner and fieldworkers in selected categories, and a public, verified Google Business Profile. This usually takes one to four weeks.

Step 3: Set up your Local Service Ads

The badge is tied to Local Service Ads. You set your services, service area and budget, and your verified, badged listing then appears at the very top of Google for relevant local searches.

Step 4: Keep it (reviews and lead rating)

Maintaining a strong review profile and responding to customers keeps you ranked above competitors. Google has removed the manual dispute button for Local Services Ads, so you can no longer send a form to contest a lead. Charged leads are now reviewed automatically. In the US and Canada that review can credit invalid leads such as spam, duplicates, wrong numbers and robocalls within about 30 days, but Google’s help page lists advertisers in EMEA, which includes the UK, as excluded from automatic lead credits. Calls for job types you do not offer or from outside your service area are billed and cannot be disputed, and Google now charges for missed calls during opening hours when the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds (announced for the US first). You can still rate every lead in your dashboard, which helps train Google’s system but does not guarantee a credit. So the real protection is the set-up: tight service areas, only the job types you actually do, an ad schedule that matches when you can answer, and a log of every lead so you know your true return.

The bottom line

The Google Verified badge is well worth having: it builds instant trust for high-value home work. The verification can be fiddly, which is why many trades have it handled for them. Wondering if it beats standard PPC? Read LSA vs Google Ads.

We set up and manage Google Verified Local Service Ads on a flat monthly fee. See our Local Service Ads service or book a free 30-minute strategy call.