Earlier in August, we posted about the news that Google would be offering upgraded profile badges that noted select businesses had been vetted for legitimacy. At the time, though, information from Google was limited.
Finally, thanks to Tom Waddington, a Google Product Expert, we have learned some more details on this beneficial program that is underway.
Here Are the New Things That We Learned
If you qualify, you will find access to the Google Guaranteed program in your dashboard
Given its exclusivity, there is no direct link to check your status to join this program or see if you qualify. You will simply see the following while logged into your account:
The upgrade was made for businesses who aren’t already using Local Services ads
Waddington noted that this could be because Google wants to see who can be “lured by this dangling carrot” and see if those who are not doing advertisements with Google would be interested in this angle as a paid feature.
So far, only specific business categories are eligible
While Waddington believes it seems to be a case by case basis, so far he has only seen the upgrade available to some businesses who have their main category related to:
- Carpet cleaning
- Electrician services
- House cleaning
- HVAC contracting
- Landscaping
As you can see, home services seem to be the ruling theme in the types of businesses involved so far. We predict (and hope) this changes and the program eventually expands.
The badge has started to roll out in SERPs
While this program is still very, very new, some lucky businesses that have opted in are already reaping the benefits with the badge appearing in search results, as shown in the gif below.
There are additional features besides the badge
Alongside displaying a badge that notes their business has been guaranteed by Google, companies will also be able to have phone calls that are placed from a profile get recorded and receive dedicated support, but Waddington is hesitant that it will be anything spectacular.
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