The 60-second version
- One take. Never stop recording. No cuts, no edits, no uploading an old clip. Google can tell.
- Film outside first — the street sign or a nearby landmark, then your sign / building number.
- Walk inside without stopping — door, then your work area or office.
- Show you run it — branded van, tools, equipment, a letter or invoice with your business name and address on it.
- Daylight. Move slowly. Keep it 1–3 minutes. Hold the camera steady and let every sign stay in frame for 3 full seconds.
- Record it live, on location, inside the Google app — you cannot film it earlier and upload it later.
About 40% of businesses fail their first attempt — almost always for a fixable filming mistake, not because anything is wrong with the business. This guide removes those mistakes.
01 · Before you press record
Set yourself up to win
- Be physically at the business address (or, for a van-based business, wherever your vehicle, tools and paperwork are).
- Use the phone that is logged into the business's Google account, and open the verification prompt in the Google Business Profile app or at business.google.com.
- Film in daylight if you can. Overcast is fine. Night and harsh backlight are not.
- Clean the camera lens. Wipe it on your shirt. A smudge blurs every sign you film.
- Have your props ready and in reach: keys, a branded item, and one piece of paperwork (a utility bill, invoice, tax notice or licence that shows your business name and address).
- Do a silent 20-second practice run so you know your route before the real take.
02 · What to film, in exact order
The one-take walk
Do these in order, in a single unbroken shot. Narrate softly if it helps (“This is our sign… this is the street… walking in now…”). Do not stop between steps — just keep walking and keep the camera rolling.
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The street & a landmark
Start wide. Film the street sign on the corner, the building number, and a neighbouring business or recognisable landmark. This proves where you are.
Hold each sign still for 3 full seconds. -
Your signage / building number
Pan to your permanent sign — on the wall, window or door — with your business name clearly readable. No sign? Film the building number next to the front door. The name must match your Google listing word for word.
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Walk in — don't cut
Keep recording as you walk from outside, through the door, into the space. Use your key to open the door on camera if you can. This single continuous walk is the strongest proof you actually control the premises.
-
Your work area / office
Show where the work happens: the reception or counter, your desk and computer, the back office, the workshop. For a shop, film the sales floor and till / point-of-sale.
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Equipment, tools & vehicles
Film your branded gear: tools of the trade, machines, stock, and your vehicle with its signage and number plate. Licensed or branded uniforms and safety gear count too.
-
Proof you operate here
End on one document that ties your business name to this address: a utility bill, an invoice, a tax notice, a trade licence or a permit. Hold it steady and close enough to read for 4 seconds.
Then stop recording and submit.
▶ EMBED 1 — general step-by-step walkthrough (place here)
“Google Business Profile Video Verification Tutorial” — what Google wants to see in one continuous take. Watch on YouTube
▶ EMBED 2 — full process, start to finish (place here)
“Google Business Profile Verification With Video (Step by Step)”. Watch on YouTube
03 · The hard case
No shopfront? Service-area & home-based businesses
This is where most plumbers, electricians, roofers, cleaners and mobile businesses get stuck — and where a good video matters most. You have no public sign to point at, so you prove the business another way: the van, the gear, the paperwork, and the place you run it from.
Film these, in one take-
Your branded vehicle
Start here. Film the van or truck with your business name / logo on the side, and get the number plate in shot. If the vehicle isn't wrapped, film a magnetic sign, decal or anything that shows the business name.
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Tools & equipment of the trade
Open the van or shed. Show the actual kit you work with — ladders, machines, cables, cleaning gear, branded toolboxes. This proves you genuinely do the work.
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Branded & licensed gear
Film uniforms, hi-vis or shirts with your logo, and any trade licence, certification or permit card (keep personal licence numbers and your home address off-camera if they feel private).
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Your home office / base
Walk to where you run the business — the home office, desk, computer, filing, order board. A continuous walk from the van to the workspace is powerful.
-
Paperwork with your name & address
Finish on an invoice, quote, supplier statement, utility bill or tax notice that shows your business name and the address on your listing. This is the single most-missed step for service businesses — do not skip it.
▶ EMBED 3 — service-area business example (place here, in this section)
“Verify your business with a video recording: Service Area Business”. Watch on YouTube
▶ EMBED 4 — pass it in 2026 / fix the missing element (place here)
“How to Pass Google Business Video Verification in 2026”. Watch on YouTube · Home-address version: here
04 · Filming rules
How to shoot it so it's accepted
Do
- One continuous take, start to finish.
- Keep recording while you walk between steps.
- Hold the phone steady — both hands, move slowly.
- Let each sign or document sit still for 3–4 seconds.
- Film in daylight, lens wiped clean.
- Keep it 1 to 3 minutes (minimum 30 seconds).
- Make the business name match the listing exactly.
Don't
- Don't stop, pause, cut or restart mid-film.
- Don't edit, trim, speed up or add music.
- Don't upload an old or pre-recorded clip.
- Don't film people's faces or a crowd of customers.
- Don't show a driver's licence, passport or ID card.
- Don't show client names or private customer data.
- Don't rush past the signs — blurry = rejected.
05 · Why videos get rejected
The mistakes to avoid
Nearly every rejection comes down to one of these. Check each before you submit:
It was cut, edited or re-uploaded
The number-one cause. Any sign of editing or a pre-recorded file is an automatic fail. Film live, in one take.
The signage was blurry or didn't match
Shaky, dark or too-fast footage, or a business name that doesn't match the listing word-for-word.
No proof of the address
No street sign, building number or landmark that ties the footage to the real location.
No proof you control the premises
Didn't walk in from outside, didn't use a key, or showed only the outside with no continuous entry.
Missing paperwork / equipment
Especially for service businesses — no document linking the business name to the address, or no tools / branded vehicle shown.
Private or sensitive info on screen
An ID, a customer's face, or personal data. Google rejects these to protect privacy.
06 · Final check
Before you hit submit
- I'm on location, on the business's own phone, filming inside the Google screen.
- I filmed the street / landmark, then my sign or building number.
- I walked inside in one continuous shot.
- I showed my work area, equipment, and (if mobile) my branded van.
- I showed one document with the business name + address.
- I never stopped recording, and it's between 1 and 3 minutes.
- No IDs, no customer faces, no private data on screen.
That's it. Steady hands, one take, daylight. You've got this.