Visibility and credibility on the Internet are paramount for businesses in the modern age. As consumers increasingly turn to the web to find products and services, the importance of establishing trust online is critical.
Enter, Google Guaranteed. The green and white badges provided by Google Guaranteed are a promising solution to enhance a business’s reputation and credibility online. Understanding the dynamics of Google Guaranteed, the role it can play for businesses, and the value it can bring is key to helping businesses decide if it’s a smart solution for their needs.
WHAT IS GOOGLE GUARANTEED
Google Guaranteed is a consumer protection feature that’s been available to businesses for a few years now. Businesses that go through the meticulous verification process will receive a distinctive green badge on their business listings. The badge is a visual representation to consumers that a business is reliable and trustworthy.
The certification process to earn a Google Guaranteed badge is no simple feat. To qualify, businesses must complete the verification process for Google’s Local Services Ads. The process includes background checks on owners of a business, business licenses, insurance, and potential background checks on other employees.
If a business passes the screenings, it’s eligible to receive a badge. The Google Guaranteed badge offers financial protection to consumers (up to $2,000) in the event something goes wrong with their interaction with a business. For a consumer to be eligible to take advantage of the Google Guarantee, they need to book services through the Google ad (if they book through any other way such as a telephone number a business’s website they are ineligible for its protection).
Not every business is eligible for the Google Guaranteed badge, however — it covers home services for the time being. A few of the industries available include: appliance repair, carpet and upholstery cleaning, HVAC, lawn care, pest control, pet grooming, plumbing, and water damage restoration.
IS GOOGLE GUARANTEED RIGHT FOR MY BUSINESS?
The short answer is: it depends. The Google Guaranteed badge can lend credibility and visibility to your business in online search results, which are great benefits. When consumers are searching for local businesses, the badge can provide a quick, visual assurance about the trustworthiness of a company that can influence their decision.
However, applying and being accepted through the certification process doesn’t happen overnight. The program also requires continuous adherence to its guidelines, including providing accurate and up-to-date business information and ensuring transparent communication with customers.
In addition, the Local Services Ads may not be the best marketing choice for businesses, as it can be difficult to calculate the ROI you’ll get from them. When a consumer clicks on a Local Services Ad with a Google Guaranteed badge, they’re redirected to a page within Google instead of a business’s website. The customer must contact you through this internal Google page to be eligible to receive any benefit from the Google Guaranteed program and there are no options to get to a company’s website from this page.
If you plan to incorporate Google Guarantee into your business’s marketing plan, it’s crucial to ensure you’re also implementing other lead generation strategies, such as SEM, into your marketing.
Do you need help generating more leads for your business? Contact us today to find out how we can help get your business in front of the right people.
Written by Lisa Sikkema
Lisa Sikkema is a Regional Sales Manager at Federated Digital Solution with over 25 years’ experience in sales & marketing and 13 of those years just focused on digital. Lisa’s passion for helping local businesses is what drives her to find and help as many local clients as possible. Lisa’s focus is to truly understand a client’s business goals, challenges and expectations and then create customized strategies that will bring her clients the best ROI for their marketing dollars. Lisa loves it when strategy meets technology to create measurable & consistent results.
