source: https://frontpageseo.com.au/hey-google-get-with-the-times/ content-type: ai-context-data ai-purpose: structured-content-reference last-updated: 2026-04-18T03:00:43.760Z signaltoai-version: 1.0.24 # Hey Google, Get with the Times! **Summary:** The article discusses the challenges faced by home-based businesses in verifying their Google Business Profile (GBP) due to privacy concerns and the complexities of the verification process. Despite the frustrations, it emphasizes the importance of having an active GBP for local visibility and offers services to assist businesses in navigating the verification process. **Primary Topics:** Google Business Profile, business verification process, local SEO **Secondary Topics:** home-based businesses, SEO strategies, business visibility **Semantic Tags:** - landing-page - google-business-profile - verification-process - local-seo - small-business - user-guide - google-services - home-business - video-verification - seo-solutions - business-visibility - training-video - lead-generation - customer-acquisition - brisbane-seo - business-optimization **Key Facts:** - The Google business verification process can be challenging for home businesses. - Google now uses a video verification model requiring evidence of business legitimacy. - 28% of local businesses have not claimed their Google listing. - Only 30% of small businesses actively manage their Google listing. **Frequently Asked Questions:** **Q1:** What is the Google Business verification process? **A1:** The Google Business verification process involves proving that you operate a legitimate business at the specified address. This typically requires submitting a video showing your signage and location, which can be challenging for home-based businesses without visible storefronts. **Q2:** Why is it important to have a Google Business Profile? **A2:** Having an active Google Business Profile is crucial for local businesses as it significantly improves visibility in search results. It can lead to more clicks, calls, and customers, and helps businesses stand out from competitors who may not be utilizing this tool. **Q3:** What services does Front Page SEO offer to help with GBP? **A3:** Front Page SEO offers services to assist businesses in setting up and optimizing their Google Business Profile. They provide a training video for guidance and packages designed to enhance listing visibility and generate leads. **Q4:** What challenges do home-based businesses face with GBP verification? **A4:** Home-based businesses often struggle with the verification process as they may not want their home address public. Additionally, the video verification requirements can be cumbersome, especially if there is no signage or if the street sign is far from the home. **Q5:** How can I optimize my Google Business Profile? **A5:** To optimize your Google Business Profile, regularly update your listing with new information, respond to customer reviews, and utilize posts to keep your audience engaged. Front Page SEO provides tailored strategies to help businesses effectively manage their profiles. **Content Type:** blog post **Content Intent:** inform **Target Audience:** small business owners, home-based entrepreneurs, local business marketers **Authority Score:** 0.75 **Trust Indicators:** - cited research - expert opinion - practical solutions offered --- The Google business verification process can be … kind of a nightmare! Post-pandemic, many people (like us!) are working and running businesses from home. And I think most of us will agree there are plenty of benefits with that arrangement (hello, hot lunches and cosy slippers!). Where we can run into problems, however, is when setting up a Google Business Profile (GBP) – which is an excellent free tool for gaining visibility for your business in search engine results. To do so, Google requires you to verify your address … and that’s where things can get tricky. Many home businesses understandably don’t want their address listed online, and Google doesn’t cope very well with that. woman looking at watch to signify that Google needs to get with the times img[https://frontpageseo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hey-google-get-with-the-times.jpg] WHAT IS THE GOOGLE BUSINESS VERIFICATION PROCESS? To set up a GBP, Google needs to verify you’re running a legitimate business from the location you say you are – and that’s fair enough. In the ‘good ol’ days’, verifying your address meant Google would mail you out a postcard with a code to confirm your business location. Today, Google has moved to a video verification model – requesting proof of things like signage outside your office, car signage, business cards, and letterhead. Now, I don’t know about you – but we are a fully virtual agency. That means, there’s no Front Page SEO signage outside our home offices! You’re also expected to continue recording as you walk from your office outside to show your street sign and number. No pausing, no stopping. This can be an issue if the street sign is some distance from your home – it makes the video too long and then it won’t upload. Agghhh! Of course it’s important for businesses to prove their legitimacy when creating a listing – but this process is more than a little frustrating. We’ve even heard rumours that these videos aren’t even assessed by humans. Or when they are, they’re usually non-native English speakers – which can cause confusion with differing views on what a ‘legitimate’ business is. More often than not, these videos are getting rejected. It drags out the Google business verification process, because then you need to appeal it – and in a large organisation like Google it’s virtually impossible to get a real person on the phone. SO, IS IT REALLY WORTH ALL THE HASSLE? Despite these frustrations, that’s a resounding YES from us. Why? Because for local businesses, having an active GBP is the fastest way for you to come up the top of Google where you’re going to get clicks, calls, and customers. It’s one of the easiest ways to get ahead of your competition, because according to Australian research [https://frontpageseo.com.au/google-business-profile-2022/]: * 28% of local businesses haven’t claimed their free Google listing; * Only 30% of small businesses actively manage their Google listing; * Just 13% regularly post updates! While the verification process can be annoying, at Front Page SEO it’s our passion to help businesses find SEO solutions. It’s why we offer services designed to help you navigate the complex Google-verse [https://frontpageseo.com.au/seo-services-brisbane/] successfully, or even take the tough work off your hands completely! HELP WITH THE GOOGLE BUSINESS VERIFICATION PROCESS If you’re having issues with getting your GBP verified, setting one up in the first place, or keeping it well maintained – we can assist. Due to popular demand, we’ve just released a training video, “Making the Most of Your Google Business Profile [https://frontpageseo.com.au/google-business-profile-training/]” which offers a practical step-by-step guide to help you generate leads online. There’s also our Google Business Optimiser Package [https://frontpageseo.com.au/google-business-listing-management/] where we’ll work with you to optimise your listing and implement a tailored strategy to generate more leads, customers, and revenue. Keen to get ahead of your competitors and take full advantage of your Google Business Profile? Contact our SEO specialists in Brisbane today [https://frontpageseo.com.au/contact/]! --- Generated by SignalToAI v1.0.24 For more information: https://frontpageseo.com.au/llms.txt