How to Get Google Guaranteed & Why Your Business Needs It
What is Google Guarantee?
Google Guarantee is a verification service designed to support local businesses and prevent fraudulent services. The Google Guaranteed badge is given to businesses who pass Google’s screening and qualification process. The recognizable green and white check mark gives customers an extra sense of confidence and security when booking services.
How Does Google Guarantee Work?
The first step in becoming Google Guaranteed is registering for Google Local Service Ads (LSA). LSA will display pertinent business information, including address, reviews, contact information, and hours.
Once your business is registering with LSA, it will only be featured as Google Guaranteed after completing an extensive series of screening processes. This includes background checks, verification of general liability insurance, and business or owner licenses. If you pass the screening process, the program adds a green checkmark “badge” underneath the name of your company, as shown below.
Once you have received your Google Guarantee badge, it is important for businesses to properly maintain their status to prevent their badge from being revoked. This means maintaining proper license and insurance, regularly updating your Google My Business page, asking for positive reviews, responding to negative reviews, and checking for regular updates from Google.
Does my Business Qualify For Google Guarantee?
If you’re wondering if your business qualifies for Google Guarantee program, one of the first steps is to check eligibility to see if the program is available to you.
What Industries Are Eligible For Google Guarantee in the US?
In the US, the following industries are eligible for Google Guaranteed: Appliance repair, auto glass, auto repair, carpet and upholstery cleaning, electrical, event planning, financial planning, garage door installation, home cleaning, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), junk removal, lawn care, locksmith services, pest control, pet grooming, photography, plumbing, roofing, tree services, water damage restoration, window cleaning, and window repair.
How Much Does Google Guarantee Cost?
The Google Guarantee program does not charge for view or clicks. Instead businesses pay for every direct sales lead received through local service ads.
The cost per lead is based on a variety of factors, including the company’s location, industry, service and type of lead. A valid lead refers to texts, emails, voicemails, phone calls, direct messages, or any other form of communication between customers and business.
Businesses are able to set their own budget based on the number of leads they want per month, which helps owners focus on their business
The Google Guarantee was previously limited to businesses paying for Google Local Service Ads. But now, for $50 a month, small businesses that are not a part of the LSA program will be offered a similar type of badging and backing.
This monthly charge will allow brands to set themselves apart from local competitor’s through organic search.
What Are The Benefits of Google Guarantee for Businesses?
In addition to an added trust among users, a Google Guaranteed business warrants many advantages, including lead generation and improved search result rankings.
As part of the Local Service Ads, your business will be displayed at the top of the search engine’s result page. This helps brands connect with users searching for the services offered by your company.
Being featured as one of the first listings, combined with the verified checkmark, will result in increased leads and conversions. Plus, you only have to pay with the user contacts you directly through the ad, meaning you are only paying for quantified results.
What are the Benefits of Google Guarantee for Consumers?
The Google Guarantee program was developed to help both businesses and consumers by providing the best local business listings to searchers.
Some businesses attempt to influence users and result listings by adding fake reviews and ratings to their Google My Business pages. This false advertising draws in potential consumers with the promise of superior services, when in reality, the quality might be lacking.
The verification also helps industries like handymen and contractors who can not offer the same level of quality assurance associated with bigger companies. If the small business is legitimate, the Google Guarantee will show users just that.
Users searching for a specific service are much more likely to trust a brand that has been vetted and is backed by Google. Other than being one of the most trusted and well-known search engines, users also trust the Google Guarantee because of the money-back guarantee.
If a user finds a business through Google and is not satisfied with the service provided, Google is able to refund the consumer for the amount paid for the service up to $2,000.
In order to be eligible, customers must claim the reimbursement within thirty days of the initial service completion date. The claim must also include the service receipt, complete with the payment details and business name.
Once the consumer submits a claim, Google will contact the business to learn more about the situation and decide on a resolution. This gives businesses the opportunity to make things right with the unhappy customer and the chance to fix the problem for future customers.
The Google Guarantee will only cover claims for services that have been booked through Google Local Services. The lifetime coverage will not cover add-on services, future projects, diagnostic fees, property damages, trip charges, or cancellations. The Google Guarantee also does not cover any problems or disagreements between business and consumer, such as price, responsiveness, or courteousness.
If you would like more information about avoiding a social media crisis, need help managing a social media disaster, or other digital marketing services please contact Pink Dog Digital at (410) 696-3305, email us at info@pinkdogdigital.com, or visit us on the web at www.pinkdogdigital.com.