Picture a clinic that opens a new site on Monday. By Friday, its Google listing shows the wrong hours and nobody can fix them. The missing step is Google Business Profile verification.
Verification, which many people still call Google My Business verification, is what gives your clinic control of its listing. Without it, you can’t edit your details or reply to patients.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to verify your Google Business Profile and how to film the video without showing patients.
The Short Answer: Complete Google Business Profile verification in three moves. First, sign in to a Google account your clinic controls and select Get verified. Next, complete the method Google offers. Then wait up to 5 business days for review. Google chooses the method, so prepare your signage, phone line, and a patient-free moment to film.
What Google Business Profile Verification Does for Your Clinic
Google says you need to verify your business to edit details such as its name and hours, and to interact with customers. Verifying also gives you ownership of the profile. That matters for a clinic, because patients rely on your hours, address, and phone number being right.
Google Business Profile verification also keeps control in your hands. Once you’re the verified owner, you decide who else can manage it, including your web team or agency.
Before You Verify: Get These Four Things Ready
Most failed attempts come from small mismatches. Check these first.
- Google account. Use one the clinic controls, not one tied to a single staff member, so access survives staff changes.
- Matching name. Google wants the name your clinic uses in the real world. It must not include taglines, opening hours, phone numbers, or service details.
- Signed address. Google expects permanent signage at the address, and virtual offices aren’t eligible.
- Phone line. Choose a number a person can answer, because Google’s phone code won’t reach an automated menu, such as “press 1 for appointments.”
Compliance note: Your profile name and description can count as advertising. AHPRA’s rules say advertising of regulated health services must not be false, misleading, or deceptive, so keep both factual.
Google Business Profile Verification Step by Step
Follow these steps to verify your Google Business Profile.
- Find your profile. Sign in to your Google account and search for your clinic’s name and suburb, or search for “my business.”
- Add or claim it if needed. If your clinic isn’t on Google, add it. If it’s there but unclaimed, claim it.
- Select Get verified. Google shows the options available to you, and you can’t change them.
- Complete the method. Enter the code, follow the email, record the video, or join the live call.
- Wait for review. Reviews take up to 5 business days, and on rare occasions longer.
- Confirm and add managers. Google emails you when you’re verified. You can then add owners and managers.
How Each Verification Method Works
Google decides which methods you see based on your business type, public information, region, and hours. You might need more than one.
- Phone or text: Answer the call or open the text, then enter the code on your profile.
- Email: Open the email Google sends to the address shown, and follow the steps.
- Live video call: Chat with a Google representative, then show your location and proof of ownership. This only runs within your business hours.
- Postcard: Google mails a 5-digit code, and most arrive within 14 days. Don’t edit your name, address, or category while you wait, and don’t request a second code.
- Video recording: Google recommends this option when you’re eligible. The next section covers it.
Keep any code private. Google will never ask for it, so enter it yourself even if someone else manages your profile.
Google Business Profile Video Verification for a Clinic
Your video must be one unedited recording of at least 30 seconds, made on a mobile device through your profile. It must show three things: where you are, that the clinic exists, and that you manage it.
It also can’t include private information or other people’s faces, so plan around your waiting room. Film at a quiet time, and keep screens and patient records out of shot.
- Start outside. Show the street sign, building number, or neighbouring businesses.
- Show your sign. The permanent sign must carry the same name as your profile.
- Walk in when it’s quiet. Face away from patients and any screens.
- Prove you manage it. Show something only staff can access, such as a staff-only room or the payment terminal.
Google’s review can take up to 5 business days, and you can delete the video afterwards.
What to Do If Verification Fails
If the Get verified button comes back, Google couldn’t fully verify the profile, so try again. If you see Review issues, your video wasn’t accepted, so follow the prompts. Common reasons include a name that isn’t visible on the sign, no nearby area shown, or missing proof of authorisation.
Changing your business details can also trigger re-verification. If you’re still stuck, try another method if one is offered, then contact Google support.
Related: Reworking your clinic’s online presence? See our medical website redesign checklist for what to check.
Verified Is the Start, Not the Finish Line
Google Business Profile verification gives your clinic control of its listing, but the work doesn’t stop there. Keep your name, hours, and address accurate, and review the profile whenever your clinic changes.
Let’s help you keep your listing in good shape. At Medical Marketing Australia, we help GP clinics with search engine optimisation, including how your clinic appears in local search.
Book a call if you’d like a second pair of eyes on your listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does Google Business Profile Verification Take?
After you complete a method, Google’s review takes up to 5 business days. On rare occasions, it takes longer. Postcards add time because most codes arrive within 14 days, and they expire after 30 days.
Can I Choose How to Verify My Clinic?
No. Google decides the methods based on your business type, public information, region, and hours. You can’t change them. If video is offered, Google recommends using it.
Can a Telehealth-Only Clinic Verify a Profile?
Not if it only operates online. Google says online-only businesses with no in-person services aren’t eligible for a Business Profile and can’t be verified. A clinic with a physical location that patients visit can apply.
Does Each GP Need Their Own Google Business Profile?
If they meet Google’s conditions, yes. Google says an individual practitioner should have their own profile when they work in a public-facing role, and patients can contact them at the location during stated hours. Where several doctors share a location, the clinic keeps its own profile, and each doctor’s profile uses only the doctor’s name.
Is There a Faster Way to Verify?
Sometimes. Google may verify a profile instantly if you verify your website with Google Search Console, or if you use bulk verification. Google applies this when its conditions are met, so you can’t always choose it.
What If My Postcard Never Arrives?
Wait the full 14 days because most codes arrive within that time. Don’t request another code, since that cancels the one in the mail. If the code expires after 30 days, try another method or contact Google support.
