Late last week, Google announced that they will be declining requests for manual business verifications. Instead, operators will redirect users to other verification methods provided by Google and educate them through the verification process. Users will be encouraged to avoid validating businesses manually, except in what Google calls “extreme cases.”
Users will need to validate their Google My Business (GMB) listing with a verification PIN upon request through the GMB dashboard. The postcard method of validating a business through the GMB dashboard can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days to arrive. Only after the 14 days of waiting for the postcard should the user contact the Google support team for further investigation.
Prior to this change in operations, users would contact the support team to verify their Google business listening instead of waiting for the postcard in the mail or by retrieving the PIN via phone call. Google provided a brief Q&A to help users understand why the change is occurring.
Q: Why do I have to wait for 14 days?
A: It is necessary, per our policies, to verify the business using the verification code provided in the postcard. We appreciate your patience while you wait for the postcard to arrive and would like to assure you that our teams continue to work hard to speed up postcard delivery.
Q: What if the postcard does not arrive in 14 days?
A: We appreciate your patience while you wait for your postcard to arrive. In the case of exceptional delays, if your postcard does not arrive in 14 days, feel free to reach out to us, so that we can investigate the delay and help you with your issue.
Q: I didn’t have to wait like this before?
A: From time to time, Google will take a look at its policies and update them as necessary. Our policy for verifying businesses globally is that businesses must use the verification code provided in the postcard (or phone call), unless there are exceptional circumstances. This is for the security and accuracy of Maps content and our users who require correct and useful information.
To clarify the report, Google is not removing the manual verification process entirely but to only encourage users to verify their business listings through their official channel of verification rather than contacting the support team.