Google Verified Badge: What Replaced Google Guaranteed
Google Ads · Local Services Ads
Google Verified Badge: What Replaced Google Guaranteed
Short answer: in October 2025, Google retired the Google Guaranteed, Google Screened and License Verified by Google badges, and replaced them all with one single badge called Google Verified. If you run Google Local Services Ads, this change affects you. If you don't run Local Services Ads, it doesn't touch your Google Ads or Google Business Profile at all. Let's unpack what actually changed and what you need to do about it.
What was Google Guaranteed, and why did it exist
Google Guaranteed was the green checkmark badge that appeared on Google Local Services Ads, a pay-per-lead ad format (sometimes called LSAs) used mainly by home service trades such as plumbers, electricians, locksmiths and cleaners. It sat above normal Google Ads and the map pack, showed your rating, reviews and a call button, and carried a money-back guarantee of up to a few thousand euros that Google would pay out to a customer if a job went badly wrong.
For professional services like solicitors or financial advisers, a similar badge called Google Screened existed, without the money-back element. Both required you to pass background checks, licence checks and insurance checks before you could show the badge.
What changed in October 2025
Google merged Google Guaranteed, Google Screened and License Verified by Google into a single badge called Google Verified. Three things came out of that change:
- One badge, not three. Whatever trade you're in, you now see the same blue checkmark labelled Google Verified rather than a different badge name depending on your category.
- The money-back guarantee ended. The reimbursement scheme tied to Google Guaranteed was discontinued. Customers could only claim for jobs booked before 7 December 2025. After that cut-off, there's no consumer payout attached to the badge.
- The checks behind the badge still vary by trade. Google still runs background checks, licence checks, insurance checks and business registration checks depending on your category and location, it's just all badged the same way now.
Does this affect your Google Business Profile or regular Google Ads?
No, and this is where a lot of business owners get confused. Google Verified is specific to Local Services Ads. If you've never set up Local Services Ads and you only use a standard Google Business Profile (the free listing that shows your reviews and hours on Maps) or regular pay-per-click Google Ads, nothing has changed for you.
There's no public badge attached to a normal Google Business Profile, no matter how "verified" it looks to you in the backend. The only customer-facing badge comes from Local Services Ads.
What it means if you do run Local Services Ads
If you're a plumber, electrician, roofer, cleaner or similar trade already running Local Services Ads in the UK, here's the practical effect:
- Your badge label changed automatically. You don't need to re-verify your licence or insurance just because of this rename. Your existing status carried over.
- You can no longer promise customers a money-back guarantee from Google. If you used to mention "backed by Google's guarantee" in your marketing or on calls, stop using that line. It's no longer accurate and could mislead a customer into thinking Google will cover a dispute.
- The badge still signals trust, just without the refund. Google's own guidance says the badge change did not affect how Local Services Ads rank, so you haven't lost any visibility from this rename alone. Rankings still come down to proximity, review quality, how fast you respond to leads, and your budget.
- There's a separate, bigger change coming. Through 2026, Google has also been moving Local Services Ads campaigns into the main Google Ads platform as a type of Performance Max campaign, with pay-per-lead goals. This is a different, larger shift from the badge rename, and it changes where you manage your account, not what the badge means. If your Local Services dashboard suddenly looks different or has moved into your main Google Ads account, that's this migration, not a sign anything is broken.
Is Local Services Ads worth setting up if you don't have it yet?
Worth considering if you're a home service trade with jobs over €500, answer the phone quickly, and have a decent run of reviews. You pay per lead rather than per click, which limits wasted spend on people who browse but never contact you.
Lead prices vary hugely by trade and city, so there's no reliable flat figure to quote you. The best approach is working out what a single job is worth to you and setting a weekly budget against that. Eligibility in the UK is currently limited mainly to home service trades, with legal services and estate agents only eligible in Greater London, so check Google's eligibility tool for your specific trade before assuming you qualify.
What to do next
- If you run Local Services Ads, check your dashboard for the new Google Verified badge and drop any "money-back guarantee" language from your website or call scripts.
- If you're not running Local Services Ads but you're an eligible home service trade with jobs worth €500 or more, it's worth a proper look at whether it fits alongside your current Google Ads setup.
- Don't confuse this with your Google Business Profile. That's a separate, free listing and has no public badge either way.
Not sure if Local Services Ads are right for your business, or want someone to look at your current setup properly? Book a free call and we'll walk through it together.
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