So if you're searching "how to get Google Guaranteed," the real question now is how to get Google Verified. The screening is largely the same process. This page walks through what changed, the old Guaranteed vs Screened split, the background checks, what it costs, and whether it's worth the effort for a contractor.
| Google Guaranteed (retired) | Google Screened (retired) | Google Verified (current) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who got it | Home-service trades: plumbers, HVAC, roofers, locksmiths and similar | Professional services: lawyers, financial planners, real estate and similar | All Local Services Ads advertisers who pass verification |
| Checks | Background, license, insurance | Background, license, often per professional | Background, business registration, identity, insurance and license where required |
| Money-back promise | Yes, capped, paid by Google | No | No. Discontinued (claims had to be filed before December 7, 2025) |
| Where it shows | LSA ads | LSA ads | LSA ads, and per Google it "may dynamically appear on other surfaces" |
Per Google's help page, existing advertisers who had already completed verification got the Google Verified badge automatically. Google also states that the change does not affect ad ranking.
For most homeowners, the badge was always a trust shortcut. Few read the fine print on the guarantee. The check mark still says "Google vetted this business." What you lose is a talking point on sales calls. What you keep is the part that mattered: standing out from unverified listings, which is a real edge in trades like locksmithing and garage doors where competing with scam listings in Maps is a daily fight.
You earn it by signing up for Local Services Ads and passing screening. There's no separate badge application. Here are the steps, based on Google's "Understand the screening and verification process" help page.
The badge appears once screening clears and your ads are live.
Name mismatches are the one I see most. It's the same issue that hurts Google Maps ranking, so cleaning it up pays twice.
Google's help page says the checks are run by background check partners who have passed security audits. Depending on your state, trade and business type, a check can cover criminal history and identity. Several agencies report that Google has used Evident for this, but Google's own page doesn't name the vendor, so I won't rely on that.
Who needs one depends on your category and business structure. In most home-service trades, expect the owner and anyone who goes into a customer's home to be checked. Each person gets an invite by email and completes it themselves.
The badge itself is free. Per Google's screening help page, businesses are not charged for the background check. What you pay for is the leads: Local Services Ads charge per lead, so the real cost of having the badge is your LSA spend.
| Cost item | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Badge / verification | $0 (per Google) |
| Background checks | $0 (per Google) |
| Insurance and licenses | What you already carry |
| Leads | About $39 to $162 per lead depending on trade, per SearchLight's February 2026 data |
I break down what leads cost trade by trade, and what that means per booked job, in LSA cost per lead by trade.
The badge only exists inside Local Services Ads, so the question is really whether LSA for contractors is worth it for your trade. Three quick tests:
If your answer to all three is yes, get verified. If not, the badge alone won't save the numbers. I compare the options in LSA vs Google Ads vs SEO.
It does not rank your Business Profile higher in the free map pack, and it does not help your website rank organically. Those are separate systems. Contractors who run LSA and ignore Maps pay for every call, even from people who would have found them for free. That's the part I work on: rankings in Google Maps, organic results and AI answers that keep bringing calls without a per-lead fee. See SEO for roofing companies or HVAC SEO for how that looks in a specific trade.
Not under that name. Google replaced it with the Google Verified badge in October 2025 and discontinued the Money Back Guarantee.
The badge and the background checks are free, per Google. You pay for the leads you get through Local Services Ads.
Guaranteed was for home-service trades and came with a money-back promise. Screened was for professional services like lawyers and had no guarantee. Both are now Google Verified.
Sign up for Local Services Ads and pass screening: business registration, identity, background checks, insurance and licenses where required.
No. It only appears in Local Services Ads. It does not change your map pack or organic rankings.
I'll look at your Maps listing, your site and your LSA setup and tell you where the calls are leaking.
Or get the free 24-hour audit: what's broken, what it costs in calls, and the first three fixes.
I specialize in home services SEO: taking websites that sit invisible on page three and turning them into the business Google and ChatGPT recommend first. I started on the developer side, writing software and doing SEO on the side, until I saw how much home-service owners were overpaying for work that quietly hurt them. So I built a method that fixes the broken technical work and the outdated thinking behind it.
From garage door companies to plumbers, roofers, locksmiths and cleaning services, the playbook is the same: rank where your customers actually search, earn real reviews, and back it with a fast site that books the job. No PBNs, no bought reviews, no directory spam. Only work that survives Google’s next five updates. See exactly how it’s priced on the pricing page.
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