Google Verified: What You Need to Know About LSA Badge Changes

For years, the badges on your Local Services Ads (LSAs) have done more than decorate your listing. They’ve been a trust signal for homeowners deciding which business to call. A small green checkmark could mean the difference between landing a job or losing out to a competitor.

Starting October 20, 2025, the familiar trust badges — Google Guaranteed, Google Screened, and License Verified — will be discontinued. In their place, Google is rolling out a single, streamlined label: the Google Verified badge.

Why This Matters

For contractors, this change isn’t just cosmetic. In the past, different badges signified different things; one might have indicated a guarantee, another licensing, or background checks. That patchwork system often left both businesses and homeowners second-guessing what each badge really meant.

With Google moving to a single Verified badge, those lines are gone. Everyone who’s approved will show the same mark. What separates you now won’t be the badge itself, but how you manage your business day-to-day. Homeowners will lean more on reviews, how quickly you respond, and the kind of experience you deliver from the first call to the final cleanup.

What’s Changing

Instead of multiple badges signaling different types of verification, Google is rolling them all into one. This makes the ad experience simpler for homeowners and more consistent for contractors, but it does come with a few notable updates:

• One badge, one standard. Instead of juggling different labels, Google will now show a single badge that highlights what you’ve verified: licensing, insurance, background checks, and more.
  

• No more Google Guarantee program. The money-back guarantee tied to the old Google Guaranteed badge will be discontinued. That safety net for customers is gone, which puts more responsibility on businesses to earn and maintain trust.
  

• Automatic transition for current advertisers. If you’ve already completed verification, you don’t need to take action. Your ads will simply update with the new badge.
  

Taken together, these updates mean credibility is being streamlined, but also redefined. It’s not about which badge you had before; it’s about consistently proving that you deserve to be verified and visible.

What This Means for Your Business

If you’re currently running LSAs, your ads will continue uninterrupted. But the way you stand out is shifting. Reviews, responsiveness, and reputation will now weigh more heavily in how homeowners decide between two businesses with the same Verified badge.

• Reputation is now the differentiator. With one badge across the board, the deciding factor between you and a competitor will often be reviews and responsiveness.
  

• Compliance stays critical. Google will expect your licenses, insurance, and background checks to stay current. If anything slips, the badge can be taken away, and with it, a key trust signal in your ads.
  

• Messaging should be updated. Anywhere you’ve highlighted “Google Guarantee” on your website, sales materials, or customer conversations, should shift to “Google Verified” to stay accurate.

The badge will help keep your business visible in search results, but it won’t close the deal for you. Homeowners are still going to look at how others talk about working with you, how quickly you respond, and whether you follow through on your promises. That’s where trust is really built.

The Bigger Picture

Google’s move away from the old guarantee program puts the spotlight back on you. Instead of relying on a blanket promise, they want proof that your business is reliable every time someone searches for it. That proof comes from the basics: 

• Keeping your licenses and insurance in order

• Doing quality work

• Encouraging customers to share their authentic experiences

The Verified badge makes things simpler for homeowners to spot, but it also raises expectations. Having the badge shows you’ve met the requirements, but standing out will come from how you follow through in the field and how customers talk about that experience.

If you’re unsure how these changes might affect your ads or want help updating your messaging, reach out to Truvolv. We’ll walk you through the updates and ensure your business is positioned to stay ahead. You can also review Google’s official support guide for more details on the transition.