Advanced Verification.In plain English.

Google checks the business and its owner against public records such as state registrations and professional licences, and runs a video interview. Applicants must agree to take part in that interview and to have it recorded.

Until verification is complete, the business's ads won't show for searches about these services. Google says it typically takes around 6 to 8 weeks, and where licences are required by law, you must hold all of them.

Google may ask businesses to re-verify once every 12 months, or sooner after big changes such as a move or a new website. A denied business can appeal, but only once.

It is an ads rule, separate from Business Profile verification. A verified Business Profile doesn't count, so the business still has to complete Advanced Verification.

Example: a locksmith in Toronto sets up a Google Ads campaign, submits the form with its licence details, and has its documents ready for the recorded video call at its shop.