How do I know when my Google Business Profile is verified?

The first sign is usually an email from Google confirming the business has been verified. Check spam and promotions folders, and make sure you are looking at the inbox for the Google account that manages the profile, not a different one.

The surest check is the profile itself. Sign in, search for your business on Google or open it in the Maps app, and look at the management panel. If the 'Get verified' button is still showing, or has come back, verification is not complete. If it has gone and you can edit everything freely, you are verified.

Businesses with more than one location can use Business Profile Manager on a computer, which lists each location with a status. Verified means the location has passed Google's checks and can appear on Google. Pending verification means Google is still reviewing it.

Being verified does not mean you will rank straight away. Google says new businesses can take a while to appear in local results, and how high you show depends on relevance, distance and reputation. Verification lets you appear at all. Where you appear comes down to the rest of the profile.