How to verify a local business on Google

If you have ever tried to verify your business on Google then you have probably experienced the slightly ridiculous verify by postcard method that Google has decided is the only way to verify a company's physical location.

Please Google, can you try and come up with another method?

I find it a bit bizarre that in this day and age an internet company, that does everything else via the web, is still posting out postcards with numbers on them to verify physical locations!

The problem is, the postcards rarely seem to arrive and more to the point we often have to wait 4 weeks until we can request Google post out another one.

There are so many other ways Google could verify locations. Perhaps we could upload a utility bill to be checked by a human being? or perhaps check the registered business address against an ABN? I understand some businesses have multiple locations but the vast majority of businesses have ONE location!

It wouldn't be so bad if the postcards actually arrived. If I had a penny for every customer that didn't receive it after I had requested it for the 2nd and 3rd time (after a month of waiting in between) I'd have about...well 4 pence!.

Anyway, for the time being it seems we are stuck with their silly system and so I thought I would upload some images of what the Google postcard actually looks like so all of you out there (who probably haven't had yours either) can see they actually do exist! In fact, I think this one could be worth something in a few years.

The illusive Google postcard (they do exist, they are just very rare!)

This is what a Google postcard looks like. Look out for it amongst your junk mail and be careful not to throw it out, it could be the last one you receive! You need to type the number on it into Google to verify your Google business page.