Google Business Profile adds new photo verification method

Google Business Profile now has a new way to submit a business photo as part of verification. Ben Fisher spotted this and shared it on LinkedIn along with screenshots.

He wrote:

“New: This could be a pretty significant change in Google Business Profile verification. We’re now seeing ‘Submit a business photo’ appear as a verification option. Historically, photos have been supporting evidence. They haven’t really been their own verification path. If Google is moving toward photo-based verification, the bigger question is what happens behind the scenes. Is someone simply reviewing the photo? Or is Google using the image along with location data, Street View, existing business information, and other trust signals to determine whether the business is legitimate? If it’s the latter, this could be another step toward a much more AI-automated, risk-based GBP verification system.”

Here is the screenshot he shared.

Google Business Profile

Fisher raises an interesting question here whether this is simply a manual photo review, or whether Google is combining the photo with other signals like location data and Street View imagery to automatically assess business legitimacy. If it’s the latter, this would mark a meaningful shift toward a more automated, AI-driven verification process for Google Business Profiles.

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