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How to Complete the Advertiser Verification in Google Ads
Google Ads is a powerful platform for online advertising, but it also requires advertisers to verify their identity and business operations. This is to ensure transparency and trust between advertisers and users and to prevent fraud and abuse. In this blog post, I will guide you through the steps to complete the advertiser verification program in Google Ads.
What is the Advertiser Verification Program?
The advertiser verification program is Google’s unified verification program that consolidates advertiser identity verification and business operations verification into a single flow. The program comprises a series of steps that advertisers will be required to follow and complete. Under this program, advertisers will be asked to provide basic information about their business and identity.
Why Do You Need to Complete the Advertiser Verification Program?
Completing the advertiser verification program is mandatory for some advertisers, depending on their account structure, billing setup, industry, and location. Google will notify you by email and in-account notification if you are selected to undergo the verification program. You will also see a status of “Not verified” under the “Advertiser verification” section in your Google Ads account settings. If you are given a deadline to complete the verification, you will have 30 days from the day you received the email or in-account notification to start the verification process. Failure to do so will result in your account being paused. Even if you are not given a deadline, completing the verification program will benefit you by increasing your ad transparency and credibility, and by accessing certain ad features that require verification.
How to Complete the Advertiser Verification Program?
The advertiser verification program consists of two main steps: completing the “About your business” section and completing additional verifications.
Completing the “About your business” section
The first step of the advertiser verification program is to answer a few basic questions related to your Google Ads account and business. The questions will ask, for example, your industry and billing country, and information to help Google understand if you are a direct or indirect provider (third party) of the products or services advertised on the Google Ads platform. To complete this section, follow these steps:
Log in to your Google Ads account.
Go to the “Settings” tab in your account.
Look for the “Advertiser verification” section.
Click on “Start verification”.
Fill out the form with accurate and truthful information about your business.
Click on “Submit”.
You will receive an email confirmation once you have submitted the form. You will also see a status of “In progress” under the “Advertiser verification” section in your account settings.
Completing additional verifications
The second step of the advertiser verification program is to complete additional verifications based on your account structure, billing setup, and whether you are advertising on behalf of an organization or an individual. You may also be required to verify your business operations. The additional verifications may include:
Verifying your identity: You will need to provide your legal name and a valid government-issued photo ID that matches your name. You may also need to provide a proof of address document that shows your current residential address.
Verifying your business operations: You will need to provide information about your business operations, such as your website URL, contact details, physical address, and business registration document. You may also need to provide additional documents that show your business's legitimacy, such as tax documents, bank statements, or invoices.
To complete these additional verifications, follow these steps:
Check your email or in-account notification for instructions on how to complete the additional verifications.
Click on the link provided in the email or notification.
Follow the prompts and upload the required documents.
Click on “Submit”.
You will receive an email confirmation once you have submitted the documents. You will also see a status of “In progress” under the “Advertiser verification” section in your account settings.
How Long Does It Take to Complete the Advertiser Verification Program?
The time it takes to complete the advertiser verification program depends on several factors, such as the number and type of verifications required, the quality and clarity of the documents submitted, and the volume of verification requests received by Google. In general, it may take up to 3 weeks for Google to review your verification request. You can check your verification status under “Tools & settings” → “Billing” → “Advertiser verification” in your Google Ads account. If you are a manager account user, you can check the status of your managed accounts under “Tools & settings” → “Setup” → “Account access” → "Advertiser verification status". If your verification request is approved, you will see a status of “Verified” under the “Advertiser verification” section in your account settings. You will also receive an email confirmation from Google. If your verification request is rejected, you will see a status of “Rejected” under the “Advertiser verification” section in your account settings. You will also receive an email from Google explaining the reason for the rejection and the steps to resubmit your verification request.
What Happens After You Complete the Advertiser Verification Program?
Once you have successfully completed the advertiser verification program, Google will make information about your Google Ads account and ad campaigns publicly available via ads disclosures and the Ads Transparency Center. The ads disclosures will appear on your ads and will show your verified name and country. The Ads Transparency Center is a website that allows users to search for and view information about verified advertisers and their ads on Google platforms. The information displayed on the Ads Transparency Center may include your verified name, country, domain, ad creative, ad spend, and impressions. These transparency measures are designed to help users make informed decisions about the ads they see and the advertisers they interact with.
Conclusion
The advertiser verification program is an important initiative by Google to increase transparency and trust in online advertising. By completing the advertiser verification program, you can demonstrate your authenticity and credibility as an advertiser, and access certain ad features that require verification. The advertiser verification program is a simple and straightforward process that involves providing basic information about your business and identity, and completing additional verifications if required. By following this guide, you can easily complete the advertiser verification program in Google Ads and enjoy the benefits of being a verified advertiser.
