Google is now offering the Google Guarantee certification for a monthly fee, outside of Local Services ads. It’s positioned as an “upgraded profile” that will include a badge appearing on the profile, which may also appear in the Local Pack. The cost is $50 per month, subject to Google Guarantee’s normal eligibility rules, which include background and licensing checks. This option was released to instill greater consumer confidence in the local business listings.

In addition to serving relevant local results, Google may be watching the impact of the Google Guarantee badge on click-through rates (CTRs) and call-through rates. That may lead to a determination about whether and how to monetize local search on Google Home.

So why should business care or invest in this option? Google Guarantee badge could bring a CTR boost for local business listings. There is no public data on any CTR or engagement lift from the presence of a Google Guarantee badge, but there is speculation that such profiles do and would see higher click-throughs. There is also the competitive viewpoint, which could drive adoption: if business owner A sees that owner B, their competitor, has the badge that will likely generate inbound interest.

Source: Search Engine Land