What Is the Google Screened Badge, and How Do Lawyers Get It?
By Brittany Winters, Director of Client Relations
The Google Screened badge is a green checkmark on Local Services Ads showing a law firm passed background, license, and insurance checks. Lawyers earn it by completing Google verification when setting up Local Services Ads. It sits above everything in search and quietly builds trust with clients.
The Google Screened badge is a green checkmark shown on a law firm’s Local Services Ads, signaling that Google verified the firm through background, license, and insurance checks. For personal injury, those LSAs sit at the very top of the results, above the map and traditional ads, and the badge does a lot of quiet persuading for someone in crisis choosing a lawyer.
| Google Screened requirement | What Google verifies |
|---|---|
| Client star rating | 3.0 or higher average across reviews |
| License | Active state bar membership for every attorney |
| Background check | Civil and criminal, business and owner |
| Insurance | Professional liability coverage confirmed |
| Cost to get the badge | $0, the firm pays only per lead |
Why it matters
To an injured person searching on their phone, the badge reads as "Google vouches for these people." That trust signal, plus the top placement, is a big part of why LSAs convert well, and why a firm without it is at a disadvantage in that prime spot.
How lawyers get it
- Set up a Local Services Ads profile for your practice and service area
- Pass Google’s checks: business and individual background, bar license verification, and proof of insurance
- Get approved, earn the badge, and your LSAs can run with the green checkmark
Screened vs. Guaranteed
Service businesses see "Google Guaranteed." Professional services like law firms get "Google Screened," the same idea (verified, trusted), tuned for licensed professionals. There’s no money-back guarantee on legal services, but the trust signal is the point.
The badge is only half the job
LSAs reward firms that respond fast and dispute junk leads. The badge gets you the click; intake gets you the case. So earn it, then make sure every lead lands in intake that answers in under a minute. We handle the whole loop on the LSA page.
Frequently asked questions
How do lawyers get the Google Screened badge?
Create a Local Services Ads profile and pass Google’s verification: business and personal background checks, bar license verification, and proof of insurance. Once approved, your LSAs display the green checkmark.
Does the Google Screened badge cost money?
There’s no separate fee for the badge itself; you pay for the Local Services Ad leads. The verification is part of qualifying to run LSAs.
What’s the difference between Google Screened and Google Guaranteed?
Google Guaranteed is for service businesses (with a money-back guarantee); Google Screened is for professional services like law firms, verified and trusted, without the guarantee.
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