Google is currently testing a verification feature in its search results aimed at helping users identify authentic businesses. Some users have noticed a blue checkmark next to business links, signifying that companies such as Microsoft and Apple are verified as legitimate and not counterfeit.
Molly Shaheen, a spokesperson for Google Public Affairs, stated, “We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers identify trustworthy businesses online, and we are currently running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain businesses on Google.”
While some users have reported seeing these checkmarks next to the official sites of major companies like Meta, Amazon, and HP, the feature is not yet widely rolled out. Interestingly, the checkmarks tend to disappear when users switch to different Google accounts, indicating that the testing phase is still limited.
When users hover over a checkmark, a message appears stating, “Google’s signals suggest that this business is the business that it says it is.” This determination is based on various criteria, including website verification, Merchant Center data, and manual reviews, as noted by Shaheen.
This new search feature seems to build on Google’s Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), which uses checkmarks in Gmail to signify verified senders. However, Google has not yet made an official announcement regarding the search checkmarks or provided a timeline for when they will be more widely available.
