MVES Verification Checklist
Session 4.8 · ~5 min read
Building Is Not Enough
You have now built (or started building) all five components of the MVES: website with schema, Google Business Profile, directory citations, Wikidata entry, and social profiles linked via sameAs. The natural assumption is that once you build these, Google will recognize your entity.
That assumption is wrong. Building the components is step one. Verifying that Google is actually receiving and processing your signals is step two. Google can take weeks to months to reconcile new signals, and errors in your implementation can silently prevent recognition.
The MVES verification checklist is not optional. Without it, you are guessing whether your entity infrastructure works instead of measuring it.
The Verification Checklist
Each MVES component has specific verification methods. The following table maps components to their verification tools and success criteria:
| Component | Verification Method | Success Criteria | Failure Indicator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website Schema | Google Rich Results Test | Organization schema detected, no errors | Schema not found or invalid JSON-LD |
| Google Business Profile | Search "[company] [city]" on Google | GBP panel appears on right side of results | No panel, or panel shows incorrect information |
| Directory Citations | Google your phone number | Your business appears with correct NAP | No results, or multiple businesses share the number |
| Wikidata | Search your company on Wikidata | Item exists with core properties and references | No item, or item flagged for deletion |
| Social Profiles | Google "[company name] [platform]" | Correct profile appears in top results | Wrong profile or no profile indexed |
Verification Workflow
on Homepage"] --> B{"Schema
Detected?"} B -->|Yes| C["Check for Errors
and Warnings"] B -->|No| D["Fix: Add Organization
JSON-LD to Homepage"] C --> E["Search Company + City
on Google"] E --> F{"GBP Panel
Appears?"} F -->|Yes| G["Verify All Fields
Match Master NAP"] F -->|No| H["Fix: Check GBP
Verification Status"] G --> I["Google Your
Phone Number"] I --> J{"Business
Appears?"} J -->|Yes| K["Check NAP
Consistency"] J -->|No| L["Fix: Citations Not
Indexed Yet. Wait or
Add More."] K --> M["Check Wikidata
Entry Status"] M --> N["Check Social Profile
Indexing"] N --> O["Document Baseline
Results"]
The Schema Verification Deep Dive
Schema verification is the most technical check. Google provides two tools:
| Tool | URL | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Rich Results Test | search.google.com/test/rich-results | Tests whether your markup enables specific Google rich results |
| Schema Markup Validator | validator.schema.org | Tests general schema.org compliance (not Google-specific) |
Run your homepage through both. The Rich Results Test shows what Google specifically can do with your markup. The Schema Markup Validator catches syntax issues that Google's test might not flag. Errors in either tool mean your schema is not functioning as intended.
Common schema errors at the MVES stage:
- Missing closing brackets in JSON-LD (syntax error, entire block ignored)
- URL values not wrapped in quotes
- sameAs URLs that do not resolve (dead links)
- Using deprecated schema types or properties
- Duplicate Organization schema blocks on the same page
The Diagnostic Search Battery
Beyond individual component checks, run these five diagnostic searches to assess your overall entity recognition status:
| Search Query | What to Look For | What It Tests |
|---|---|---|
| "[Company Name]" | Knowledge Panel on right side | Entity recognition |
| "[Company Name] [City]" | GBP listing, Local Pack | Local entity recognition |
| "[Your Service] near me" | Your business in results | Category and location matching |
| "[Company Name] reviews" | Review aggregation from GBP/directories | Citation and GBP indexing |
| Ask ChatGPT/Perplexity about your company | Whether AI knows about you | AI entity visibility |
Screenshot every result. Date them. This is your MVES baseline measurement. You will compare against this baseline as you build additional entity infrastructure in the coming modules.
Entity recognition is not a switch that flips on a specific date. It is a gradient. Your MVES baseline tells you where you currently sit on that gradient.
Timeline Expectations
After completing all MVES components, expect the following timelines for Google to process your signals:
- Schema detection: Days to 2 weeks (after next crawl)
- GBP verification: Immediate to 2 weeks (depending on method)
- Citation indexing: 2 to 8 weeks per directory
- Wikidata integration: Weeks to months for Knowledge Graph pickup
- Entity reconciliation across all signals: 1 to 3 months
Patience is required. Re-run the diagnostic search battery monthly. Changes should be visible within the first quarter. If nothing changes after 3 months, revisit each component for errors.
Further Reading
- Schema Markup Testing Tool - Google Search Central's Rich Results Test for validating your structured data.
- Schema Markup Validator - The official Schema.org validator for comprehensive syntax checking.
- How to Test If Your Schema Markup Is Working - Five-step guide to confirming your schema implementation is functioning.
- How to Know If Your Schema Markup Is Working - Schema App's guide to ongoing schema monitoring and validation.
Assignment
Run the full MVES verification checklist:
- Schema: Run your homepage through the Rich Results Test. Screenshot the result. Note any errors or warnings.
- GBP: Search "[your company name] [your city]" on Google. Does your GBP panel appear? Screenshot it.
- Citations: Google your business phone number. Does your business appear with correct information?
- Wikidata: Check your Wikidata item status. Is it still live? Are references intact?
- Diagnostic battery: Run all five diagnostic searches from the table above. Screenshot each result.
Compile these into a single document. This is your MVES baseline. Date it and save it. You will compare future measurements against this.