Facebook has introduced a way for businesses that include their physical address in their fan page description, to verify their page. Facebook says that doing so will help your fan page show up higher in Facebook search results.

[EDIT: Verification is now available for Pages with and without a physical address in their fan page description.]

If you’ve ever verified your business with Google, you’ll find this process very similar. Essentially, you trigger a call by Facebook to your listed business phone number, Facebook provides a 4-digit PIN during the call, and you enter that PIN into a field on box on your computer screen. That’s it!

Here’s the step-by-step.

How to Verify your Fan Page with Facebook

1. Visit your fan page and click on Settings on the right side. 
2. Click on Page Verification. 
3. Click on Verify this Page. 
4. You’ll be presented with an introductory pop-up box explaining the benefits of page verification. Click the Get Started button.
5. Your phone number may be auto-filled, or you may need to add it here. You can also add an extension. Unfortunately, the extension option doesn’t work yet. Facebook’s phone system doesn’t seem to yet be able to properly handle an automated answering system that many businesses use. You always have the option to verify the page using rent or utility bill documentation, though. Simply click the blue link in the bottom left corner to take this alternate approach.
6. Once you click to call, a pop up will be presented to enter the 4-digit PIN code. Your call will likely almost be immediate. Enter the 4-digit PIN you are given during the call and click Continue.

It’s a good idea to prep whoever answers your phone line(s) ahead of time so you don’t need to repeat the process. But if you miss a call or two, or find that you wrote down the PIN incorrectly, simply repeat the process.

Once your page is verified, it will have a white check mark to the right of your page name, seen in the cover photo area and next to your Facebook page name on posts showing in the News Feed.