According to a report from The Verge, this is because Google is experimenting with a verification feature to let users know that sites aren't fraudulent or scams.
A Google spokesperson confirmed the experiment, telling Mashable, '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.'
It's unclear what's motivating Google to test out a verification feature, or whether it will ever ship, but it would be a welcome change for frustrated users who feel like Google Search has gotten worse.
The feature might be related to Google's Gmail feature which adds blue checkmark badges to email senders as part of its participation in the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) group.
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