Google Ranks Fake Business Listings

[zaskar]

Seems Google has it backwards how they rank a business in Local. Is what I am seeing a lot more of is marketing companies making phony company names to rank in the 3 pack.

These listings have hardly any citations, not even a Yelp listing and out rank a legitimate company of 20 years online with all kinda safe signals, reviews, and citations.

Are business is on HomeAdvisor with over 100 reviews.. won 2016 Angies list award, have more Google reviews then all are competitors.. Have A+ BBB profile with reviews, have more citations.. A 4 star on Yelp.. Yeah we moved a few times over the 20 years but, isnt Google smart enough yet?

We are on MOZ Local, BrightLocal, Advicellocal,

We are considering making a new company name because they get rewarded. Just needed to rant and maybe some small business owners can relate .

 

[Sherry Bonelli]

@zaskar, I know it can seem frustrating, but I wouldn't recommend changing your name for the sake of ranking higher on Google. (I had a client do that and it totally backfired on them.) Stick to what you're doing. Over time it should shake out.

Sherry Bonelli
www.BrightLocal.com

 

[zaskar]

Thanks Sherry, we wont be changing our name. Today it looks like are rankings went up in 3 pack and are visibility score is at %92 on Advicelocal

There is one company here in town that made 3 other companies. so no they have 4 listings and they all rank in the 3 pack. Seems they do this to keep the competitors from ranking.

 

[Scott ClientClicks]

@zaskar, anyone can make edits to Google maps, although Google doesn't have to accept those edits. If there is a company that is not following Google's Google My Business guidelines you could use the suggest an edit feature.

 

[JoshuaMackens]

Seems Google has it backwards how they rank a business in Local. Is what I am seeing a lot more of is marketing companies making phony company names to rank in the 3 pack.

These listings have hardly any citations, not even a Yelp listing and out rank a legitimate company of 20 years online with all kinda safe signals, reviews, and citations.

Are business is on HomeAdvisor with over 100 reviews.. won 2016 Angies list award, have more Google reviews then all are competitors.. Have A+ BBB profile with reviews, have more citations.. A 4 star on Yelp.. Yeah we moved a few times over the 20 years but, isnt Google smart enough yet?

We are on MOZ Local, BrightLocal, Advicellocal,

We are considering making a new company name because they get rewarded. Just needed to rant and maybe some small business owners can relate .

This would be next to impossible if Google would make just 1. small. tweak.

Stop counting keywords in the business name for as much as they do.

It's ridiculous. Turned up way too high. Plus it would help them manage the spam as people would quit spamming with keyword rich business names. At that point, getting in the 3 pack without age would be next to impossible. It solves so many problems, they just need to do it. And it's a simple fix.

Sorry you're having to deal with this. Hopefully it will get fixed in the future.

 

[zaskar]

This would be next to impossible if Google would make just 1. small. tweak.

Stop counting keywords in the business name for as much as they do.

It's ridiculous. Turned up way too high. Plus it would help them manage the spam as people would quit spamming with keyword rich business names. At that point, getting in the 3 pack without age would be next to impossible. It solves so many problems, they just need to do it. And it's a simple fix.

Sorry you're having to deal with this. Hopefully it will get fixed in the future.

Bingo! Yeah all the listings are keyword rich! Or may just be keywords. Are listing is also 10 years old at same location.. I read where a lady clicked on the wrong GMB listing and a felon showed up to her home to do repairs. She caught on when he gave her a invoice that didn't have the company she thought she called.

The story goes on to say she called Google to complain lol. Its not funny but, people think just because a listing pops up at top its ligament! This can be very dangerous when Google vets listings that are fake.. I can do a search and see the company is fake.. I really think Google does this so legit companies have to PPC to combat this.

Oh and I see these fake listings get a star rating now that they have a whole 2 reviews!

 

[JoyHawkins]

If a fake listing is outranking your client I can't see any reason why you shouldn't report it and get it removed. I literally had a client once move up several positions overnight by doing this because every listing above him was either fake or closed (they had been open at one point).

 

[zaskar]

Hi Joy...I'm the business owner ... I took your advice marked listings as Spam and called GMB and pointed it out. Thanks