New client with existing spam

[Jerem]

Hey guys , I’m starting a campaign for a new client that has 3 different locations (A, B and C). The problem I’m facing is that the previous Local SEO used a bit of keyword stuffing on the GMB names. Here’s how it looks :

• Brand name + District
• Brand name + District + Business keywords
• Brand name + District + Business keywords

The district name doesn’t include the postal code. It’s basically the name of the neighborhood/area name.

The business keywords do not contain city name/postal code elements. It’s the just business keywords : “clockwork” and “Jeweler”.

Looking at the last year statistics, I can see that the two locations that used exact match keywords have the best results.

However, there is an important gap between B and C. B has 3,5 better results than C.

The gap between A and C is not that important. There has even more website visits that comes from A).

Please have a look on the screenshot.

I’ve seen a lot of store/restaurant chains that add neighborhood name to their GMB name, that I think could be OK. Particularly, here where the first location is at the entrance of a mall.

Regarding to the use of keywords after the business name, it may be justified by the fact that the name of the clockwork (brand name) is a popular family name in the concerned country. There are some doctors/bakeries/etc.. that have the same family name. Therefore, if we search the brand name it may trigger random local packs with other businesses

What would you typically do in this kind of situation?

I’m afraid that if I take off the keywords after the business name , it will trigger a trafic drop in short term.

Please let me know what you think.

Many thanks for your help

 

[Tim Kahlert]

Hi Jerem!

You almost answered your question yourself. The gaps between the interaction numbers aren't necessarily a result of the optimization but can also be the result of being located in a different area. So I wouldn't worry about that too much and have a closer look at the infrastructure and search volume for each location. That will give you an impact of what's actually possible.

As for the business name dilemma, I wouldn't advise anyone to play against Google's rules as there is still a chance to get suspended for a few weeks if you do so. But, if you change the name back to your client's real business name there is a big chance they're going to lose rankings - not only short or mid-term - as long as Google treats the business name as a ranking factor this action will most likely result in a long-term decrease in incoming leads. It's sad but that's the truth.

What I would do is talk to your client, explain the pros and cons and then take action. This way you don't have to worry about losing your client a week after you started, the problem is solved and you're going to build a relationship with them which is an essential part of client retention. Good luck!

 

[Jerem]

Hi Jerem!

You almost answered your question yourself. The gaps between the interaction numbers aren't necessarily a result of the optimization but can also be the result of being located in a different area. So I wouldn't worry about that too much and have a closer look at the infrastructure and search volume for each location. That will give you an impact of what's actually possible.

As for the business name dilemma, I wouldn't advise anyone to play against Google's rules as there is still a chance to get suspended for a few weeks if you do so. But, if you change the name back to your client's real business name there is a big chance they're going to lose rankings - not only short or mid-term - as long as Google treats the business name as a ranking factor this action will most likely result in a long-term decrease in incoming leads. It's sad but that's the truth.

What I would do is talk to your client, explain the pros and cons and then take action. This way you don't have to worry about losing your client a week after you started, the problem is solved and you're going to build a relationship with them which is an essential part of client retention. Good luck!

Hello Tim , thanks you for having take the time to read my thread. Explaining directly the situation to the client is definitely a very good point and what I'm about to do. In your response, you insist on the negative impact on rankings VS having a chance to get suspended, it seems that both choice is a bad decision. I do think though that the risk of getting suspended is relatively low because I'd say that their spam is quite light and their business is well-established with a good review profile. I rather prefer to optimize the GMB in the right way with the business name only but how to explain a client that my action will make him loose leads in a short-mid period of time ? Tough !

 

[chadkimball]

Also, right now, changing the business name to the real one might get you suspended anyway unless you do it carefully. Google is insane right now with changes like that

 

[Tony Wang]

I don't know that leaving the names with kw's is going to get suspended, seems more likely that changing it will get you suspended, at least for now. Someone would have to report you, which is certainly possible but hasn't happened yet, it seems.

Of course, it's always best to comply with the rules long term, and also explain everything to the client. But in this case I might be tempted to leave things alone for now, while working on everything else. Again, let the client know the risks and make the decision.

 

[chadkimball]

more likely that changing it will get you suspended, at least for now.

true, google is suspending people for sneezing improperly at this point!

 

[Tim Kahlert]

Hello Tim , thanks you for having take the time to read my thread. Explaining directly the situation to the client is definitely a very good point and what I'm about to do. In your response, you insist on the negative impact on rankings VS having a chance to get suspended, it seems that both choice is a bad decision. I do think though that the risk of getting suspended is relatively low because I'd say that their spam is quite light and their business is well-established with a good review profile. I rather prefer to optimize the GMB in the right way with the business name only but how to explain a client that my action will make him loose leads in a short-mid period of time ? Tough !

Hey Jerem, I'd tell him the pros and cons and let him decide what to do. Google's algorithm and rules shouldn't be your fault.

 

[Jerem]

I don't know that leaving the names with kw's is going to get suspended, seems more likely that changing it will get you suspended, at least for now. Someone would have to report you, which is certainly possible but hasn't happened yet, it seems.

Of course, it's always best to comply with the rules long term, and also explain everything to the client. But in this case I might be tempted to leave things alone for now, while working on everything else. Again, let the client know the risks and make the decision.

Thanks you for your input. Regarding to citation building/fixing, how would you name the different stores ?
For naming the "location store A" in Yelp for example, will you use the name of the store ("Brand") or the one used in the current GMB listing ("Brand" + "District Store A" + "Business Keyword")