To change or not to change

[Laustin1878]

I've decided to jump into to some real experience and help a friend who has asked me for my advice. They were given the full disclosure.

Upon inspecting their Places listing, it is claimed in Places and appears to be claimed in G+ places. I noticed that that they added a keyword at the end of the business name. The business name is not the complete business name but the keyword is relevant and related yet, not part of their actual business name. (i.e. ABC Company Keyword vs ABC Company, Inc.) Running a few searches and they show up #1 for several searches for their main keyword and surrounding geo-identifiers. I know keywords in the business name are a no-no, but they have not been penalized as far as I can see. (is there a verifiable method for checking this?) For how long this remains is anyone's guess. While they rank well for several terms, there are only 24 actions, less than 5 clicks to the website (1400+ impressions).

There is evidence of some minor kw stuffing but nothing over the top or near some other profiles I've seen and no penalties that I can see. Being that there are few actions but good placement, I'm not sure if I should tweak anything. Re-verifying is not a problem either.

Is this a case of don't fix something that isn't broken or is there nothing to lose being as though the # of actions are low?

 

[Linda Buquet]

I often say if it ain't broke don't fix it - but by that I mean it's not worth rocking the boat for
minor address formatting issues sometimes. (You need to do the research I taught you, to weigh it.)

BUT if there is a major guideline violation like KW stuffed title or GEO stuffed categories,
as I stressed in training, then it's broke and needs to be fixed! And KW stuffed title
is the worst violation there is - that's the #1 reason listings get suspended.

"is there a verifiable method for checking this?"

Yes AFTER they get suspended they'll have a big red suspended sign.
Then there is no turning back it's too late. There is not usually a pre-emptive warning.

 

[Keenan Glass]

The lack of actions means very little as most clicks are directed to the site, not the local listing or G+ page. Impressions are worth keeping track of though.

You can probably get away with this... for a while, but I would agree that you will get no warning.

I suspect that Google will or is keeping a record, kinda like the one you get when the po-po puts you in the hoosegow. If there is one thing Google is pretty good at, it is collecting and using data. If your client/friend is in this for the long haul, it is probably better to 'toe the line'.

Basically, don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I suspect that Google will or is keeping a record, kinda like the one you get when the po-po puts you in the hoosegow. If there is one thing Google is pretty good at, it is collecting and using data. If your client/friend is in this for the long haul, it is probably better to 'toe the line'.

Basically, don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

LOL Keenan, you always crack me up! Thanks for posting!

I often use crime analogies too. Someone can get away with driving drunk for a long time too. Drunk drivers say to themselves all the time "Hey it's cool, I've been driving after a few beers for years and I never get caught!" BUT that unlucky day he finally gets caught, he loses his license. At that point there is no way to go back and undo it. His license is gone and he is in for a costly battle with the law.

And I think a battle with the law is sometimes easier and less expensive than a long drawn out 2 - 3 month battle with Google to try to get your listing back up, ranking and driving traffic again.

 

[Laustin1878]

Thank you for the replies. The title is not full of keywords but their Company name and 1 key term. I fully agree that it is probably not worth leaving as I would hate to see the penalty come when there was something they could do about it. I have already recommended they change it as they are in it for the long haul and it just looks tacky.

I was asking b/c I wasn't sure where the line is drawn and the risk vs reward aspect came into mind. Do I risk losing 1400 eyes? 1400 impressions is not bad from what I've seen. I would certainly like to see more actions and I'm hoping to figure out how to achieve that, hence I'm a part of this community. Keenan, do you have any recommendations on how to track impressions and use this data?

It is better to be safe than to be sorry so changes were made. I appreciate the advice.