AWESOME! I just changed the names of several of my competitors (from another city) and it immediately moved the business who was in the # 1 spot to the # 2 spot. Also, now their name on Google Maps is less descriptive without all the keyword spam. So it'll just make it that much easier for my business to reach the number 1 spot! Love your videos!!!!!
I've watched this so many times. I was against reporting at first then I realized the market is just getting worse with the spammers. I was guilty at one point until i educated myself. Then I realized, there's people out there teaching them this stuff. I love what you said, if you can't afford to lose customers to cheating, it's up to you. competition is healthy, but stealing it from you and your family in an unethical way isn't right. That's just me. I have a thin line of who I suggest an edit vs report.
A lot of people will just have a brand domain website and a keyword domain website (with different registrars/IPs and different locations and NAP), as an insurance policy and still keep the keyword GMB title in both.
I have done this many times only to have the name changed back by the owners of the listing. Google can easily enforce this by comparing ones registered business details when signing up or claiming ones listing. They make such a big deal regarding verification yet dont give a toss about the name. Look its really no different to link building...which is strictly against googles terms. Some dont even have their listing verified and it still ranks. They create multiple listings to beat the system. Some who put a website in the url box make it one on a directory listing or use a pink pages listing which doesnt have a distinguishable name. This way google cant verify the name of this business so it rejects your suggested edit. It really highlights how easy even in 2021 it is to game the system. I have no doubt in the coming years..google will address this like they did in 2012 with the penguin update but unfortunately its always the good guys who play by the rules that get short changed.
Kind of ironic that Google enforces hard censorship for some keywords and search results, but they can't do anything about the keyword spamming in their services. Its obvious that they could handle the GMB keyword spamming, but they don't care. They focus their resources to useless political censorship.
Hi Luc, Love your videos. You offer concise, easy to follow information in a very engaging style. My problem is one of my competitors has removed nearly all of my legitimate services (I’m a finance and mortgage broker). Google appears to only allow me to accept the edits, or add other services. How do I fix this please?
Google has an automated process that will implement changes without the owner being able to do much about it so just put them back in. Also, how do you know it's one of your competitors who did that?
Another great video Luc! Did you previously share info about how to add a video to GMB from Google Drive? I watched a tutorial on the topic which allowed me to add a 1:50 video to GMB but can't find it again. Was that from you Luc? THANKS!!!
Hey, Thanks for sharing this valuable thing. 1.) Recently google change my business name, I don't know why. I contact google my business team, they said google bots found it, But I think, maybe my competitor did this. May I change my name again or not? is it safe? 2.) I report my competitor as you suggest and google changes their name, but they again switch back the name. May i report again? 3.) All my competitor using keyword stuffing in the title, to rank higher than me. What is the permanent solution to this? Thanks
Mate your intentions are honorable but I will be honest as an electrician I struggle to keep up with my own paperwork never mind worrying out spammers in the SERP's I simply would not have the time nor inclination to do this, one company I can see has the same website for most of the big cities across the Uk with the name 'emergency electricians Birmingham' for an example, this is probably just like people who dont pay tax or register with a governing boday it will always be there, all we can do is focus on our own businesses
I totally understand Gary, most local businesses are in the same boat. At the end of the day I believe every local business owner should pay an online marketing agency or consultant to help them out so they can focus on their core business. Sadly most of them don't see the value in it. Although you still took the time to watch my video ;-) Much appreciated
Thank you so much for this very practical advice. The majority of my competitors are either keyword stuffing or adding location information to their titles. I have been correcting three or four names every day and have been sending redressal forms each week for the larger companies. Is there a limit to the number of times I can report a company? I don’t want to get a reputation at Google as the person who always complains.
@@rankingacademy Wow! This has really cleaned up the local market. I take screenshots of the company's logo, URL and copyright information and add them to the name dispute. We still have some large companies that change everything back later, but the amount of keyword spam has really decreased. Thank you very much for your advice!
I have a problem with a specific Local Guide with regards to Review Rankings, many reviews from the same Guide don't make sense. The guide has racked up over 200 reviews within a month, the issue is that many of his reviews don't follow, like reverse rating, he will praise a business in writing but award only 1 Star. To flag your own review is pointless as Google comes back marking the review as OK. Our issue is not the one review but all of the Guide's Reviews and his apparent misrepresentation of businesses in our area. Unsure what the Guide is trying to prove and have called him out in my reply and have phoned another business owner who also got a review that didn't follow to collaborate on the issue. Basically how do you get Google to Review a Guide. For many small business owners who have their life's work invested, it isn't funny when a Guide appears to be rather racking up points for himself, copying and pasting from one review to the next just changing the name of the business. Who even has this amount of time is a mystery too but what we're trying to figure out, what is his angle in all of this.
I know this is frustrating. The best option you have here is to report the entire Local guide profile for abuse on Google Maps. For more information on this topic visit www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/Announcements/You-can-now-report-entire-profiles-for-abuse-on-Google-Maps/ba-p/2587129
Possibly. If they are spamming the results and you edit their listing according to the guidelines, their rankings might drop which means you might go above them
I just tried this tip on two of my client's competitors. I found two listings where the competing businesses have high rankings and the two that I found did not have their correct name in their listing. In addition, neither of these businesses are actually located at the address that they provided in their GBP listing. Well, I suggested edits for these two businesses and Google did not apply the suggested edits! How do I know? I checked in my Google Maps account under Edits, and there I could see the list of suggested edits. Both of the aforementioned edits have this notification: " NOT APPLIED · Name · Map marker · Address Google couldn't verify your edit". Unbelievable. In the first case the business name had four keywords added to their business name. Plus they are a national company and the address for this business listing is a house! For the second business, they changed part of their name and added a couple of keywords. Their address is also phony. I looked up the address and there is a Google Street View photo, with the ADDRESS NUMBER IN PLAIN SIGHT on the side of the building and the business is Jamba Juice. The business category of the listings is Security Guards, so yeah, total violation. Fake listing. I am baffled at how Google can ignore these blatant violations. So, I watched your video again and realized that you said to use a computer in the area of the business. I realize that I am about 60 miles away from those two locations. Any advice on how to hack the Suggested Edits? Or should I check some other settings for fraud in GBP? Do you ever use the option of "Close or remove" instead of "Change name or other details"?
this is not something google cares about. I was on the phone to them last night to get my account updated and they said as long as its not spammy and reflects your business in the real world there is no issue.
@@rankingacademy guidelines are exactly that. But show me where it says that your business name must be exactly the same as your legally registered name?
Thankx for this, new subscriber...my filming and photography service for hire business based in Gauteng, South Africa is a few months old and im struggling to get leads. I just applied for my verification letter so once its here your channel will be my most viewed, it seems Google Business will be more effective at getting me leads than Instagram but we shalll see...
@@rankingacademy Your welcome... i will come back and comment if/when my letter arrives,,, from complaints i read there is a high chance it seems common for letters not to reach business owners but if mine arrives i will Like 12 of your videos as a token of my appreciation for your info...
To be perfectly honest Luc, I have done this many times, and it hasn’t made a difference years later. I don’t want to keep doing it and get a black mark, if you know what I mean. I was wondering if it has something to do with the competitors using google ads.
Hello dear Sir! I have a question to you- Every time I change the name of a business, it goes live. But after a while, the business director transfers it to the previous name. He did this about three to four times but he is changing every time. How do I take action for this spam listing?
Good stuff as always... Please a problem with my listing. i deleted a profile permanently that was managing but to my surprise this profile still display on google listing, i believe its conflicting with the new one i just created, what do i need to do to get it out from the listing, in other for the new one to rank higher. Thanks
I wouldn't be too up in arms about google names. If you google a pen name you will see loads of them. The key to be distinct amongst the others is to always have to trademark brand name Ace up the sleeve.
You would be up in arms if your business listing is pushed out of the map pack just because your competitors sit above you due to their name being stuffed with keywords, unless you're happy to miss out on clients
Hello sir...some one did that things on me...like my website and other informations are absolutely correct..but i have notified by google that google has more accurate data for my business..so they show that info, what they thing is more accurate then the info i was provided them..so when i suggest an edit they dont accept it..im face a big problem with it...can you please help me???
Hello. Luke. I am running flower shop in us . Its also franchise . Recently i discover that my franchise company create google listing different name , their website but using our address and phone number . I want to do something but i scare that google might suspend my business as well. What should i do? I scare google so much. Even though all this is not my fault.
@rankingacademy thank you for replying to me. My shop already has business listing . I scare that if I clicked edit to the other gmb listing , google suspended ours as well. When I first started my business 13 years ago. I accidentally duplicated my gmb listing, and it was suspended . I have some trauma from there.
What goes in this field (Name of the entity or organization that is getting impacted. *) Some say your company but others say the company you are reporting for misuse.
Good question, they did it. I don’t know how, originally you needed a mail card for verification but they found a way and now set up a gmb at our location.
I might be the exemption and thank you for your video but I would not incourage people to change others business listing name. Its better for customers to have a few keywords in the title in my opinion.
If it is legitimately the name of the business and there signage and documentation to prove it, I have never had issues with it. However, DO NOT go adding 'taglines' to an existing business name, for ranking purposes.
Google will give everybody some initial love no matter which way you set up your listing as long as the category is correct and the relevant keywords appear somewhere in the listing., rankings will drop off gradually and re-appear every now and again . Check out random listings for any category and there is no commonality. I've seen listings with no website, no static phone number, limited/medium reviews , basic descriptions yet still rank first or second position. Why? because Google makes virtually all their money from advertising and when businesses see the results from their initial efforts they will be much more likely to advertise whether it's on GMB or Google page ads.
@@scubatraveller6887 it’s the same in every industry. You’ll find plenty of businesses using electrician london, plumber Manchester and so on. This is to gain an edge in Organic results. Unfortunately with this strategy all businesses will end up being called the same. Not much you can do about it.
This ability to edit someone elses google my business is not a good idea because anyone can maliciously change someone's business info even on purpose. This can cause your google my business to go down or even google suspending your account. We know how long the verification process takes, which can be such a hassle.
@@rankingacademy thanks for the reply. One suggestion if you can also include this point in your video. Since its already shot you can add it as an overlay text. This will help lot of ppl to then muster the courage to suggest edit on competition. While i totally agree with you that everyone needs to play fair and if I have to be the 'tell -tell' to safe gaurd my business then so be it. However in my set of business its our competition are ppl from same fraternity whom you have studied with and do have conferences together. In such scenario being a open 'tell -tell' could be personally damaging as you will risk your relationship with ppl from your professional fraternity. Suggesting edits anonymously brings no harm though 😊
I appreciate your video, and I personally follow the rules, but it’s just tooooo easy to “cheat”, I have competitors with 3 star reviews, 3 reviews total, who are ranking above me
Yeap, and I stand by it. If you run a 100-metre race and you lose to someone who took enhancing performing drugs, do you think it's because you're not hungry enough?
@@rankingacademy it's not the same thing. Instead of moaning about someone doing something I may not like. It's not illegal and is totally fine. Why cry and be salty over it. I would do the exact same thing. That's business, if competition is too cut throat maybe it's not for you.
I think the ones with 4 lines and multiple keywords are ok to report but thats where i draw the line. Sometimes the additional words are there to add context and because Google doesnt offer and extensive list of categories. In this example, wouldnt report fix crews because without the - bolier repairs i would have no idea what they did when conducting a local search. This applies to any business where the name isnt descriptive of the service. Eg. Reporting T.H.Baker for adding - Jewelers is pointless, doesnt help you outrank them nor does it improve the search for a consumer. A thumbs down for me on this video based on time spent undertaking the task versus actual gain from it.
No Problem Mark. I still believe guidelines are there for a reason and everyone can have their own interpretation of "context". Obviously it's down to every business to check if they think someone is abusing the rules. As far as I am concerned, I would go after anyone who doesn't abide to those guidelines.
@@rankingacademy You dont genuinely believe that joe the plumber has set up his business to flout the rules. Trades people are mostly out and about they almost always hire 3rd party people to build and manage websites and do SEO. All joe knows is that he needs to more leads and whoever he has hired is helping him get them. The courteous thing to do is to email the business or phone them and let them know they breaking the rules. You need to stop the agencies who dont understand GMB if this is the tactic not the businesses. The funny thing is that when you do it that way you can often end up with a client.
It definitely IS good advice...for people who care about accuracy and are wanting to do the right thing. Safwan, if people want to use it incorrectly, that's just a bad application of good information. The cheaters already know how to do this and are already applying it with bad intentions. This video is just telling the good guys how they can enter the battle and fight back. It's up to you, what you do with the information, that will be good or bad.
