In today’s digital age, having a clean and accurate online presence is essential for any business. However, with the rise of Google Maps, spammers have found a new platform to exploit!
In this blog post, we’ll share some tips on how to keep your business listing free from Google Map spam, and how to fight back when your attacked.
What is Google Map Spam?
Any activity on the Google Maps platform that violates the policies established by Google with the intent to deceive, mislead, or manipulate users is referred to as “Google Map spam”. This includes creating falsified accounts, adding misleading or inaccurate data to listings, and posting irrelevant or deceptive content on the platform.
Google Map spam can harm not only the platform itself but also its users by providing false information. Moreover, for Maps to continue to be accurate and useful, users must be able to recognize and report any spam that comes across to their attention. As we can all help keeping Google Maps a reliable and safe platform for everyone to use, especially for businesses who aim to rank on Google Maps , don’t we?
How does Google Map Spam work?
Google Map Spam can work in different ways depending on the malicious intent of the spammer. Here are some common methods:
-
Fake Listings:
When a spammer creates a fake listing on Google Maps, they may provide false information such as the business name, address, phone number, or website. This can lead to confusion among users who may attempt to visit the business, only to find out it doesn’t exist.
Spammers may also use these fake listings to manipulate search rankings by generating fake reviews and ratings, which can mislead users into thinking the business is more popular or trustworthy than it actually is.
-
Spammy User Accounts:
One strategy used by spammers to saturate Google Maps with fake content, reviews, or ratings in an effort to rig search results is the creation of numerous spammy user accounts. This, with no doubt, can be harmful because it can mislead users into making decisions based on false or biased information.
What is important to know that Google has introduced several verification processes for businesses to prove that they are legitimate, such as verifying their address or phone number, which can help prevent fake listings, for instance, from being created in the first place.
How can my business listing become a victim of spam attacks?
Even if our business listings are legitimate, they can still fall prey to spam attacks on Google Maps. It’s important to understand that spam can take on different forms and techniques, and may negatively impact your Google business profile.
It’s crucial to know that as long as you are a legitimate business owner you will be ensured that any issues you face will be properly addressed. This requires taking the matter seriously and seeking the help of Google’s support team to resolve the problem. The good news is that Google is committed to tackling spam on its platform and has implemented measures to prevent and remove spammy content.
-
Protect your business listings from the sneaky tactics of spammers
The first step in protecting your business listings from sneaky spammers is to examine the different components of your address and map listing. Google often sees locations differently due to the location code, longitude and latitude, and geolocation machine-readable entity ID assigned by Google.
For instance, businesses with the same address may have different longitude and latitude, causing them to be recognized as separate locations. To check for spammy businesses with the same category or name as yours, you can right-click on your laptop and select “ask what’s here” to view businesses in the same location as your business listing. Multiple business listings with the same or similar name may take away your rankings, so it’s important to be vigilant in monitoring your business listings for any spam activity.
Additionally, you can check if there are any other businesses using a similar name to yours by typing the following query into Google Maps: “(your company name)/variations“.
This will help you identify any potential competitors or copycats that may be using a similar name to your business!
Another tactic spammers use is to update or change your business information in the map listing. To protect against this, you should ensure that any changes to your business listing are made by either you or someone on your team.
This requires monitoring and reviewing all updates to your listing, including photos, products, and working hours. If you notice a decrease in rankings, it’s important to investigate any changes that may have been made to your listing and take appropriate action to correct any spammy or inaccurate information.
What do to if you got attacked by Google Map spammers?
If you’ve been attacked by Google Map spammers, there are several steps you can take to mitigate the damage. First, familiarize yourself with Google’s business profile policies; go to Google and check business profile third-party policies, you will go through all the information you need to know in such position.
Next, use the online form or in-app feature to report any violations to Google. It’s also a good idea to regularly monitor and update your business information to quickly catch and address any unauthorized changes.
Another thing to consider doing is enlisting the help of a professional SEO agency to assist you in resolving any lingering issues and protecting your business’s online presence.
Bottom Line
While Google Maps is a useful tool for businesses and consumers alike, it is important to be aware of the potentialities for spam attacks. By regularly monitoring your business listing and reporting any violations to Google, you can help protect your business’s reputation and prevent any negative SEO impact on your search rankings.
And, it’s important to note that Google is actively working to combat Google Map spam! As in 2021, Google announced its efforts to fight Google Map spam for Business Profiles, building upon similar efforts in 2020 according to many statistics.
However the key point here is one; which is remembering to stay vigilant and take action as soon as you notice any suspicious activity.
Read more about Google maps packages in order to get on the right track towards better visibility and search engine rankings!
You must be logged in to post a comment.