Over the past few months a number of clients and readers have emailed me and asked if Google ever called to check on listings. Apparently callers (often from India) would ask the business for information like street address. The callers when queried would claim to be from Google but would refuse to provide call back information to the businesses. The calls struck an odd note with the businesses and when asked I advised them that historically Google had never made such calls and that the calls were likely from scammers.
In May, in an effort to be clean up business listing quality, Google announced that community edits would require verification before they would be integrated into the listing results. Apparently these “consumer calls” looking for location information are in fact from Google and part of this program. Google has confirmed that as part of that additional level of verification, they have been calling businesses to find out business name and address. Google noted the following to me:
In some cases, to verify business information, we’ll make phone calls to find out the business name and address. However, we will never make an unsolicited call asking you to provide specific account information, passwords or other sensitive information over the phone.
If asked, the person will identify themselves as calling with Google Maps.
hmmm…if these are for community edits why are people reporting these calls for claimed listings? As commented on David Mihms latest post referencing your article
I actually have gotten some calls in the past that start off automated saying wait on the line for some type of Google marketing survey (or something like that). I always hung up on them so no idea if they were real. Now you got me wondering if I should have answered them.
Comment by Kelly M. Davis (2 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 11:33 am
Those automated ones are most definitely companies trying to sell you something. These are, at least for now, always human initiated.
Comment by Mike (2421 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 11:37 am
A “call” from Google… LOL – gotta like that
Comment by Andy Kuiper (101 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 1:24 pm
I received a call about 6 weeks ago from someone from Google who wanted to make sure that I was aware that I could use the area of service option if I wanted on my local business listing.
I took advantage of the opportunity to ask some questions about the difference between the settings in terms of how likely it would be that my rankings would continue if I made the change, and had a nice conversation with the Google Maps representative.
I was asked if my business name and address information was correct, but I hadn’t personally made any edits to my listing recently, and show up fine in Google Maps listings.
Comment by Bill slawski (9 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 3:33 pm
This might be the best way to actually get to talk to a real live representative from Google Maps – just “community edit” your listing and wait for a call!
In all seriousness, it’s interesting to see Google take a page out of the YellowPages.com book for verifying information this way. I wonder if the Google reps takes the opportunity during the calls to mention AdWords or Tags?
Comment by Jim Gianoglio (43 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 4:19 pm
Gosh, thank you so much for reporting on this, Mike. I am positive I would have told a client that this was a scam, if it came up. I just read David’s post, too, and see that he did tell a client exactly this.
The manner in which this is being done is bound to confuse. You just don’t know who this person who can’t give you their ID or number is, calling you. I have a suggested solution that would increase the trustworthiness of the program, somewhat:
As this is happening with verified listings, Google has the email addresses of the business owners they want to call. They could start the process by sending an email, perhaps 24 hours in advance, saying that a Google representative will be calling the business within the given time frame. Then, when the call came in, the business owner would be expecting it, and at least the two forms of communication would cross-reference and validate one another.
Granted, my suggestion might allow some spammers to somehow scramble to answer the call, in the case of spam businesses, but perhaps not. I’m not sure if Google’s reps are depending upon the element of surprise to see if the caught-off-guard recipient answers the telephone, “Bob’s Doughnut Shop,” or not. Actually, I really am wondering how the reps ARE determining legitimacy.
At any rate, it feels to me that something should be done to make this process feel more valid and less phishy.
Again, thanks for reporting.
Comment by MiriamEllis (586 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 4:42 pm
Oops, sorry. That should have been:
‘who CAN’T give you their ID…’
Comment by MiriamEllis (586 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 4:43 pm
I wonder where they’re going with this. If you answer the phone the wrong way, or give incorrect details on your business, they’ll penalize you in the rankings?
I can’t imagine they’d do anything so drastic, but like Miriam asks, how do you determine legitimacy?
This is a pretty weird and not so Google-y thing for Google to be doing
Comment by Menachem (1 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 5:01 pm
@ Jim
As Mike mentioned above, those calls are from India… unfortunately most of the calls are made by some indian employees that most of them have no idea what are they asking for nor trying to accomplish, all the more so supplying some other info, such as other paid features etc.
I wish Google can take Maps more seriously & start organizing the 7packs by removing spammers from top positions & from Maps. I honstly don’t think this verification process can be useful nor helpful for this purpose as it is progressing right now.
Comment by Abby (41 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 5:47 pm
@Bill
There seem to be several types of calls…one, an upfront “are you aware of Tags, service area etc” and another, surreptitious, “what is your real business name or are you located at”… its the latter that seem to get folks worried.
@Jim
Yea who would of thunk a community edit could actually get you a warm body
@Miriam
That was exactly what I did. I counseled the folks that asked me that it was likely some sort of scam… There are way too many companies like Kelly mentioned that are pretending to be Google. And then Google calls but acts sort of like the mystery shopper only its a mystery shopper that clearly raises the hair on the neck of the person answering….Funny that Google isn’t doing a very good job of posing as the mystery shoppers and gets suspected of being one of those spammers…
No, it just doesn’t have the right ring to it for Google to be doing it this way….
On another note – from the spammers I have communicated with, they seem to feel that they can tell when its a Google call and feed Google the wrong info anyways.
@Abby
The methodology certainly doesn’t add credibility to an act that should be intrinsically credible, does it?
Comment by Mike (2421 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 9:44 pm
[...] report today from Mike Blumenthal discusses how team members from Google Maps have been phoning local businesses. “Google has confirmed that as part of that additional level of verification, they have been [...]
Pingback by Google Might Actually Be Calling Your Business — August 3, 2010 @ 10:30 pm
Raise your hand if you’re now thinking “I probably hung up on Google.” Ugh.
The volume of off-shore calls we’ve been hit with this summer has been tremendous – many times a day some days. With more than 200,000 phone numbers now on the Federal Do-Not-Call list, it’s been open telemarketer season on SMBs (which don’t qualify for that list.)
Mike – thanks for the alert! Getting the word out is important. I posted one for florists and hope other heavily spammed categories (locksmiths, movers, computer repair, etc…) have trade associations that pick up this story.
Comment by Cathy (60 comments) — August 3, 2010 @ 10:51 pm
Mike – was there any more to the email than that? Can we have some context – was this in response to a specific question of yours to Google?
I’m worried specifically about a client of mine who uses an answering service – I’m thinking it’s a good idea to make sure they’re briefed, and have all the proper contact information they need if a verification call comes in. As of now, I don’t think they have the correct address, this could be a problem.
Comment by Menachem Pritzker (10 comments) — August 4, 2010 @ 3:30 am
They can call me. I’m editing away on old duplicate listings, businesses that are closed, etc. I see very few changes. Remarkably few.
Additionally, you would think they might have learned something from the complaints about calls to confirm claimed listings. Lots of phone numbers get routed into a central source or someone who answers the phone and may not direct the call to a correct person.
There should be a better way to do this.
Comment by earlpearl (676 comments) — August 4, 2010 @ 9:09 am
@Menachem
The context was that I had several clients and readers ask if Google was in fact calling. They had their doubts but thought it could be them.
I sent that question with some specific details off to Google and they responded. I did not publish the full email, only the part that I felt was necessary to substantiate the situation.
Comment by Mike Blumenthal (960 comments) — August 4, 2010 @ 10:18 am
I know Google reads this blog. I hope they read this comment. Edits normally don’t create a response. In my experience you can edit to your heart’s delight and nothing happens. I’ve edited out businesses that have been closed for years. Nothing happens. One of those records has a comment from someone who says they went to the location and it was demolished. The Google street view shows a piece of ground with nothing on it.
Still the business record remains. Its been there for years despite edits a street view with no building on the site, and a comment in the record stating there is nothing there.
Exactly what does google need to effect edits?????
I recently made edits on 5 dups for one of our businesses. I’ve been editing these sites for years. Nothing happens.
Now Google is possibly making calls on some edits and utilizing a phone introduction that might generate immediate hang ups by the person answering the phone.
In an environment of virtually no responsiveness, certainly Google can do better.
Comment by earlpearl (676 comments) — August 4, 2010 @ 10:20 am
[...] in the recent weeks? Definitely seems unlikely since Google is kind of like the Wizard of OZ, but Mike Blumenthal reported that Google is indeed calling businesses that are registered with Google Places (used to be Google [...]
Pingback by Google’s Calling on Local Businesses, Literally | Driving Traffic — August 4, 2010 @ 12:15 pm
In my PPC campaigns I use call recording. We listened to one call that came from Google. They did not state they were from Google, but just asked if they had the correct address and phone number then said thanks and hung up.
Comment by Art (19 comments) — August 4, 2010 @ 3:49 pm
I received a call as well. I “community edited” a listing I found of mine. About a week later, a woman called, asked my secretary if the name, and phone number was accurate for that physical location. I said yes.
Another secretary of mine received a call from “Google”, and a man wanted to verify an 888 number. My secretary thought it was a sales call ( we get 10 plus sales calls a day), and hung up on him. Weeks later, several of my stores are still in “review” and not live.
Comment by panzermike (200 comments) — August 12, 2010 @ 1:35 am
[...] report making changes, and waiting a month for it to take effect, if it ever does. Now there are reports of Google actually verifying every community edit by phone, an annoying and cumbersome [...]
Pingback by Google Throws Solutions at a Wall to See What Sticks « Search Local Guy — August 16, 2010 @ 4:59 am
Because I put a PO Box on my Places account, they removed it and called me twice. I didn’t appreciate the way they did it. I got one call, and this mystery woman asked “What is your listed business address?” w/o identifying herself, and with a little attitude. So I said, “well, who are you please?” Again, with an attitude, said she was from Google Places, verifying my address. I told her I deliberately put my PO Box because I didn’t want clients knowing my personal address. They removed me the next day, I fixed it, and a month later they called again, not telling me who they were, but once I verified my home address, which I now reluctantly was forced to put on Places, they re-instituted me.
Now, since then, they somehow put 2 of my competitors reviews in addition to mine on there from Citisearch, and refuse to remove them.
Google Places is stupid. It’s causing more problems them helping.
Comment by magster (1 comments) — September 8, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
@Magster
The reviews are positive so I would loose little sleep over them. In fact I would not, as you have done, bother to point them out to readers.
It appears that you do not have a listing at CitySearch and Google is assigning what it thinks are reviews for you into your listing due to the similarity of names.
Adding your business to Localeze and InfoUSA would eventually add your business to CitySearch which might in the end allow Google to recognize that they have the wrong listing associated with yours.
In the meantime, rejoice that the mistake adds positive reviews to your business which are hard to get and do help ranking.
Comment by Mike (2421 comments) — September 8, 2010 @ 12:37 pm
It is darn near impossible to get Google on the phone when you want THEM, and now they are calling YOU? That doesn’t seem right. They would be better served to dedicate some resources to customer service. My company spends thousands a month on Adwords, but I can’t even get a representative to answer questions when something goes wrong. If you ask me, Google is getting too big for their britches these days.
Comment by jennifer t1 (6 comments) — October 1, 2010 @ 5:18 pm
I’ve received calls on 2 occasions. When I tried to express my apprehension about the validity of the call to the 1st caller, he became very snooty & rude, so I hung up on him. Just received another. He asked if my address info was correct, then said he needed to verify it again through a recording, which he was required to talk over. Then I was supposed to verify the same information again. If this is from Google, you’d think such a technology oriented company could make the process much simpler – like maybe their people could just ask, compare the information they have to what’s given over the phone and type in whatever changes need to be made and be done with it. Their current procedure only adds to the feeling that it’s a scam.
Comment by Rick (2 comments) — October 23, 2010 @ 4:31 pm
If there was a call over a recording you just got scammed. http://blumenthals.com/blog/2009/02/09/iyp-directory-scam-alert-moreypcom/
Comment by Mike (2421 comments) — October 23, 2010 @ 4:49 pm
I am certain that as long as the calls come in as restricted, the person answering identifies his or herself as Google, is unable or unwilling to be in an exchange of words that can somehow differentiate them from the spammers, has no redeeming authorization and all control with no oversight IE.:
“this may be a recorded call for quality purposes”, no clear contact number to append or modify a secretarial f aux pa, then you can rest assured that the gift that isGoogle is about to be regulated just as sure as I speak to my congressman next as I am unable to put them on my “DO NOT CALL LIST”as I only speak to the big G’ with my monthly payments and for now, that’s as good as it gets in a world of ph
that burns on either end, Mishbucha.
Comment by Garbear (1 comments) — October 29, 2010 @ 6:11 pm
the least they could’ve done was use english speaking people that didn’t sound like scammers. almost as stupid as using nigerians to make the phone calls.
Comment by julia (1 comments) — April 1, 2011 @ 2:38 pm