Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Will the Real Google LBC Ad Please Stand Up!
I am not an Adwords expert and do not follow closely the issues around brand integrity etc with Adwords. I do know that Google has been criticized in the past for being too liberal in allowing others to leverage a brand and also they have been criticized (although exonerated) for allowing deceptive ads to be shown.
I find it ironic that they should in fact suffer the same fate with their ads promoting the Local Business Center. When you do a search for something like Google Maps Place Rank you are now shown ads that look like they might be from Google. What do you get from these Google Wannabes (both are in fact owned by the same company) for $299?
We GUARANTEE GOOGLE APPROVAL & INCLUSION OF YOUR LISTING!!
Impressive claim eh? When I showed the ads to my wife (a small sample indeed but the only civilian at hand), she was angry that Google would claim the top two spots for themselves.
It does appear that these ads do violate Google’s Trademark policy. I guess someone at Google should report this violation to Google so that potential users of Google’s LBC are not deceived.
© Copyright 2023 - MIKE BLUMENTHAL, ALL RIGHT RESERVED.
Comments
6 Comments
Somehow I’ve got this feeling they will “fix” that issue faster than they “fix” the typical problem exposed in Google Groups for Maps for business owners. Not sure why I think/feel that…its just a feeling. 😉
@EarlPearl
Oh you cynic you!
Not only the trademark issue, but one company is not allowed to bid on the same keyphrase even under two different sites according to the AdWords TOS, so double the trouble here.
@Taylor
Thanks for the additional insight.
Trademark issue aside, @Taylor is right on the double serving violation. The sites seem to have been designed different enough to try and justify having both ads up using 2 different Adwords account (or at least not get flag by editorial review) but I’m sure an investigation by Google Adwords Policy team might put a stop to it – the WHOIS is the same for both sites (a bit sloppy if he’s trying to get away with double serving I would say).
This is another example of just how out of control Google’s LBC results are. There simply is no end in sight and we need a clear path to take, who to sue for this never ending nightmare. Google “locksmith md” and see the authoritative result for Sabatinos Italian Restaurant, now hijacked and changed to Sabatinos Italian Locksmith. I recognized the voice as the same voice that answers a lot of these listings. He was anxious to provide locksmith service but would not give his name or company name, so anyone could expect to get ripped off by this scammer. What would you suggest we do about this Mike?
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