Opinions on doing fake local listings?

[bernard]

I noticed a competitor has done a Google Places for their website, claiming to be a vendor, while they're just an affiliate site.

What's your take on this? Seems to be potentially very lucrative if you can skip the ranking process and just show up in the sidebar.

Do fake listings last?

 

[secretagentdad]

Sorry to slogan but why fake it when it’s less work to make it?

Also did you see coming soon to service verticals near you. Google verified baseball cards above the ads, complete with check marks.

Very expensive calls already being sold.

 

[bernard]

Sorry to slogan but why fake it when it’s less work to make it?

What do you mean?

It's about listing a business that is actually an affiliate website as a food delivery business.

You can't make that unless you become a food delivery service.

 

[secretagentdad]

That one sounds a little more annoying but I bet you could swing it.

Service businesses that don’t have weird legal rules or equipment seem to work great for for everyone who actually starts them and bothers to promote on the internet.

If you have an actual offering your promotional avenues really open up. Even if it’s a contractor and a local phone number plus 200$ micro office that primarily exists for post cards.

 

[Ryuzaki]

Do fake listings last?

Google combats spam in the local sector as much as they do any other part of their search.

Using NAP citations as a way to get more links? Sure. Ranking for something you can't actually provide, especially in larger cities for in-demand services, is going to result in you getting reported as a fake listing. I can't imagine the only punishment for such a thing is being removed from the map packs.

Even if you rank, once people know you've done the bait and switch on them, not many people are going to use your solution as the next step, instead of hitting the back button. I'd think the conversion rates get pretty slim.

If you churn and burn spam sites, then whatever. If you have an actual business asset that's earning respectable income, it's always better not to do stuff like this.

 

[bernard]

Yeah, I'm surprised they did it. Really leanings towards fraudulent advertising I would say.