It seems no good deed goes unpunished, Google Maps now show 1000 results instead of 10 which made it obvious that Locksmiths are spamming Google.
The source of this spam seems to be partially related to a records management issue, in that Google tries to keep their records as up to date as possible (rather than only introducing data that’s been through a thorough vetting process). The spammers can appropriate the authority of more established businesses (steal their googlejuice) by posing as more up-to-date information:
The “blackhat” would create, in their Local Business Center account, a new local business listing with exactly the same information as an existing Locksmith with a high Local 10 Pack standing. The fields would be identical to the legitimate listing with the exception of a different phone number which Google would verify against. Once the new record was validated, the content would merge with the other data in the cluster but take precedence as the most recent. Once the record was secure in the wrong LBC account, the URL could then be changed.
Again the part I find interesting is what to do now that there is false information in the record, Google is somewhat less than helpful:
Basically we’d tell users to make sure that they have one and only one correct, up-to-date, verified listing in their account that is not rejected for content problems.
We at Ultrasaur Records Management would also recommend having one and only one correct, up-to-date, verified record in the unlikely event that you can pull it off — but we’ll still help you prove that your records predate an impostor’s. I sincerely doubt “FakeFlyByNightCo” has the multitudes of documents spanning a decade that “RealGoodLockCo” has (all with the business name mentioned).
Tags: google