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11 Ways to Fight the Locksmith Scam and Win

Last Updated: May 25, 2016

Google’s lackluster attempts to beat back the locksmith scam are misfiring and hitting honest locksmith companies instead.
Don’t you feel frustrated when you play by the rules but still get targeted by Google? The unfortunate reality is, due to how widespread the scam is, Google automatically puts locksmiths under the microscope simply for being locksmiths. This means locksmiths must follow every rule to the letter. You have to be extremely thorough and careful when creating or updating your listings.
Do these sound familiar?

  • Getting verified by Google is an uphill battle.
  • Your listing keeps getting suspended for no clear reason.
  • You’re having trouble getting new customers because the scams have made everyone more suspicious.

We feel for you. That’s why we’ve put together some actionable advice for honest locksmiths to help you stay in Google’s good graces. We’ve also compiled some suggestions for proving your trustworthiness to local customers.
So without any further ado, let’s get started.

Don’t Make Yourself a Target

Like we said, Google is already scrutinizing your every move because you’re a locksmith. Even the smallest transgression will get you flagged.
Here are some ways to keep that bull’s-eye off your back:

  1. Don’t stuff your listing full of keywords. Write naturally, only using keywords where they actually fit.
  2. Stick to one, local service area. Fight the temptation to list every city in a 200-mile radius.
  3. If you work with an SEO company, be cooperative and don’t do anything against their advice. Better yet, don’t even touch your Google listing and let your marketer handle all of your updates.
  4. Don’t do anything that could possibly be mistaken for spam.

Basically, be conservative. Don’t push the limits at all. As a locksmith, gray areas are off limits to you.

Put Your Trustworthiness Front and Center

As info about the scam spreads, people are increasingly wary of locksmiths they find online. In fact, most news stories are advising people to ask friends and family for locksmith referrals instead of doing a local Google search for one.
What does this mean for you? It means your job is a lot harder now. You must win over the skeptics and prove you’re a locksmith they can trust.
Here are some ideas to help you do that:

  1. Have a physical storefront and use a picture of it on your Google listing, website, and social media.
    • A van or truck with your logo is better than nothing, but a storefront is much more effective.
  2. List your physical address so people know you’re local.
  3. Have a logo or some form of consistent branding across the web.
  4. Include high-quality photos of yourself and your team members on your Google listing, website, and social media.
  5. Post precise business hours and emergency services instead of just claiming to be open “24/7.” Even if you are open 24 hours a day, people see that as a red flag.
  6. Include upfront pricing that’s based on a flat rate for each job. Do not charge per hour.
  7. Share information and warnings about locksmith scams with your customers. Post links to news articles about the scam right on your website and social media.

As we discussed in our previous blog post, “Google’s Incompetence: Hell for Legit Locksmiths, Great for Locksmith Scams,” these scams have complicated matters for locksmith companies everywhere. We can’t expect Google to come up with a fail-safe solution to this problem overnight, so it’s best to take action yourself.
By following the recommendations we’ve listed above, you’ll prove your professionalism and honesty, increase your compliance with Google, and reassure a nervous customer base.
Interested in advice that’s tailored to your own, unique business? Call or e-mail us for a pressure-free chat!

Google's Incompetence: Hell for Legit Locksmiths, Great for Locksmith Scams

Last Updated: May 20, 2016

There’s an ongoing, nation-wide locksmith scam that no one seems able to stop—not even the “almighty” Google. Perhaps you’ve heard of this scam already. After all, it’s been a frequent topic for local news outlets in large and midsize cities spanning every corner of the country.

A Brief Summary of the Scam

The scam goes something like this:

  1. You lock yourself out of your car or house late at night.
  2. In a panic, you google emergency locksmiths nearby and call the first one you find.
  3. The person who answers your call gives you a price quote (anywhere from $20 to $90).
  4. A locksmith shows up and tells you the job will be more complicated than they thought. The price is now double what you were quoted.
  5. You agree to the higher price because it’s late, you’re tired, and you have no other options.
  6. The locksmith successfully opens your car or house door (sometimes even drilling into the lock, thus requiring the installation of a new one), but now tells you the price is even higher. He demands payment in cash.
  7. Since he has your keys, you’re not in a position to argue.
  8. You begrudgingly accept the final price because you feel like you’re out of options, even though you know you’re being ripped off.

As this New York Times article from January 2016 explains, these scams are carried out by call centers all across the country. They operate by manipulating Google Maps listings and paying large sums of money to advertise with AdWords. This allows them to capture the attention of panicked, locked-out locals and dispatch unqualified subcontractors to their locations. And that’s when they get you.
It’s one of the most successful get-rich-quick schemes out there.

Google Is Not Doing Enough

Unfortunately, Google has been enabling these scams, intentionally or not. Google has established extra precautions when it comes to verifying the legitimacy of locksmith listings, but these measures have only made it more difficult for honest locksmiths. Meanwhile, the shady locksmith companies run rampant, finding loopholes simply by using AdWords.
Given the wide reach of the scams, Google treats locksmith companies with suspicion right out of the gate. Locksmith listings are under constant scrutiny, as Google monitors them closely for any spam-like behavior or other red flags. There’s even a special, involved process when verifying new or updated listings.
The extra review makes life more difficult for legitimate locksmiths, but it would be worth the trouble if it actually did anything to reduce the frequency of scams. Unfortunately, it hasn’t had this effect. Not even close.
As long as shady locksmiths are able to advertise with Google AdWords, post photos of fake storefronts, and weasel their way to the top of local search results, the scams will continue.
Of course, it’s impossible for Google to identify scams with 100% accuracy. However, it’s Google. It has more resources, manpower, and control than any of us can even imagine. How is it possible that it hasn’t implemented more effective safeguards against locksmith scams?
Here’s how Prospect Genius thinks Google should be handling this problem:

  • Post a general warning about the scam on all locksmith listings, including red flags to watch out for, so customers are on high alert.
  • Require all locksmiths to display certain credentials (e.g. business license, membership with the Associated Locksmiths of America).
  • Use existing technology to warn customers when they’re calling a number on a VoIP line (which is what many of these scam artists use).
  • Leverage Google Pay to mandate pre-payment for emergency locksmith services so the customer doesn’t get ripped off at the last minute.
  • Verify addresses and storefronts for locksmiths by driving to their physical locations in the Street View Car.

It’s baffling that a small team like Prospect Genius can come up with more productive solutions than Google can.

It’s Up to You

Obviously, we can’t count on Google to make significant changes any time soon. For now, it’s up to honest locksmiths to educate your communities.

  • Spread the word about this scam.
  • Band together with nearby locksmiths and inform your customers about realistic price points.
  • Add a price list to your website.
  • Share news stories about the scam on social media.
  • If you know a specific company in your area is scamming people, call them out!

We can’t single-handedly stop these locksmith scams, but if we spread as much information as possible, we can at least reduce the number of victims.
Here are some news stories to get you started:

What You Need to Know About Missing E-Mail Notifications

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

Some clients have not been receiving their usual e-mail notifications about incoming phone calls. Is this happening to you?
Before we jump into an explanation, we’d like to make one thing clear: You are still receiving incoming calls. You just aren’t receiving e-mails notifying you about them. 
We could use a lot of technological mumbo-jumbo to explain what’s causing the delivery failure, but that would probably just create more confusion. So, to put it in the simplest terms, the problem boils down to spam-fighting changes made by your e-mail provider. 

email-server-graphic

Here’s what you need to know:

  • E-mail notifications about your phone calls are sent by a third-party phone provider.
  • For some reason, your e-mail server is rejecting e-mails from this third party.
    • It’s difficult to say exactly why this is happening.
    • It could be that your e-mail provider recently updated its e-mail authentication protocol, which is causing it to block the messages. (You can read more about e-mail authentication here.)
    • Or, it could be that there’s been an uptick in the number of e-mails sent by this particular third party, and this tripped a switch somewhere in the authentication protocol, resulting in the decision to start blocking these e-mails.
  • Whatever the reason, you aren’t receiving e-mail notifications about your phone calls because your e-mail server is rejecting them.

 
We understand how the sudden absence of e-mail notifications can be alarming—especially if you’re used to receiving dozens per month. But remember: You’re still getting incoming calls.
Plus, that call information is not lost. It’s in your call log! Checking your call log is easy: Just sign in to the Client Portal, and all of your callers’ information will be there.
Like we said, there’s not a whole lot in anyone’s control with this issue. If you want to continue receiving e-mail notifications, you can try “whitelisting” the sender’s address so it stops getting rejected. Here’s how to do that. 
On our end, we’re looking into ways we can revamp our systems and for ways we can pressure our vendors to change theirs. Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix. In the meantime, just keep in mind that e-mail, by its nature, is never 100% reliable. To make sure you’re getting all the info you need, continue checking your Client Portal regularly. 
If you have any further questions or concerns about this issue, feel free to call or e-mail us.
 

Local SEO: To DIY or Not to DIY?

Last Updated: May 12, 2016

After reading up on Google’s countless webmaster resources, you’ve managed to put together a pretty decent-looking Maps listing for your local business. Feeling confident, you wonder, “How hard could the rest of my online advertising really be?”
This is usually the gateway that leads small business owners into handling their own local SEO and online advertising. Some business owners who take the DIY route wind up realizing they bit off more than they could chew. Yet, others discover a hidden talent for online advertising and learn that they’re more tech savvy than they thought. It can go either way.
If you can’t figure out whether you should try your hand at DIY online marketing or bite the bullet and hire an outside company to do it for you, this post is for you. We’ll highlight the major pros and cons of each avenue to give you a better idea of what you might be getting into.
Let’s jump in.

DIY: Pros and Cons

Pros

Performing all of your own local SEO and online advertising can be a big money-saving measure for small business owners, helping you avoid monthly payments to an outside company.
Other benefits of DIY SEO include:

  • Having intimate knowledge of your business’s online advertising strategies, since you’re the only one working on them.
  • Having immediacy when it comes to online advertising work. You can make any desired changes without having to wait for someone else to do it.
  • Having complete oversight (read: control) of your company’s online strategies. You can easily keep track of all of your logins, directories, and other pertinent info because you’re the only one who has access to them.

Cons

However, many small business owners decide the above perks aren’t worth dealing with the numerous obstacles that come with performing your own SEO. Some of these obstacles are:

  • Only working with one data point: yours. For SEO, where you need as much data as possible to monitor trends and conduct A/B testing, this can put you at a disadvantage.
  • Not devoting enough time or attention to SEO. Since you’re balancing this work with running a business full time, you may not notice any issues or strange hiccups in your campaign right away.
  • Diverting time away from your job. You essentially lose revenue every time you work on your online advertising instead of providing service for a customer.

Internet Marketing Company: Pros and Cons

When a small business owner decides the obstacles facing them in DIY online advertising are too much, they usually opt to hire an Internet marketing company instead (or they forego online advertising altogether).

Pros

So, what are the benefits of hiring an outside company that appeal to small business owners?

  • More data. The Internet marketing company probably has hundreds of other clients, which means hundreds of data points to pull from and sharpen their expertise. They can tell if something is an isolated case or a broader trend.
  • Optimal strategies. A professional company will have developed multiple approaches to maximize efficiency for various online advertising needs.
  • Combined experience. Because it’s a team made up of multiple individuals, the online marketing company has lots of combined experience and various fields of expertise to draw from.
  • Constant monitoring. It’s their full-time job to monitor online advertising campaigns, so they notice right away when a new issue crops up. They also know as soon as Google updates its algorithm and can determine how wide-reaching the update is.

Cons

Hiring an outside company may sound like an ideal scenario, but, as with anything, it does come with certain drawbacks. For example:

  • Waiting period. Depending on the size of the company you’ve hired, it’s unlikely you can get immediate results for whatever work you need done. You’ll almost definitely get someone on the phone, but you won’t necessarily be able to see the work instantly completed. (Note: A smaller company can probably provide you with a faster turnaround time.)
  • Less control. When you hire an outside company, you don’t have much control over your online advertising strategies. Plus, you won’t be able to replicate their system on your own because each marketing company uses its own “secret sauce” when performing local SEO.
  • Monthly payment. If your budget is super tight, then it might be difficult to afford a premium SEO service. Luckily, some of the smaller online advertising companies offer packages that tend to be more budget friendly.

Do a Gut Check

Ultimately, the decision between doing your own web marketing or hiring a professional comes down to your gut. Ask yourself questions like:

  • How comfortable do you feel learning the numerous webmaster tools involved?
  • How willing are you to devote your leisure time to online advertising tasks?
  • How much wiggle room is in your monthly budget?

If the mere thought of spending hours on Internet directories, social media, and Google Maps makes you cringe, then maybe the DIY route isn’t for you. But if you enjoy learning and challenging yourself and you’ve got plenty of spare time, then it just might be worth a try.
 

Why Do Rewarding SEO Campaigns Demand Your Patience?

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

Wouldn’t SEO campaigns be so much easier if you could just flip a switch and watch them go? Alas, the Internet simply doesn’t work that way.
Launching an online marketing campaign takes a lot of time. To ensure extended success, Prospect Genius—and many standup companies like us—must run through an exhaustive, time-consuming process when setting up any new campaign.
If you’ve been asking yourself why your Core campaign took so long to get off the ground, then this blog post is for you. Here, you’ll get a thorough explanation of all the work Prospect Genius typically does when launching a Core campaign. You’ll also find out why this process is worth the wait.
Let’s jump in!

How We Create a Campaign

As soon as a new client accepts our terms of service, we pull the lever and get the ball rolling on your campaign. Each step leads to another, and they must be completed in the right order. We cannot skip ahead. Remember the game Mouse Trap? It’s kind of like that.
Here’s what the process looks like from beginning to end. By the time you get to the bottom of this list, you’ll understand how much work goes into getting a campaign off the ground:

  1. Basic background check. Before beginning any work, we investigate what kind of information and listings are already out there for your company. This will inform us on how to proceed.
  2. Address check. We need to ensure you can receive mail at the address you gave us. This is how Google verifies your business’s location. If you can’t receive mail there, we must figure out a legitimate workaround before we can continue.
  3. Call forwarding setup. We order your call forwarding number, a.k.a. your CallTrax™ number, which allows us to track your incoming leads for you. Once we receive this number from our provider, we set up call forwarding and add it to our system.
  4. Photo collection. We gather photos of your business found during our background check or submitted by you. We save these photos in a collection so we can use them when we build your LeadTrax™ site. If you don’t have any photos, we will find relevant stock photos for you.
  5. Review collection. We search the Internet for reviews of your business. We record and save all of the positive reviews so we can display them on your LeadTrax site.
  6. Google Maps setup. We find out whether you have an existing Google Maps listing. If you do, then we try to gain access to it by having you name us manager or by submitting a claim to Google.

And that’s just the initial setup! Now, your campaign moves on to the writing and assembly stage.

  1. Keyword research. We do research to discover the most appropriate keywords for your site. This enables us to formulate the best approach for on-page SEO.
  2. Fresh content creation. We write all of the copy for your LeadTrax site from scratch. No content is duplicated for new clients. You get totally unique content for your site.
  3. Error proofing. Writing content from scratch means it has to be meticulously combed over for mistakes. We double- and triple-check your content to certify its accuracy.
  4. Site building. Once your content has been crafted and carefully edited, we design and build your site based on our templates. Our templates leave plenty of room for customization, though, so it’s never a one-size-fits-all scenario.
  5. Quality control. Before we launch your site, we check it one more time to make sure it looks great and represents your business accurately and positively.
  6. Resource setup. After your LeadTrax site has been launched, we create Bing and Google accounts so we can set up Webmaster tools and resources for your campaign.
  7. Social media setup. We also create social media pages for your business on Facebook, Twitter, About.me, and Foursquare.

This covers the first several weeks of your campaign. Then we move on to the trickiest part:

  1. Online promotion. Over the next 60 days, we create and/or claim a series of online listings using the most up-to-date information about your business. However, this process is performed in multiple stages, spread out over weeks. (Find out why below.) The efficiency of this process is partially dictated by your cooperation in claiming and verifying listings.

Once this phase is complete, you’ve reached the end of what we call your “ramp-up period.” It usually takes about 90 days, or three months, to get here.

Why Does It Have to Be Done This Way?

We aren’t the only ones who take our time establishing a campaign. Any reputable Internet marketer knows a campaign can’t be launched overnight. Building the foundation for a long-lasting presence takes weeks and weeks and weeks of meticulous, strategic work.
Why do we thoroughly examine your company’s web presence before we even begin? Because we need to correct any past missteps and start your campaign on a solid footing. Otherwise, the actions of your campaign may contradict existing information and inadvertently work against you.
Why do we write all of your site content from scratch? Because we understand that your business is unique, and your content should represent you. Plus, copying content from other campaigns is a surefire way to get penalized by Google. Duplicate content is a huge no-no any way you look at it.
Why do we perform your online promotion in multiple stages? Because creating or updating all of your listings at once will lead Google to mark them as spam. We strategically spread out the creation of your listings week by week so your growing presence appears more organic. This nurtures your site’s rankings without risking penalties from Google.
In other words, we take our time because that’s the only way to do online advertising right.

How Come Other Companies Get It Done Faster?

It’s true—some companies can get your campaign up and running in a week. And after reading all about our setup process, you have to ask yourself, How is that possible?
There’s no simple answer to this, but it boils down to the fact that it’s easier to take shortcuts. Many Internet marketing companies sacrifice long-term presence for quick results. They set up your campaign as fast as they can, and then they forget about it.
But here’s the thing: You only get a super-fast turnaround when your web history hasn’t been thoroughly examined, when your content has been copied and pasted, when your business is promoted like spam, when your campaign is just another carbon copy.
So if an online advertising company is promising you unbelievable success within mere weeks, it’s because they’re cutting corners. Don’t take the bait.

A banner we proudly display in our office.
A banner we proudly display in our office.

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