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Is Your Google Business Profile Really Suspended? Beware Of This New Scam

Last Updated: February 8, 2024

In today’s digital landscape, bad actors are continually crafting new strategies to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals. Small businesses, with their heavy dependence on platforms like Google to boost their online visibility, find themselves in the crosshairs of these deceptive tactics unfortunately often. One such scam involves fraudsters posing as Google representatives, falsely alerting businesses that their Google Business Profile has been suspended. As a small business owner, you’ve likely been on the receiving end of one of these spam calls lately. It’s essential for businesses to understand this scam and spot these attempts quickly. In today’s blog post, we’ll fill you in on this all-too-common scam, advise you on how to identify legitimate calls from Google, and give you more tips for protecting your business’s online reputation.

Smartphone in hand, showing incoming call from unknown caller

Understanding the Scam’s Context

As a small business owner, we’re sure you understand the importance of maintaining an active Google Business Profile for your business. Google is, by far, the most popular search engine among American consumers, so it’s key to ensure that your business is visible on the platform. Scammers, too, have realized the deep trust many place in Google. This trust, combined with the significance of online visibility for businesses, creates a fertile ground for deceit. Small businesses, often lacking dedicated IT teams or comprehensive cybersecurity measures, become prime targets for such scams.

How the Scam Works

The scam begins with a phone call, typically automated, alerting the business owner that their Google Business Profile has been suspended due to suspicious activity. The caller may introduce themselves as a representative from Google and press the urgency of the situation, emphasizing the potential loss of customers.

The objective? It varies. The scam might be a ruse to get the business owner to divulge sensitive information, such as login credentials, or to pay a fee to have their profile “reinstated.” It’s manipulative, leveraging the fear of losing potential customers.

Should a business fall for this ruse, the repercussions are vast. Direct financial loss from fees paid to the scammer is just the start. If the scammer is able to manipulate you in to handing over access credentials, they could completely hijack your business profile. From there, they could alter details on your profile, potentially sending your leads to a competitor. They could even just delete your profile altogether, costing you all of your hard-earned reviews! Needless to say, the reputational damage from such intrusions can be long-lasting.

Confused man

Is Your Profile Actually Suspended? Verify Before You Act

Before panicking, there’s a straightforward way to ascertain the status of your Google Business Profile:

  1. Login to Google: Head over to Google and ensure you’re signed in to the correct account linked with your Google Business Profile.
  2. Access the Manager: Navigate to the Google Business Profile Manager. This is your command center for all things related to your business’s Google presence.
  3. Check the Status: Once in the Profile Manager, look for notifications or alerts. If your profile was genuinely suspended, this is where Google would notify you.

Will Google Ever Call You Regarding Your Business Profile?

It’s important to note that Google rarely cold calls small businesses. If there is a genuine problem with your Google Business Profile, they will likely alert you via email. Direct calls from Google representatives are exceedingly rare, though they can happen. It’s essential to discern between legitimate communications from Google and a scam. Here are some tips to help you make this distinction:

  • Authentic Google calls will typically originate from a (650) area code, signaling their Mountain View, CA base.
  • A real Google representative will never request direct payment, press aggressive sales, or push for immediate actions under threat.
    • Remember that Google Business Profiles are completely free! No Google representative should ever request payment to list your business on their platform.
  • Unsolicited calls from Google, when legitimate, tend to be benign. They may call you in order to verify simple details on your business profile, such as your operating hours.

Two women at desk in office

Our Final Word: Stay Safe and Informed

The digital realm, while rife with marketing opportunities for small businesses, has its fair share of dangers. It’s vital to approach unsolicited communication with a dose of skepticism, especially if it’s a cold call asserting affiliation with Google.

Remember, if you’re concerned that your Google Business Profile has been suspended, always verify directly through your Google account before taking any actions. And, if you’re ever in doubt about online scams or the status of your Google Business Profile, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Prospect Genius. We’re here to assist and ensure your online business presence remains secure and flourishing.

How to Compete on Social Media Without Spending a Dime

Last Updated: June 8, 2017

You’ve heard that social media—particularly Facebook—is vital for small, local business owners. But why?
In many ways, social media has become its own form of search. Many people today search on Facebook before ever turning to Google when they’re looking for a local business. They turn to their social network and ask for recommendations or referrals for whatever service they need. (“Can anyone recommend a good plumber in the Albany area?”) For most people, it’s easier to poll their friends and family for trustworthy input than to blindly scroll through search engine results.
This makes it crucial for you to create and maintain a presence on Facebook (and other social media platforms), where locals are already looking for and discussing your products and/or services. This way, they can find you without having to navigate to another website. And when they do find your Facebook page, they’ll see your posts, photos, reviews, and contact information—basically, everything they need to decide whether they want to give you a call.

But How Can You Stand Out Without Paying?

Unfortunately, the most effective way to grab attention on social media is to pay for sponsored posts. Facebook and other social media platforms want to make money from ad revenue, so they’ve severely restricted the organic (i.e. unpaid) reach of company pages. In other words, if you want your posts to reach a larger audience, you have to pay.
However, due to tight budgets and a rugged opposition to being forced to do anything, many small business owners are reluctant to pay for each and every post. Completely understandable. However, since being on social media is no longer optional, you need to find a workaround. So how do you stay competitive in a game that largely follows a pay-to-play model? How do you keep from blending in with all the organic static? That’s what we’re going to look at in this post.
There’s no silver bullet for beating Facebook’s algorithms, but there are certain things you can do to ensure your posts are as interesting and engaging as possible for the people who see them. Keep reading to discover how you can stand out in your audience’s news feed for free!

1. Don’t Write Long Posts

Let’s face it: Most people don’t like reading. (We hope you’re not one of them, because you’re already more than 300 words into this blog post…)
So, if you’re sharing a status update, keep it short and sweet. This is especially true for when you have a specific piece of information you want to communicate. By and large, your audience isn’t likely to read more than a few lines of text, so make sure your updates are straight to the point. Say what you need to say, and hit “Send.”

2. Write Posts With Your Readers in Mind

If your posts have a lot of technical jargon, too many ten-letter words, or just generally don’t appeal to your audience’s sensibilities, then they aren’t going to grab your audience’s attention. Avoid this problem by asking yourself:

  • What are your audience’s interests?
  • What do they care about?
  • What kind of problems do they want to solve?

Mold all of your posts—written or visual—to fit what your audience wants to hear about. It may seem like a no-brainer, but don’t bother posting anything that doesn’t apply to the above questions.

3. Show Off Your Personality

Whether it’s a status update or photo, make sure whatever you’re posting is an authentic representation of your personality. Don’t be afraid to make your presence personal. People want to see the real humans behind the company logo, especially when it comes to small, local businesses. Showing off your personality will differentiate you from the competition.

4. Build Relationships With Your Biggest Fans

Who are the people who most often engage with your posts? Who are the people in your local community who have a lot of influence and a wide audience? Try to connect with these individuals via social media and build a relationship with them. They’ll be more likely to promote you on social media, and they may even remember to refer you to their friends.

5. Play Off Emotions

People respond in a stronger manner to advertisements that evoke an emotion. Jeremy Ellens says it best in his article, “Effective Marketing Appeals to Emotions Instead of Reason”:

The best way for your business to stand out is by building emotional connections with your audience. Your business needs to acknowledge that selling a product is no longer enough. Now it’s all about the experience you provide with it. This experience is dependent on your ability to trigger the right emotions, from the right audience, at the right time.

Apply this to your social media presence. What’s going to make people remember you? If you provide them with an emotional experience, you’ll make an indelible impression. For the purposes of your social media content, you want your posts to:

  • Make them laugh.
  • Amuse or entertain them.
  • Captivate them with a story.
  • Inspire them.

By following our recommendations in this post, you’ll be able to capture your audience’s attention and attract more prospective customers through social media—without paying a dime to sponsor a post!

Which of These Online Marketing Strategies Will Be Your Next Step?

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

“What are the best next steps for my marketing?”
This is a question we hear a lot from our clients. As your small business’s online marketing campaign flourishes, it’s natural to wonder what you can do to multiply your success. Regardless of which online marketing strategy from Prospect Genius you’re currently using, there’s a way for you to keep climbing the ladder, if that’s what you want.
Of course, what you do next depends largely on what you’ve already done. You can’t just start hiking halfway up a mountain, right? You have to start at the bottom and work your way to the top.
So, in this post, we’ll explore your options for advancement based on which of our online marketing strategies you’ve already succeeded with. Let’s dive in!

First, the Bare Necessities

Before you can try any advanced online marketing strategies, these are your must-haves:

  • Basic website
  • Google Maps listing

Basic website: You’ve heard the old saying, “All roads lead to Rome.” Well, when we’re talking about your online presence, all roads lead to your website. An optimized website forms the basis of your online presence because it’s tied to every listing and gives your business the SEO fuel it needs. Find out more about the connection between websites and local search in this blog post. (And remember, a website must be optimized for mobile devices as well as desktop computers!)
Google Maps listing: Since Google Maps listings are tied directly to Google’s search engine and algorithms, having one is absolutely, 100% essential. You can’t have a local web presence without one. Read more about Google maps listing optimization on our website.
This is why the overwhelming majority of our clients purchase both a CoreSite and Google Maps optimization.

Now, Choose Your Own Adventure

Once you have these fundamentals covered, you can take your own path. Here are the online marketing strategies to consider:

  • SEO content writing
  • More directory listings
  • Paid advertising
  • Social media outreach
  • Paid social media advertising
  • Remarketing

SEO content writing (a.k.a. Ghost Writing): Add more pages to your CoreSite to target specific keywords. This boosts your SEO and, therefore, your local search rankings. More visibility means more visitors to your site!
More directory listings (a.k.a. Directory Dominator): Push your business’s information into all the right directories. The more your business info appears on quality websites, the stronger your SEO and local web presence will be. This option works great when you already have lots of website content, but it can be effective on its own as well.
Paid advertising (a.k.a. Pay-Per-Click): As we like to say, “Why walk when you can run?” Boost your visibility in local search by promoting your business in sponsored ads. They appear right at the top of the search results page. For best results, do this after you’ve optimized your website.
Social media outreach (a.k.a. SocialStream and/or SocialBuzz): Put yourself on the social media platforms where your customers are already spending their time! In competitive industries, it isn’t enough to be visible in Google results. You also need to interact and engage with your customers on Facebook and Twitter to demonstrate your accessibility. Since social media doesn’t add much SEO-wise, we don’t advise focusing on this until you feel you’ve fully optimized your website and directory listings.
Paid social media advertising (a.k.a. Facebook Ads): Get even more exposure on social media by sponsoring your own posts. This is next-level social media outreach for businesses that already have a well-established presence.
Remarketing: Go beyond sponsored ads on Google. Remarketing allows you to target ads at people who previously visited your site, so your business and brand stay top of mind. This is another next-level option, so be sure you’ve maximized your website’s SEO as much as possible before investing in it.

Consider These Outside Add-Ons

After you’ve achieved a certain level of success with our online marketing strategies, you may wish to add a service or two that Prospect Genius doesn’t offer ourselves. For example, you may want to leverage:

  • Customer review aggregators
  • E-mail marketing blasts
  • Professional answering services

Customer review aggregators: These services contact customers on your behalf and request reviews from them. Then, you can add those reviews to your website. In the past, we’ve had success using Customer Lobby for our own customer review needs.
E-mail marketing blasts: Want to keep your customers up to date on special deals and company news? Communicate en masse with the help of an e-mail marketing service. We like ActiveCampaign and MailChimp.
Professional answering services: If you’re too busy to answer the phone when customers call, enlist a remote answering service. They answer your calls with professionalism and record all your messages. We have a partnership with Professional Answering Service, Inc. that gets you a discount on their services!

Your Unique Circumstance Determines a Lot

Of course, your next steps will depend on several variables, including your short-term needs and long-term goals. For example, if you want to use paid advertising long-term, then you should only do so after you’ve completed substantial SEO work on your website. This ensures good ROI because it lowers your AdWords costs and makes your ads more potent. On the other hand, if you’re only looking for a temporary campaign to promote a special offering or discount, then you probably aren’t as concerned with long-term ROI.
Geographic location also influences which online marketing strategies will work for you. For instance, if you’re in a rural area without much competition, then you may only need a Google listing and a three-page CoreSite. However, if you’re in a densely populated area, then you’ll have to do significantly more work and narrowly target specific keywords to beat the competition.
Countless other quirks can dictate how each program works for your business. That’s why you should discuss your needs and goals with your Prospect Genius account manager. We’ll make sure you’re using the best strategy for your business.
Ready to make the next move for your online marketing? Call today!

How Local Search Empowers Small Businesses to Compete

Last Updated: February 9, 2017

How can a small business like yours compete with big brands? Four words: Focus on local search.
The fact that you operate on a local level can be your biggest strength in the battle against large corporations. Many big names rank nationally in organic search results; however, they don’t necessarily have the upper hand when it comes to local search. So if you leverage local search the right way, you can stay competitive with larger brands and come out on top. Here’s what you need to know.

Local Search May Be Replacing Organic

First of all, what do we mean by “organic search” and “local search”? Maybe you’ve seen these terms tossed around but you aren’t quite clear on what they mean. Here’s the gist, without putting you to sleep:

Organic search gives you results based solely on their relevance to your search terms. The opposite of organic search is paid search, which promotes paid advertisements that match your search terms. Learn more about organic vs. paid search here.

Local search, on the other hand, is a search that targets places in a specific location. On Google, you’ll see local results on the first search results page in what’s called a “local pack,” which shows a nearby map and several local businesses. Local searches can also be done on Google Maps itself.

Historically, organic search has been the cornerstone of search engine optimization (SEO). However, organic search rankings are now slipping in value. In 2016, the top two organic search results received, on average, only 25% of the clicks on search results pages, as compared to more than 50% in 2006.
This trend is significant, and it makes sense. Typically, when people are on the hunt for a nearby store, restaurant, or service provider, they’re not looking at organic results. Instead, they’re perusing local Google listings to see which businesses fit their needs, have good reviews from past customers, and are closer in proximity. The days of people walking down the street and exploring their neighborhoods for good businesses are, by and large, over. Now, people do a quick search before they leave home so they know exactly where to go.

Mobile Devices Are a Strong Force in Local Search

The uptick in local searches applies to people who are looking for local businesses on the go, as well. Instead of wasting time driving around aimlessly when looking for the closest gas station or coffee shop, they search their phones to find the nearest one.
As Jayson DeMers writes for Forbes,

In general, I suspect local search will rise in importance, and more local businesses will step up to take advantage of this. Mobile technology will become even more mobile with wearable devices and similar technologies, and cumulatively, user preference toward local results will grow. As most “local” businesses are small- to mid-sized businesses, these trends will work in their favor.

Here, DeMers draws a clear parallel between local and mobile. And it’s supported by Google’s own data, which shows that an entire one-third of all mobile searches are for local places. With more people using their mobile devices for local searches on the go, your small business’s Google Maps listing is increasingly likely to become visible.

Optimize Your Local Search Listings

Here’s the main takeaway for you: Corporations don’t have the monopoly on proximity anymore. Local search is a more democratic platform than organic search, giving small businesses a fair shot at appearing in local results—so long as your local listings are optimized.
Here are some ideas for making your Google listing as strong as possible:

And if you need any guidance on local search strategies, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Prospect Genius is always happy to help. Good luck!

3 Ways HomeAdvisor Is Unfair to Small Businesses

Last Updated: January 25, 2017

There’s one complaint about HomeAdvisor that we hear over and over from our clients: It feels like the game is rigged against small appliance repair companies in favor of larger companies with greater resources.
We’re here to tell you you’re right. Here’s why.

1. You Miss Out on Too Many Jobs

We’ll start off with the most obvious pain point: You can’t possibly respond quickly enough to leads.
The only way to be successful on HomeAdvisor is to respond immediately to every single lead that comes your way. This is doable for larger companies that have a receptionist answering the phone and responding to e-mails all day. In fact, they find a lot of success with it. But what about smaller operations like yours?
If you’re only a one- or two-person operation, you don’t have the luxury of a receptionist. Instead, you have to balance your work with answering the phone and tracking down leads yourself. Unfortunately, as you know all too well, it’s virtually impossible to capture a lead while you’re on the job. After all, how are you supposed to pick up the phone with your hands behind a dryer or squeezed underneath a garbage disposal trap?
To put it in more frank terms: A small appliance repair company like yours isn’t going to land a job unless you happen to be free at the exact moment the call comes in. This is just one way big businesses get a huge leg up on you.

2. You Pay Too Much

As if the unrealistic demand on your time wasn’t enough of a hurdle, here’s another one: the cost. Of course, you agreed to pay a certain amount per lead when you started working with HomeAdvisor. However, we’ve heard from many of our clients (who are small business owners like you and former HomeAdvisor customers) that leads are often shared with as many as 5 or 10 other businesses. Think about what that means:

If leads are shared with 5 different businesses, then that means you have a 1-in-5 chance of closing each one. In other words, you’re actually paying 5 times as much for every lead you finally do close.

In addition to that, clients have also told us that HomeAdvisor occasionally charged them more than the agreed-upon price per lead. Has that ever happened to you?
Again, if you’re a big business with a big budget, unpredictable costs may not be an issue. However, smaller companies like yours can really feel the burden.

3. You Get Terrible Leads 

The high cost might be an easier pill to swallow if you knew you were getting quality jobs out of it. But you’re not, are you? Even when you’re miraculously able to capture a lead, there’s a good chance the prospect on the other end is looking for a service you don’t even provide!
This is because it’s in HomeAdvisor’s best self-interest to send you as many leads as possible, quality be damned. You’re paying per lead, so the more leads HomeAdvisor sends you, the more money it makes. It doesn’t matter that those leads are barely relevant to your business.
So, just to recap:

  • You have to take time away from work to track down leads.
  • Leads are not cost-efficient or reliably priced.
  • Some of the leads you get return zero income.

Doesn’t that sound like you’re losing money?
It’s easy to see why only larger companies can use HomeAdvisor without worry. You, on the other hand, really feel the costs of HomeAdvisor’s services.
No wonder HomeAdvisor has received more than 1,000 complaints with the BBB in the last three years alone!

You Can Get Online Marketing That Matches Your Needs

Prospect Genius created an online marketing approach that avoids all of the above pain points. We treat your goals as our goals, and your success as our success.
Unlike HomeAdvisor, which just gives you a small listing in their massive directory, we offer flexible options that can provide top-to-bottom online promotion for your business. With a CoreSite, we’ll build you a fully functional website that’s yours to keep. With Directory Dominator, we’ll promote you on countless different online platforms. With SocialStream or SocialBuzz, we’ll post for you on social media. The goal is to help ensure you’re discovered in every corner of the web.
With Prospect Genius:

  • When someone discovers your website or Google Maps listing and dials your phone number, they’re calling you directly.
  • The whole transaction is just between you and your customer—we don’t interfere.
  • You don’t have to race a handful of other businesses for the same job.
  • You can respond as soon as you’re able to without worrying that you’ve automatically lost a job.
  • The best part? Our approach doesn’t favor big businesses over small ones. Everyone has an equal shot at success.

An adviser is just someone who tells you what to do. Why not play by your own rules? Prospect Genius offers you all the tools you need and puts you in the driver’s seat. We offer a cross-section of online marketing tools that will match any budget. See what other business owners are saying about us—or better yet, give us a call for a free assessment from one of our representatives! If you’re willing to give us a few minutes of your time, we’ll happily listen to your company’s needs and figure out if we have a solution that fits.
Stop feeling powerless against the big guys, and start taking matters into your own hands!
Call now at (800-689-1273).

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