Google AdWords

7 Signs That Call From Google Is a Scam

Last Updated: May 14, 2015

Cons and scams certainly aren’t unique to the Internet Age, but it definitely seems like they’re lurking around every corner lately. At one time or another, we’ve all received spam e-mails, Facebook messages, and phone calls from individuals who are posing as other people to trick us into giving up our money or personal information. That “Nigerian prince” e-mail chain from 15 years ago may not be circulating anymore, but plenty of other, more convincing scams have taken its place. Scams that involve shady companies pretending to be Google are a prime example.

7 Ways to Spot the Scam

In these Google scams, regular business owners are bombarded with unsolicited phone calls from individuals pretending to be from Google. You should be very wary of any phone call “from Google” if the caller does any of the following:

Tells you that you’re not ranking
Tells you that your site is not mobile friendly
Tells you that your listing is not verified
Offers you a certain placement or position on Google
Discusses your performance on Google
Even mentions SEO or optimization
Asks for money or payment (unless it’s an AdWords pitch)

Google will never, ever call you out of the blue to discuss any of the above topics. Google would not be concerned about improving your rankings or optimizing your business’s listing in any way.
Moreover, if your site is not mobile friendly, you would receive an e-mail or pop-up notification on your Google My Business page directly from Google saying as much. Google wouldn’t go out of its way to call you just to tell you that.
Finally, Google typically doesn’t even call businesses unless they’ve already been verified by PIN, so you can ignore any phony caller who’s posing as a Google representative and telling you that your listing is not verified.

What Do Legitimate Google Calls Look Like?

First of all, the only two numbers that we know to be associated with Google for unsolicited calls are (650) 253-0000 and (650) 253-2000. These are the only two legitimate Google phone numbers we’ve seen in our seven years of operation. However, if there are any other authentic Google phone numbers out there, they will always have a (650) area code (for Mountain View, CA).
If Google does call you unsolicited, it will be an extremely rare occasion, and it will only be for one of two reasons:

Google might call about your Google My Business listing for quality control purposes. The caller will just ask you about the information on your listing in order to confirm your service offerings, physical address, and other pertinent info. This is standard procedure as Google wants to ensure the accuracy of the information it’s publishing (after all, its credibility is on the line). These calls typically come from one of Google’s outsourced call centers overseas; the caller will most likely have a foreign accent.
Google might also call you to sell AdWords or AdWords Express. These calls will be obvious sales pitches for AdWords, and they will not discuss rankings or positioning on search results pages. Furthermore, these calls will be from one of Google’s domestic headquarters; the caller will most likely have an American accent.

Again, it bears repeating that Google will never try to optimize your website or Google My Business listing. It’s okay if the caller asks you about information on your listing as a way of verifying what’s already in the system, but your guard should go up as soon as they start asking you for your credit card number or other sensitive information.

What If It Feels Like a Scam?

If any red flags appear to you during the phone call, simply ask the caller directly if they are from Google. If they answer you by saying that they “work with” or are “partners with” Google, then they’re clearly trying to skirt around the question.
It’s important to note that many second-rate advertising companies will claim to be partners with Google. This terminology is misleading because it makes it sound like the company has a special deal or affiliation with Google—but that’s not the truth at all. When an advertising company brags about being a Google Partner, it really just means someone from that company passed Google’s AdWords and Analytics exams online. Any advertiser can become a Google Partner. If an advertiser tries to use this certification as a way to trick people into believing that they have a special relationship with Google, that should tell you they represent a dishonest company, and you should act accordingly.
However, if you’ve received a phone call from a true scam artist—not just a desperate advertising company—then there’s a chance they will lie and claim that they are indeed from Google. In these cases, it’s critical for you to trust your instincts. If you’ve gotten a bad vibe during the conversation and the caller has raised any of the red flags explained above, then you should not trust them. Instead, you should terminate the phone call and report it to one of the many online scam alert websites.

This Glossary of Local Search Terms Is a Lifesaver

Last Updated: April 10, 2015

Think back to the last time you spoke with your Internet marketer or read an article about SEO. Did you find your head swimming in tech jargon? Did you feel like you needed the Rosetta Stone to translate half of what they were talking about? Don’t feel bad. The world of online advertising can be somewhat insular and, because it’s so complex, it’s almost as if a whole new language has developed around it.
Thankfully, the experts at Moz recognize the effect that SEO-speak has on the average consumer. They put together a comprehensive glossary of local search terms to help small business owners better understand what their marketing providers are talking about.
Some of the terms, like algorithm and visibility, are widely used and already familiar to the majority of Internet users. However, many of the other terms in the glossary will be new to readers. For example, do you know what long-tail keywords are? How about rich snippets? Structured citations? You get the idea. The glossary even identifies important brand names to know, including Google AdWords, Acxiom, Localeze, SuperPages, and Picasa.
Do yourself a favor and bookmark this glossary. Try to commit some of the most popular terms to memory and keep it handy for the next time you find yourself talking to a local search marketer.

When Pay-Per-Click Becomes Pay-Per-Search

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

We have a lot of clients who like to periodically search for their business on Google. Understandably, they’re curious as to how their campaign is performing and, if they’re pay-per-click clients, they want to see how their sponsored ads look on the search results page. But here’s the thing: Frequently googling your company can actually sabotage your campaign.
This is especially true for companies enrolled in any type of pay-per-click advertising, particularly one using Google AdWords. Here’s why.

Impressions, Clicks, and Quality Scores

The performance of your ad largely depends on the ratio of passive views to active clicks. An inflated number of views means an inflated cost per click. But why?
As we’ve discussed previously, AdWords uses a Quality Score system to ultimately determine the cost that a given account will have to pay per click of ads and keywords. Since Google only wants to endorse “quality” content, a low Quality Score means you’ll have to pay a much higher cost per click if you want your ads to be displayed.
An account’s overall Quality Score is highly influenced by click-through rate (CTR) and relevance. A low CTR or lack of relevance will significantly decrease your overall Quality Score. While it’s easy to achieve relevance—simply target ads by keyword and location—it’s a little more challenging to boost an ad’s CTR.
CTR is calculated by comparing the number of “impressions” (how many times the ad appears) versus the number of “clicks” (how many times a viewer actually clicks on the ad). So when you’re continually googling your company’s name and search terms to check out your sponsored advertisement, you’re spiking the number of impressions without adding to the number of clicks. In effect, you’re lowering the CTR of your own ad.
Unfortunately, this effect doesn’t stay exclusive to the particular ad or ad group in question. If you have multiple cases of low CTRs, then your whole AdWords account will ultimately be downgraded. As PPCHero explains, “If you have a lot of low CTR ads in your ad groups, they could be contributing to a low Quality Score since AdWords considers all of your ads when calculating your scores.”
And, as we’ve covered, a low overall Quality Score means higher costs for you. In a nutshell: By frequently googling your company, you’re driving up your own PPC costs.

Don’t Learn the Hard Way

Case in point: We’ve had numerous clients in the past who did serious damage to their PPC campaigns just by searching Google for their company’s ads too frequently. One client in particular actually spiked their cost per click from $22 to $31!
We understand the temptation to see how your campaign is performing, but you’re actively holding it back by constantly turning to Google’s search bar. Don’t make the same mistake that our client made. Don’t be an active participant in the downfall of your own PPC campaign.

Seek an Alternative to Googling

We wouldn’t tell you to stop googling yourself without having a viable solution for you.
If the reason that you’re always typing your name into Google’s search bar is that you want to track your campaign’s performance, the solution is simple: Find an online advertising company that offers tracking features as part of their program. At Prospect Genius, all of our clients have unfettered access to all of their account’s call logs, leads, and other reports so they can view their campaign’s progress right from the Client Portal—without having to resort to Google.
If you already have access to these types of features but can’t seem to kick the habit in moments of weakness, just remind yourself of all the damage you’re doing with every search. It won’t be easy at first, especially when boredom or curiosity takes over, but it will be well worth the sacrifice.
For further guidance, call Prospect Genius today!

Kick-Start Your Campaign With Our Boost Package

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

Why the Boost Package?

At Prospect Genius, we like to do things the right way. We like to give clients the results they deserve, but we also believe in playing by the rules and earning results that will actually last. In the past, this meant our clients would have to wait three months or longer to start seeing a consistent increase in leads. Although this waiting period is standard for the majority of professional SEO providers, some of our clients were understandably concerned.
That’s why we’ve devised a remedy: our Boost package. Designed as a temporary pay-per-click (PPC) program, Boost will fortify your advertising efforts and add extra oomph to your campaign during this crucial waiting period. Here’s why it’s important.

The Waiting Game

Like we said, a three-month waiting period is standard for legitimate SEO. If a marketer uses black-hat tactics or spam, then you may be able to see more immediate results—but that comes with a high likelihood of getting caught and penalized by Google. That’s why we refuse to sink to dishonest tactics. It simply wouldn’t be in your best interest.
So that leaves one question: Why does SEO take three months to kick in? It’s a topic we’ve covered before, but it always bears repeating. To borrow from a previous post on the same subject:

Effective SEO requires repetition. Social media listings must be routinely populated with fresh content, press releases have to be syndicated, and directories must be updated as needed. However, not all of these tasks can be done at once. There’s a strategically tiered system of steps to be completed by your SEO specialist for optimal results, and proper spacing and timing of these tasks is essential. Once this foundation has been completely set, a few months have gone by.

Furthermore, there’s a lot of waiting on our end, as well. This happens whenever we make a change to your listing on a given directory or third-party website. We have to wait for the website to update its own pages and then wait for Google to re-index that website with the new info. Eventually, Google will compile and release the new, live index. Only at this point will the changes we made several steps ago finally take effect.
This process gets even further complicated if you’ve had any previous problems with your web presence, particularly any penalties or suspensions from Google. If you’ve engaged in any spam-like behavior in the past, we’ll first have to resolve those issues before we can begin the SEO process, which could make your waiting period even longer.

Get a Head Start With Boost

Although it’s impossible to circumvent the complex procedure of SEO, there’s a way to supplement it so that you aren’t stuck waiting without seeing any results. The Boost package is a short-term PPC push that gives your campaign a temporary shot in the arm. Basically, it’s a more targeted version of our standard PPC package.
While you may not receive leads from organic search results when your campaign is first launched, you’ll make up for that with calls rolling in from your sponsored PPC ads. Plus, Boost is known to improve rankings in Google+ Places and organic results as well, simply by making sites quickly appear more valuable.
Lasting only a few weeks, Boost is exactly what you need as a stop-gap until your long-lasting, organic leads take over.

Promote Seasonally With Boost, Too

Don’t forget: Boost is also great for businesses that offer season-specific services. HVAC technicians, landscapers, and appliance repairmen all provide services that vary in popularity depending on what time of year it is. If you offer furnace repair, for example, you can use Boost at the end of autumn to get the word out about time-sensitive maintenance. Many of our clients have used Boost in this capacity to great advantage.

Proof Is in the Pudding

When we say that our Boost package really works, we aren’t kidding. We took a sample set of our Boost success stories and found that, on average, we increased their calls by 413%! One client went from an average of 10.3 calls per month to 23 (a 223% increase), while another went from 3.7 calls per month to 29—a whopping 791% increase!
When Boost is added to a campaign, the difference can be staggering.
Whether you’re brand new to the Prospect Genius program or you’re an old pro, there’s always a way to utilize our Boost package for a burst of fresh leads. Call your campaign coordinator or account manager to learn how!

Optimize Your Site Before You Bid on AdWords

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

Google and Michael Jordan: Not So Different?

Think of Google as a celebrity sponsor: His or her mass appeal will sell a product, but they don’t want to advertise a brand that they can’t vouch for, lest they ruin their own reputation. This rule applies to PPC ads shown on Google’s search results pages. To protect their brand, Google tries to ensure that the ads they display are actually related to the searches performed. So even though your PPC (a.k.a. “AdWords”) ad might match the keywords in a search query, Google won’t show it unless it seems to promote something valuable and relevant to the searcher. That is, of course, unless you’re willing to pay them a boatload of money to display it.
That’s where an optimized website comes in. If your ad is linked to a site that has informative content related to the search term, then the ad will be much more successful without costing you an arm and a leg. So optimize your site before you bid on AdWords.

Google AdWords and the Quality Score

The way Google AdWords works is that Google sets a minimum price for each ad group, and advertisers then bid on the maximum amount that they’re willing to spend per click. Generally, higher bids will appear closer to the top of the search results pages. However, there’s another way to have your ad appear higher in the search results without spending a fortune: You can also strive for a higher Quality Score. An ad’s Quality Score is determined by Google’s complex algorithm and is awarded according to the relevance and specificity of your ad. An ad that appears highly relevant and is targeted to a specific keyword will achieve a high Quality Score, which is deemed more valuable than a high bid.
According to Google’s AdWords guide, “Even if your competition bids more than you, you can still win a higher position—at a lower price—with highly targeted keywords and ads.” In other words, you could wind up paying a lot less for an ad with a high Quality Score than you would for an ad with a low one.

Where Does SEO Fit In?

While specific keywords within an advertisement will improve its Quality Score, an additional boost will also come from a linked webpage that relates strongly to those keywords, the corresponding search terms, and the ad itself. If Google’s algorithm detects that your ad sends prospective customers to a page with valuable, relevant content, then your ad will get an even more optimal position, which means a higher volume of clicks. And how do you achieve web content that’s specific, targeted, and relevant? SEO, of course!
To put it simply, a PPC campaign is infinitely more successful when it’s attached to a site with ongoing SEO. Not only will you pay less for bids, but you’ll actually see more effective results and therefore a greater return on investment. It’s a win-win!

Prospect Genius Provides PPC and SEO Services

At this point, the case for using both PPC and SEO together in your online advertising is clear. The only remaining question is, where can you find both? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Prospect Genius specializes in a cross-section of online advertising tools, including PPC and SEO, and we tailor our services to serve each individual client in the best way possible. When you sign up for our Premium package, which combines organic SEO services and targeted PPC ads, your company’s marketing campaign will be primed for optimal, long-lasting success.
To learn more about Premium or our other customized online advertising packages, don’t hesitate to contact us by phone or e-mail!

Prospect Genius

7 Signs That Call From Google Is a Scam

7 Ways to Spot the Scam

What Do Legitimate Google Calls Look Like?

What If It Feels Like a Scam?

This Glossary of Local Search Terms Is a Lifesaver

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