Google is Not Calling Your Business
Google is not calling your business, and there is nothing wrong with your Google listing. But that is not what the automated phone calls want you to believe. They make it sound like you will be dropped from Google Search forever if you do not click “one” to check your listing. Did you know representing themselves as Google and using automated robo-calls are against Google’s policies? So much so, Google is taking action against some of these shady companies.
Years of Annoyance
Like so many other businesses, I have been dealing with this nuisance for years, but it seems to be much worse lately. I block the phone numbers when I get the calls, then they call with another phone number. Over the last month I have received 1-3 calls a day during the week. Since this is my business phone, I am compelled to answer phone numbers I do not recognize. I usually just hang up, but when time allows I listen to the phone call and find out as much as I can so I can report the company to Google. Once the scammer checks my listing or I ask too many questions about the company, the scammer hangs up. On one call I stayed on the phone for about 7 minutes trying to get the scammer to tell me what was wrong. He could not tell me what listing he was calling about, but he was sure something was wrong.
Manage Your Listing For Free
You can create and manage your own listing for free by going here, and it is really easy. Many times Google will create a listing for your business because it shows up in an online directory or someone may have left a review. In those cases, you need to claim your listing. Claiming your listing gives you control of the information on your Google listing; otherwise, anyone can make edits without your knowledge, or worse, someone could claim and take control of your listing. Claiming your listing in Google or any of the other listing directories like Bing, Yahoo, or Yelp can really help your website ranking also.
I Can Help as a Trusted Verifier
Whether you are claiming or creating your listing you need to go through the verification process with Google. You can follow the process online, and, as a Google Trusted Verifier, I can help you get verified quickly.
I will share a quick story about when Google really called me. I had a voicemail from a person claiming to be a Google representative. There was some mention about being a Google photographer, but I really discounted it because I just assumed it was a bogus call. I later found out about the Google Trusted Photographer program, and realized I had probably received a legitimate call from Google. I returned the call, and was accepted into the Google Trusted Photographer program shortly after in 2014. So it is possible for Google to call, but it is really unlikely.
As businesses we will continue to be targeted by scammers claiming to be Google, but you can feel confident by managing your own listing, and reporting the scammers to Google.
