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Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

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Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#191

Post by tankerkiller125 »

mrbombastic wrote: post #149

Google search is getting worse and worse for this. I was in Argentina over the last month, I am not sure it is the norm but every time I performed a search instead of the usual 1 or 2 sponsored links there were 7 or 8, effectively pushing the real search results below the fold. The best was if I searched for google docs the top sponsored links were scam sites pretending to be google docs. The advertising business doe…

I'm in the USA, the first 6 listings are all ads, and it's been like that for at least 4 months. It's so bad I legit switched to Bing.

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#192

Post by jollyllama »

MisterBastahrd wrote: post #20

I saw this exact same thing happen locally. We have a Ramen restaurant whose squatter website opened before they got their own website up and running, and its SEO is better, too.

Yeah, it's kind of a "dog bites man" story

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#193

Post by actionfromafar »

tankerkiller125 wrote: post #190
shas3 wrote: post #162

In India, Google search for a pretty specific string, " ambulance phone number," showed up a bunch of scammy ads. In our distraught state (an elderly relative had just had a fall), we accidentally called the top ad which turned out to be a scam ambulance service. A beat up van showed up, without any EMT, a sketchy stretcher without straps, and no tracks or fasteners to hold it down inside the van. We were outraged an…

Sounds like India needs a single number for all emergency services instead of the fractured system they have now.

It also sounds like Google knows to do the right thing when the country government they operate in force them to.

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#194

Post by djbusby »

tankerkiller125 wrote: post #190
shas3 wrote: post #162

In India, Google search for a pretty specific string, " ambulance phone number," showed up a bunch of scammy ads. In our distraught state (an elderly relative had just had a fall), we accidentally called the top ad which turned out to be a scam ambulance service. A beat up van showed up, without any EMT, a sketchy stretcher without straps, and no tracks or fasteners to hold it down inside the van. We were outraged an…

Sounds like India needs a single number for all emergency services instead of the fractured system they have now.

That's a lot of work&time. Until then Google should not allow bullshit advertising.

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#195

Post by hunter2_ »

dsr_ wrote: post #106
perihelions wrote: post #59

Simple legislative fix: entitle the victim (small business) to quickly and easily claim a trademark infringement on an ad, and claw back 100% of Google's revenue on that ad. And let Google be civilly liable, if they choose to contest such a trademark claim and they're in the wrong. Inspired by YouTube's DMCA claim system (or my superficial understanding of it). If there's a "bug bounty" on fraud, there will be an ent…

The FTC has jurisdiction here. No new law is required. Complaints need to be made.

I think the "fix" proposed here is that it be as frictionless as sending a DMCA notice. Is what you're talking about that easy?

Sounds like we need scammy middleware between regular people and the complaint system to keep complaints flowing, monetize later!

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#196

Post by wahnfrieden »

greenthrow wrote: post #140
perihelions wrote: post #59

Simple legislative fix: entitle the victim (small business) to quickly and easily claim a trademark infringement on an ad, and claw back 100% of Google's revenue on that ad. And let Google be civilly liable, if they choose to contest such a trademark claim and they're in the wrong. Inspired by YouTube's DMCA claim system (or my superficial understanding of it). If there's a "bug bounty" on fraud, there will be an ent…

This is already illegal. Mom and Pop businesses don't have the resourced to wage legal battles and in the time it would take to get an injunction, the scam has more than paid for itself. The solution here is for Amex and Google to do their jobs properly.

How is it a solution to say that successful businesses should voluntarily shave their profits? Why do we look to these disreputable actors to reform themselves?

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#197

Post by ryandrake »

tjbiddle wrote: post #119
londons_explore wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Our company is using a very big chunk of our ad words budget targeting our own brand name to make sure it's on top. You shouldn't need to do this. Googles ad auction on search multiplies your bid by a quality score when deciding which ad to show. A site that satisfies what the user is looking for will have a high quality score, whereas the 'wrong' site (ie. one for a competitor) will have a low quality score - part…

I'd agree on this. For a while I'd bid on the names of competitors (Not being scammy - just trying to win the #1 result placement); however, I found I was spending a bunch with basically zero conversions because - I assume, if someone is searching for something, they're expecting that something, so when they click it and realize it's not - they just exit. On the other hand, bidding my own name: pennies.

> Not being scammy - just trying to win the #1 result placement

From the end user's point of view, how is "win the #1 result placement" for a competitor's name not a blatant scam?

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#198

Post by wahnfrieden »

partiallypro wrote: post #184
perihelions wrote: post #59

Simple legislative fix: entitle the victim (small business) to quickly and easily claim a trademark infringement on an ad, and claw back 100% of Google's revenue on that ad. And let Google be civilly liable, if they choose to contest such a trademark claim and they're in the wrong. Inspired by YouTube's DMCA claim system (or my superficial understanding of it). If there's a "bug bounty" on fraud, there will be an ent…

Google is already fairly strict this, at least for bigger company trademark keywords. It falls through the cracks with you are talking about SMBs.

Or in other words, Google is not strict with this, but goes out of its way to protect other big business

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#199

Post by a4isms »

Doug @Rushkoff says that the ethic of today's "entrepreneur" is to #GoMeta - don't provide a product or a service, simply find a way to be a predatory squatter on a chokepoint between people who do useful things and people who use those things. —https://twitter.com/doctorow/status/1628948931710451712

----------

Alice:

“Is Cory talking about these predatory fake restaurants? Or Google itself?”

Beth:

“Yes?”

Re: Google search for a local restaurant returns scammer’s ad as top result

#200

Post by rhino369 »

actionfromafar wrote: post #193
tankerkiller125 wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like India needs a single number for all emergency services instead of the fractured system they have now.

It also sounds like Google knows to do the right thing when the country government they operate in force them to.

Maybe. But it's easier to say "dial 911" when a country has 911. If India doesn't have something like 911, what is google supposed to recommend? Call 0118 999 881 999 119 725 3!
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