Is Google Going to Delete My Business Listing?

Being on Google – specifically showing up high in search results when someone types in a product or service that you offer – is extremely valuable. In 2011, the PewResearch Internet Project did a survey whose results suggested that over 90% of American adults use search engines – 59% on a regular basis. Research from Compete.com indicates that 77% of people will click on the top three organic (non-paid) results on the page.

If your business already shows up on the top of search results when typing in a product or service you offer (not when you search your business name), you are likely getting many calls, emails and a good bit of walk-in traffic from potential customers who found you on Google. If you aren’t showing up on top – your business is likely missing out on a ton of revenue.

All this may not be news to you, but there are some people out there who are definitely aware and they want to capitalize on that. That’s why pesky telemarketers are likely calling your business. These calls happen all too often and in most cases, it’s not really Google who is calling. Last week, I spoke to a client who was getting the calls on a daily basis. Today, I got a call from a client who said the message was automated, that the call was “extremely urgent,” and that if they didn’t stay on the line “Google was going to delete their listing.”

Is Google Really Calling Me?

Probably not. Google rarely calls on businesses and they never call in a telemarketing capacity. In some cases businesses that advertise with Google will get courtesy calls from ad representatives, but they only ask to schedule a meeting to review your existing ad campaigns to see if they can help you improve on them. If that doesn’t describe your relationship with Google, then it’s probably just a telemarketer calling.

What Do These Pesky Telemarketers Want?

Telemarketers claiming to be Google are looking for one thing: your money. While some of these companies may offer a legitimate service, the means by which they acquire customers is less than scrupulous. If someone tries to use scare tactics to sell you advertising, it’s usually best to run the other way. Whether they are trying to “enhance your Google listing,” “get your business to the top of Google,” or “double the traffic to your website,” it’s always best to do business with a local provider who you can hold accountable

Will Google Delete My Listing?

Plain and simply: no! While Google wants their information to be accurate, their main goal is to get more information onto their search engines and not spend a bunch of time trying to get rid of information, business by business. Even for businesses that are no longer open, it may take years for their listing to disappear from Google.

How Can I Leverage Google to Grow My Business

While not all businesses can benefit from leveraging Google’s domination of the search engine market, most can. If you are a local business, having a listing on Google+ (or Google Maps, Google Places and Google Business) is free and it will put your information in front of people looking for what you offer. There is no reason not to have a listing on Google. You can claim your free listing on Google here.

If you are a local business or any other kind of business, ensuring that your website shows up at the top of organic search results (not just the maps listing) can provide a huge boost to the number of opportunities that you have to acquire new customers. While your business will likely not show up in the top three results on the page without having an “active” web presence, it’s worth the investment of time and money to get there as it could be the number one source of business for your business.

Last but not least, Google offers an opportunity to show up on the top of the page by purchasing ads. While ads are not as effective as showing up on top organically, Google would not generate $18.4 billion annually in ad revenue if businesses were not able to use search ads to acquire new customers.

In all cases, your website is a critical factor as it is your website where searchers will end up when they click on your business. It’s best to ensure that you have a website strategy in place that retains visitors, converts them into customers, captures their information and measures what works and what doesn’t with regard to all of these things.

Do you like sliced bread? Being on the top of Google is certainly a better thing. If you think a better website or better placement in search engine results can help your business, give us a call at (888) 325-8159 or complete the form below.