Search Google Maps for a plumber, locksmith, garage door repair or siding contractor in many towns and you'll find listings that aren't really local companies. They have plausible names, five-star reviews and a phone number, but when you call, you reach a call center or a lead seller who passes your job to whoever pays. Here's why that happens and what to do about it.
Why fake listings exist
Map listings get phone calls, and phone calls are worth money. Lead-gen operators create listings to capture those calls, then sell the leads to real contractors or dispatch their own subcontractors. Some are clever about it; Google's own guidelines prohibit many of the tactics they use.
How to spot one
- The address is a mailbox store, virtual office, coworking space or someone's random house, often a "suite" number.
- The name is just keywords: "Best Garage Door Repair [Town]."
- The same photos or descriptions show up on several "different" listings.
- The person who answers won't say who will come out or what company they work for.
- No license number, owner name, or real website.
- Reviews look generic and all came in a short burst.
What Google says
Google's guidelines for business profiles require a real business with a real location or service area, and prohibit fake addresses and keyword-stuffed names. Google lets anyone suggest edits or report a business profile that breaks the rules, and has a form for reporting more serious problems. Results aren't guaranteed, but reporting helps.
For homeowners
Ask one question when you call: "Are you the company that will do the work?" Look for a license number and a real local address or owner name. Read reviews for details about real jobs.
For contractors: protect your spot
- Complete and verify your Google Business Profile with your real business name, service area, categories and real photos.
- Get real reviews steadily that mention the work and the town.
- Report fake listings in your category and area.
- Own your own website and phone number, so nobody can rent your customers back to you.
We dug into one of the playbooks behind this: how lead-gen sites steal your customers' calls. The best defense is being the most visible real business on the map.
Photo: Olkhon Island, GPS navigation, Smartphone, Lake Baikal, Russia by Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0.
