Ross Dunn, Author at StepForth Web Marketing Inc.: Recent Episodes
None
Google does an admirable job of providing a variety of search result data by injecting images, video, and related questions that “People also ask”.
Unfortunately, Google’s algorithms are only so good and mistakes are made. The following mistake (highlighting added for effect), caught by our friend Jacqueline Drew from Tenato.com is a great example of serious misinformation that could very well lead many business owners astray.
Note: Name of suggested company blurred. Click the image for the full size and no blurring.
Searching for “best google product review software”, Jacqueline discovered a seemingly helpful question in the results “What is the best Google review service?”
The result shows a company (I don’t want to promote them) that nefariously buys Google reviews in an effort to “quickly repair your Google review ratings”.
Why is this bad?First of all, it is seriously unethical. Period.
Secondly, the People also ask section of results carries some weight. If someone who didn’t know better saw this, they might think that buying reviews is perfectly above board; albeit, they wouldn’t have their ethical filter turned on.
What Google Says: Google clearly states that all “contributions to Google Maps should reflect a genuine experience at a place or business. Fake engagement is not allowed and will be removed.” They detail incentivized reviews and many other types of fake engagement here.
What the Law Says: Buying reviews is 100% illegal and it can incur up to $44,000 in penalties PER infraction according to the Federal Trade Commission in the USA .
If you see fake reviews you can submit your complaints to the FTC here.
“Fake reviews and other forms of deceptive endorsements cheat consumers and undercut honest businesses,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Advertisers will pay a price if they engage in these deceptive practices.” (source)
Here, in Canada , the Competition Bureau polices fake reviews (also 100% illegal here). You can report any fake reviews to the Competition Bureau of Canada here.
Related ContentHow do you handle negative reviews if you have them? These handy tips from First Dentist apply not only to dentists, but other businesses as well.
The post Google’s “People Also Ask” Suggests Buying Reviews appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
In this episode, Ross interviews prolific Search Engine Journal writer, Roger Montti on his start in the SEO business and the work he does. The discussion then moves on to the latest news from Google such as passages, common SEO issues he encounters with client sites, questionable update rollouts for WordPress, and more. Here is […]
The post SEO 101 Episode 395: Interview with Roger Montti on Google Passages, Link Building, and More appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
The post BC Business Creates COVID-19 Websites to Make a Difference appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
Although Google My Business has been curtailing its services during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have finally provided business owners with a way to announce their special hours and operating circumstances using a new post-type in Google Posts. Up until now, companies were being updated to closed vs the reality that this is only a temporary […]
The post How to Add Your Business’s COVID-19 Alert to Google My Business appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
Summary of SEO 101 Episode 351 John and Ross discuss the very little known details about Google’s March 2019 Core Update, and the definition and use cases of neural matching versus Rankbrain at Google. Meanwhile, the SEO 101 Facebook Group continues to grow, and the hosts welcome questions to answer on the air. Lastly, some […]
The post SEO 101 Episode 351 – The March Core Update, Neural Matching vs Rankbrain, and Local Q&A appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
On October 4th, 2016, I will be speaking at Victoria’s first annual search engine marketing summit along with four other great speakers and I would love it if you would join us; tickets are available at an early bird offer of just $99 until Sept 1st! The Victoria SEM Summit is a full day of instruction […]
The post Victoria’s First Ever Search Engine Marketing Summit appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
Today, Google announced a very intriguing addition to its mobile search offering; mobile app streaming. The concept is based on the idea that certain information you are searching for may be found within a particular app and therefore Google should show you that information within the app. In the past, if that data was even […]
The post Google Moves to Streaming Apps in Mobile Search appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
Yahoo Directory goes away, how some mobile search campaigns not being tracked? We also hear client stories dealing with website switching and Google Webmaster Tools. Plus, we hear the story of an interior designer client friend of Ross who has landed an account with Lamborghini and is asked for a crazy favor. …read more […]
The post SEO 101 Podcast – Episode 198 – Oct 15th, 2014 appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
Ross and John discuss the Final Word on the Death of Google Authorship; SearchMetrics 2013 Ranking Factors – Correlation via Data; John Mueller says Penguin Still to Come 3.0 Most Likely in 2014; Google Webmaster Tools API Updated. …read more This September 18th SEO 101 podcast is available now: download (right click and save). You can […]
The post SEO 101 Podcast – Episode 196 – Sep 18, 2014 appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
Google Panda 4.1 Launches; To avoid liability, Google limits German news content to headlines. Plus, Ross and John offer Commentary about how Keywords are DEAD and a Moz story discusses Google Answer Boxes Now Showing Up 60 percent More Often …read more This September 4th SEO 101 podcast is available now: download (right click and […]
The post SEO 101 Podcast – Episode 195 – Sep 4, 2014 appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..
Back in 2010 Google officially stated page speed was added as a ranking factor for its search results. This means the speed at which your site loads can have an impact on the resulting position of your web page in search engine results. As a result, web marketing and development companies such as StepForth.com have […]
The post How to Reduce Image File Size On Your Website by Over 60% appeared first on StepForth Web Marketing Inc..