Google says don’t include fake or undisclosed incentivized reviews in review snippet structured data
Google updated the review snippet structured data markup documentation with some new guidelines and examples.
Topic: Internet fraud
The paid brand mention problem in GEO
Paid placements and questionable outreach tactics are blurring the line between legitimate GEO and manipulative SEO.
How to save $150,000 in brand CPC costs: Brand bidding explained
Brand bidding silently drains your budget. Learn how to spot it and turn lost clicks into sales.
Google says it is 20 times better at catching scams in Google Search
And is able to block more than 80% of fake phone number scams within Google Search.
Google: 39 million advertisers suspended; 5.5 billion ads removed in 2024
Google's annual Ads Safety Report highlights how AI is reshaping ad enforcement, with a record number of account suspensions.
The Google Maps pin scam: A new Google Business Profile threat
Understand how this deceptive practice affects rankings and learn the safe way to correct your listing's location.
Google suspended 12.7 million ad accounts, blocked 5.5 billion ads in 2023
The number of advertisers who were blocked or removed due to policy violations nearly doubled compared to the previous year.
Google is updating Local Services Ads verification process
The change is gradually rolling out in the U.S., beginning with smaller states and extending to larger states throughout the year.
Google announces Misrepresentation policy update
Failure to comply with the updated policy could result in the suspension of your Google Ads account.
Google investigating ‘brutal’ Local Service Ads tactic destroying leads for businesses
This Google loophole enables competitors to intentionally manipulate the system, making your ads invisible without your knowledge.
75% of top brands fall victim to fraud in Google Search Ads
Google is being urged to do more in safeguarding brands' reputations and preventing online shoppers from becoming victims of fraud.
Google introduces new Limited Ads Serving policy
Google will limit the reach of campaigns from advertisers it is unfamiliar with until trust is established.
Google files lawsuit over fake review scams
Google said in this case the alleged scammers created 350 fraudulent Business Profiles and over 14,000 fake reviews.
Google Maps can detect fake phone numbers in photos and remove them
Google also shared some states on how it fought fake reviews and content in local search.
Arbitrage in Google’s Local Services Ads: What you need to know
Spam in the local search space appears to have moved into another area that Google is unable to police actively.
Google files lawsuit against company falsely promising Page 1 rankings
Google's lawsuit alleges that a company called G Verifier scammed and harassed hundreds of Business Profile merchants.
85% of Yelp survey respondents say they trust written reviews over stars only
71% of respondents say they would no longer visit a business if they learned the business has fake or compensated online reviews.
Don’t fall for fake ownership requests for your Google Business Profile
There are reports of an increase in fraudulent ownership requests, so be careful.
Microsoft to implement advertiser identity verification
The latest effort aims to protect searchers, publishers, and advertisers from rising threats and attack vectors in a timely maner.
Business redressal complaint form adds option for ‘This business doesn’t exist’
You can now identify the content on Google Maps that you claim might lead to fraudulent activity by saying the business doesn't exist.
Phishing scams in Google Ads led searchers to fake crypto wallets
Those who were duped lost over half a million dollars by cryptocurrency scammers.
Google blocks 3.1 billion ads in a tumultuous 2020, says annual Ads Safety Report
The report lists misinformation around COVID-19 and the political climate as well as ad fraud as top concerns last year.
Hijacked Google My Business listings appear to be a growing problem
GMB listings phishing is on the increase. Google says it's aware of the problem but business owners must be vigilant.
Fake reviews problem is much worse than people know
Like a virus it infects all the major review sites, especially Google and Amazon.
Yelp cracks down on ‘review rings’ as Google continues to see widespread mapspam
Will the problem of fake listings and reviews destroy trust in major platforms?
Consumers more invested in reviews, but also more skeptical of authenticity — survey
Users now consult multiple sites and expect reviews to be relatively fresh.
TripAdvisor says it blocked or removed nearly 1.5 million fake reviews in 2018
Most of the fake reviews that are submitted (91%) are "biased positive reviews."
Millions of fake Google Maps listings hurt real business and consumers
Google says it is working on it, but is still positioned to profit as local businesses claw back visibility with paid ads.
Bing Ads bad account takedowns doubled in 2018
Third-party tech support scams, cryptocurrency and weapons ad content topped the areas of attention.
Google opens complaint form to crack down on fake info in Maps
Will this reduce the issues with fraud and spam in the Google My Business listings? We'll see.
FTC busts Amazon seller for buying reviews
Diet supplements company was buying fake reviews from a vendor Amazon itself had previously sued in 2016.
Reports: Fake reviews are a growing problem on Amazon, Google
Facebook is reportedly the source of some of the fake review solicitations.
Bing rejected 130M ads in 2016, including 17M tech support scam ads
Advertisers attempting Phishing attacks and pushing counterfeit goods continued to try to evade detection.
Let’s make 2017 the year of honest reviews!
Reviews can be an important part of a local SEO strategy, but columnist Greg Gifford warns that overdoing it can make your business look shady.
Bing Ads bans ads from third-party tech support services
Citing "serious quality issues," Microsoft updates the Bing Ads global ad policy to disallow all ads from third-party tech support providers.
Bing Bad Ads Report: 250 million ads rejected, 150K advertisers banned in 2015
Tech support scams remain at the top of the list of bad actors that search engines have to keep fighting.
Google’s 2015 “Bad Ads” Report: 780 Million Ads, 25K App Accounts Shut Down
One of Google's efforts last year was to prevent accidental mobile clicks when app developers purposely placed ads too close to application buttons.
SEO Companies Fined Over Fake Reviews
Several SEO companies have agreed to stop publishing fake online reviews, and will also pay penalties ranging from $2,500 to almost $100,000 as part of settlement announced today with the New York attorney general’s office. The AG’s year-long investigation ultimately caught 19 companies involved in writing and posting fake online reviews, including numerous small businesses. […]
Yelp Outs More Businesses With Another Batch Of Paid Review Alerts
Yelp’s battle against phony reviews and unacceptable tactics to earn reviews continues today with the company posting another batch of “Consumer Alert” messages on business profile pages. This is the second time Yelp has announced that some businesses will be outed for trying to game its system. Back in October, Yelp put a message on […]
Sign of Hope? Banned Advertisers Rises Just 8 Percent in 2012
The battle against bad ads getting past the AdWords review process rages on. Google announced in a blog post this week that the company axed 224 million bad ads in 2012. That’s up 67% from 2011. The 2012 numbers underscore that there is no shortage of scammers, however they may also point to a sign […]