Removing Unwanted Spam from Google Search Results, Part 2

In part one of this two-part blog series, we dug into some of the initial steps to take if you’re looking to help remove spam results from your common Google search queries. Google itself has not done a good enough job policing these kinds of results, meaning it falls to SEO experts and business owners themselves to take these reporting steps and force Google into taking action.

At SEO Werkz, our search engine optimization pros are here to help with this and numerous other areas, from on-page optimization to content strategy and everything in between. In today’s part two, we’ll go over how to specifically identify spam results within search pages, how to report these to Google, and tracking the results of your various reports.

Spam Identification

You’ve already done your search and recorded the results in a spreadsheet or another simple document. Now it’s time to specifically identify the listings that are spam, which requires the following steps:

• Google Streetview: For any business that outranks you, look at their Streetview result. You’re checking for signage that matches the name on the listing – if you find this, you can move on. But if, on the other hand, you find a house, an empty lot or a Google listing of “location approximate,” make a note. This could be a sign of a spam listing.
• Sharing information: If you note any businesses that share an address, phone number or a name, note this. Also note overly long names (these might be keyword gaming attempts).
• Phone: For each business you’ve noted in our two steps above, call the number associated with the business. Note whether the person answering mentions the business name, then ask where the business is located. Use this time to identify any incongruities or strange information.
• Site: As you continue to narrow down your list of potentially spammy results, begin visiting specific websites. Check for whether names match listings, plus look for any other strange or out-of-place findings.

Reporting Spam

Based on all the steps above, you will be able to highlight a handful of businesses that appear like spammy results. In many cases, up to 30% of the results will be in this category.

From here, you need to utilize Google’s Business Redressal Complaint Form. This form allows you to share your research and say why you think listings should be removed based on spam. You have the option to use the “suggest an edit” button to report a listing based on a variety of potential factors, plus you can add a screenshot or another image as additional evidence.

Record the Results

As you’re reporting various potential spam results, take the time to record your progress on your spreadsheet or tracking document. In addition, you will quickly begin to receive emails from Google regarding your reports – many will be accepting your edits and removing flagged results.

Note these as well, plus keep track of any listings you don’t receive any information on and consider re-submitting your complaints later if they’re still showing up. You might be shocked at how well this helps you move up the local rankings.

To learn more about this or any of our other SEO service, speak to the staff at SEO Werkz today.