Big Local is totally spamming Google Maps. They are everywhere!
I was just doing some normal daily analytics checks this morning and I searched for the terms:
I saw this!
I noticed “Big Local” dominating the results!
Looks like they are using the domain name www.clover.com, but that 302 redirects to www.BigLocal.com.
They are also using various street address to get these multiple results! They must be using PO Boxes or UPS addresses.
I am so surprised that Google let this happen. Hell even in there their description it mentions that this listing is not a physical location!
We think your new business is #1, and it’s our job to put it there. Be found for searches in the San Diego area. Not a Physical Location.
Then it got worse!
I searched: Dallas internet consulting
All you have to do to find more spam is search “City Name” + internet consulting.
Try it for yourself!
PLEASE PLEASE GOOGLE REMOVE THIS SPAM FROM GOOGLE LOCAL!
Update:
Thanks to Mike over at Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search he sent me this link:
Good find. Here is a more revealing search:
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:13 am
nice find dude.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Good find my man. Let’s see what happens to these guys once Google picks up on this. They’re going to look at your blog and grind their teeth! ahahahha
ImNotADoctor, removing junk from the net one post at a time… How does he do it? Don’t ask him how! He’s NOT A DOCTOR! hahaahhaa
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:43 am
[...] In addition to Greg from Search Engine Land, others have written about this too including Mike from the Blumenthals blog, Stephen from I’mNotADoctor (I believe he was the first to find this), and Greg’s article was even Sphunn on Sphinn. [...]
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Hey, I was responding to this story on Mike’s blog and noticed that Google cleared out all of the Big Local listings with the exception of their Utah location. That didn’t take long
Nice catch though!
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:20 pm
[...] Yesterday both Stephen Peron of Imnotadoctor.com and then Mike Blumenthal of blumenthals.com discussed some nationwide Google Maps spam by a company called Big Local. As of 4 PM (Mountain time) today while having a discussion with Mike the spam was still there, and now at 9 PM it is gone! [...]
May 5th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I hope you cached it, because there’s only one result in Google local for them now.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:04 am
hi doctor,
it seems Matt Cutts checks your site sometimes, big local results desappeared
May 6th, 2008 at 7:53 am
I think EarthLink is doing the same thing?
http://www.google.com/search?q=business+internet+phoenix&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS252US252
Are they entering in every place they have an access point or server? Anyway, worth checking!
May 6th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Oh my god.
Like things like that wouldn’t be noticed.
I hope they get penalized…
May 6th, 2008 at 10:31 am
[...] [...]
May 6th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Damn, how can Google not see this?
July 18th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Another one:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=web+development+london&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
screenshot: http://tubeimage.com/links.php?file=zdm5wlyhksd172r9yeoi-spammed-serps.png
Spammers are scum.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:57 am
All gone now, everywhere
August 14th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
[...] - bookmarked by 1 members originally found by mrcow138 on 2008-07-20 Big Local - The Biggest Google Map Spam Ever http://www.imnotadoctor.com/2008/05/02/big-local-the-biggest-google-map-spam-ever/ - bookmarked by [...]
September 4th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
These guys are calling me all the time with RECORDINGS and lame telemarketers… I told one of them, “You found me didnt you?” and “I dont see you guys using your own service… did a search on you A-holes and found nothing…” but bad comments…
November 21st, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Big Local .com is a scam! They signed me up for their 3 mo. special and then took advantage of me saying that I had an agreement with them for 12 months in all. They misrepresented themselves to me. They then had the audasity to take money from my credit card. Now they refuse to give me my money back. They are unethical in their business practices and unfair to their customers. DO NOT SIGN ON WITH THIS COMPANY.
January 27th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
They did the same thing to me as they did to midnight. I called to complain and the guy, Ryan acted like it was perfectly legal what they’d done. He did not worry if I called the Utah Attorney general or the BBB. So, i cancelled my credit card. Those A-holes will get theirs pretty soon. When they do, i hope Ryan likes prison sex, ha.ha ha.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Since I have been back in Google Local with ehlinelaw.com/, I have seen overwhelming Mapspam for practically every law firm in California, most notably, “Los Angeles”.
The ones who are doing it are controlling the one, three and ten packs for practically every popular keyword. The typical violations are multiple addresses for the City of “Los Angeles”, and variations of the firm names for the same locations, as well as now, listing the employees and partners for each firm for the same locations in “Los Angeles”
As you should know, most people looking for an attorney in Los Angeles County, type in “Los Angeles” personal injury lawyer, motorcycle accident attorney, injury lawyers, etc.
So someone with several fake addresses downtown is not only getting all the City business, but the business for the entire County!
There is no way to report in in the Maps Groups as comments are closed.
I am angered, since I was banned for over 7 months for doing much less than these guys, and they are all dominating local search. Any suggestions?
March 4th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Okay, I fell for it. After committing to a 90 trial at 9.99/month they have continued to bill me at $99./month and say I am under contract for a full year.
March 6th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Me too! I told them I would trytheir service for the 2 months for $19.99 per month but they are to call me and I’ll let then know if I am going to continue but only with a phone call.Call never made, they also charged my credit card $99.00 and I could not get anyone to talk to me twice so I called my credit card co. and put in a dispute. They are also sayingI’m under contract for a yr because I nedeed to make that phone call. I told the girl I’m not payingand hungup on her!!
March 11th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
A business owner should be responsible enough to read tearms and conditions before giving credit card information. You are all stupid. Dont blaim BigLocal for that!
March 23rd, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Searched for Big Local when a sales rep called trying to basically sell me what Google already does. How many folks fall for this? Lots of scams. Look up info on grants. A while back someone called me about sharing links. After looking basically I could get maybe 1 good link for taking 3-4 crappy ones.
March 24th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I should have checked this forum before I signed up! What a scam! An attorney I know referred me to their service since they, apparently, put him on the first place on Google maps. I encountered NUMEROUS problems with this company from the first day. First, they put up a misspelled business listing, although I instructed them twice, on the phone, and by email, as to my correct contact info. Second, I specifically explained that I already had a website and that I did not want them to create their “Free 5 page complimentary website.” They disregarded and, without my authorization, started to host a 2nd website for my company, with TERRIBLE red-black design, just a copy of the same text! The web designers never called although I complained to the customer service many times. Then, they changed my Google listing three times since they couldn’t get it right for some reason! Each time they updated it, Google, of course, verified it, it disappered, and my rating is still on the last pages on Maps. Their promised SEO just doesn’t work! There are no links to my website which they would create, and I don’t see me listed in any other directories apart from Google, Yahoo and MSN. When I finally called two months after subscribing and asked for cancelation since they did not deliver their “satisfaction garantee” under the Terms and Conditions Agreement, they refused to reimburse me, told that I subscribed to the contract and had to pay them at least $50 monthly fee for the rest of the year. After I continued to demand reimbursment, my account manager hanged up! I sent an official written notice per Paragraph 3.3 of their Agreement that they failed to put me on the first page on Google and Yahoo, as garanteed. If they don’t issue a refund within 15 days, I will dispute the charges with my credit card company.
March 30th, 2009 at 10:07 am
My situation is identical to Flooring Company. I told them to call me at the end of the 3rd month, no call recieved and $99/month billing started. I was advised by my credit card/bank issuer when disputed to get a new credit card number or they will continue to bill. Sure enough, got the $50 speal from BL abd that I still owe them and they tried to bill. Good luck BL jackasses and if my credit is effected I will sue on my own. I just got a automated phone call saying there was a problem. LOL! My credit card company/bank is not only getting my $99 per month back, they said they are going after the $19.95 for the 3 months too. My banker and I are pretty good friends.
Big Local needs a class action lawsuit.
C’mon Milly, fess up, you work for Big Local - right?
April 6th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
[...] location to appear more relevant than you really are. Many companies are trying to create fake, spammy business listings in Google Maps. They are routinely getting removed and penalized for this [...]
April 8th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Dude they are telemarketers. Just say NO.
Boiler room high pressure sales. Just say no
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Same story here.
I signed up for their special promotion, 60 days at $19.99 per month.
They put in writing, per e-mail, that there would be NO CONTRACT and NO OBLIGATION TO CONTINUE.
The rep promised to waive the $99 set up fee. They promised 5 categories, and said the the coverage would extend to a 30 miles radius.
Got 4 categores, the radius was more like 3 miles, they charged my credit card the $99 set up fee.
I requested to cancel.
They not only did not cancel, they continued to charge my credit card $99 per month. I had to cancel my credit card to end the unauthorized charges….which is easier than disputing the charges every month.
Now they point to a contract that I didn’t sign saying I have a 12 month commitment, or pay a penalty of $50 per month.
Amazing, they owe me $380!!…….and that’s not counting the $20 per month for the first 2 months.
Now they say they are going to take it to collections. If they ding my perfect credit, there will be a law suit.
They have only been in business around 2 years and already have over 20+ formal complaints with the Better Business Bureau.