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Why does Google always take so long to stop search engine marketing abuses?
Google will be suspending advertising by locksmiths in Spain as of November 4, in response to abundant media coverage (link in Spanish) of victims who have been scammed.
Spain is not alone, in other countries such as Canada or the United States, locksmiths are restricted from advertising on Google unless they pass an advanced and demanding verification system, which includes government accreditation. In other countries, such as Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden, advertising for this type of service on Google has been completely banned since 2019. In the Netherlands, moreover, advertisements for plumbers are also banned for the same reason.
What’s the problem? Simply, that some companies, known as “door openers” by the true professionals in the field, use SEM to position themselves at the top of the listings and on search engine maps, bidding increasing amounts to leave out the companies that try to provide these services legitimately and registering hundreds of false addresses throughout the city so they always appear first when someone is looking for a locksmith near their home.
As with any emergency service, many clients usually try to locate the first locksmith who appears on Google without taking into account (or directly without knowing) the…
