If you’re investing in SEO, chances are you’ve received a handful of Google telemarketing calls already. This happens for several reasons. One of them is using Google My Business to list your company online. It’s easy for robocallers and companies to get your contact information, cold call you, and hope you fall for whatever ploy they’re selling.
These calls have nothing to do with your current SEO company and they can do nothing to stop them. Here’s how you can stop Google telemarketing calls.
Here’s How to Stop Google Telemarketing Calls
If your phone number isn’t already listed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) National Do Not Call Registry, register it. It can take up to 30 days for your number to update on that list. Once that 30-day period has come up, anytime you get a Google telemarketing call, make sure to report the number online or call 888-382-1222 with your complaint. With enough reports, the FTC can act against telemarketers and stop the calls.
From there, you must block the numbers on your phone, if possible. Most cell phones allow you to add phone numbers to an auto-reject list, do so for every phone number that calls you pretending to be Google.
If you can’t block phone numbers directly from your phone, there are apps out there on the Android and iOS stores that allow you to do so.
You can also block numbers directly through your cellular service provider.
Here are a few things to know about Google and phone calls:
- Google will never call you unless you ask them to do so
- Google doesn’t place automated sales call
- Google will never ask you to update your information or sell you services to do it for you
- Google will not charge you to set up or update your Google My Business listing
Google only calls you when you’ve asked them to through issues with Google My Business, AdWords, and other services. You solicit these calls through the Google website, then Google calls you back. During the Google My Business verification process, once you receive the postcard and input the verification code, you’ll get an automated call to confirm the process. Google will warn you about this call, and you’ll see the notification on your computer screen as well.
If a company calls and claims to be a Google Partner, you need to know that the company doesn’t work for Google. They have a certification from Google that says they’ve taken part in advanced training through the search engine, giving them access to information to do their jobs better in accordance with Google Webmaster Guidelines. You can verify if someone is a Google Partner by going here.
While you can’t stop these Google telemarketing calls from happening all the time, you can take steps to prevent the annoyance, report them, and ensure you’re not taken advantage of by scammers out there.
