Previously, we took the time to help explain why it’s super difficult to find free bee removal services. This blog is dedicated to helping other bee professionals understand how they may be listed as a free bee removal company.
For those of you who are reading this hoping to find Free Bee Removal we have a few bits of info that you may find interesting. Such as what companies really mean when they say “Free”
What do the “Free Bee Removal” Search Results Say?
1. First we are going to break down what happens when we do a search online and what the results actually mean. We are going to get a little technical, but you may learn a few things.
Here’s a screen shot of what happens when you search on Google. You may get a different look based on your geographic location.
In the above graphic you will notice that upon doing a search, Google has returned a set of geographic results with a map. These are called Local results. It is displaying the top 3 businesses based on geographic location from Google maps. Not because they are known for doing Free work, but because they are Bee Removal Specialists in the area who might use the word free when describing a particular feature of their business or service and are trusted by Google.
If we were to visit the websites of the companies listed you will quickly notice that these companies offer “Free Estimates” or “Chemical Free” and “Pesticide Free” services. This does not equate to free services. The Second company on that list mentions, “Affordable Rates” meaning, there is a cost.
2. Second we will look at the next portion of Google’s search results where we can see the organic results, aka: websites or landing pages.
In the above graphic we see a handful of results. Let’s explore these to see what’s going on. First do us a favor and scan through the words to try to find the bold text. These happen to be what you searched for. Do you happen to see the words “free bee removal” ? In what context do you see them?
Now let’s get into what’s going on here…
Someone is Listing your Company as a Free Bee Resource
So it looks like if I was a human and read the results, I would definitely think and count on the Yelp having the info I’m looking for. After all it says: “Best Free bee removal” Wow, doesn’t that sound like a great resource? But it get’s better… that result actually shows up even if you don’t include the word “Free” when searching Google.
At the time our company was actually at the top of that list. We are going to go more into that in a few minutes.
Upon clicking it we find that it’s a list of local businesses offering a pest control or bee service. Some of which we know for a fact, do not offer free bee services. Just to be sure, we placed a few calls and sure enough, nobody on the list does free bee removal.
Some may ask, “Why does Yelp have a page like this?” We don’t have a specific answer to that question because when we asked Yelp that very question, they claimed they didn’t understand what we were talking about and proceeded to tell us that it was Google’s fault. So we turned to reputable Search Engine experts and asked them what they thought. The answer: Yelp wants more traffic to their website by using the term “Free” as bait. It’s called “click bait” and it’s a shady way to artificially drive more traffic to the Yelp website. People click on it, thinking they will get something free, when in fact there is no free service.
Why is my company listed as a Free Bee Removal Company, How do I get it removed?
Ever wonder why you are getting so many phone calls for Free Bee Removal Services? Is your company on Yelp’s list? Is it telling the public that you offer free bee services?
As we mentioned earlier, that search result will actually show up in organic search results even if you do not use the word “Free” in your search query. Here’s another screen shot of Google when we search for Bee Removal and included a City such as San Diego.
To make matters worse we did some simple searching with other cities from around the U.S. and found the same happening in other places in California. It was happening in Seattle Washington, until a friend of ours Tweeted it and then Yelp removed it. But when we Tweeted the one for San Diego, they just ignored it.
The bottom line, Yelp may be using your good name for their benefit.
A possible solution that we are currently implementing:
- If you do any advertising with Yelp, you should inform your ad manager who is in charge of your account.
- If it’s still not resolved, ask for the management team in charge of the local online directory for Yelp.
- Do not take “it’s Googles fault” for an answer because the problem is displayed from their website not Google’s
- Submit Reports, Log the Reports and ask Yelp for Confirmation and Check In’s weekly until it’s resolved.
If you have suggestions please let us know in the comments. So far we have not been able to get Yelp to remove the listing.
Hopefully we have helped with uncovering some of the reasons why bee companies get calls to do free work. There’s a lot going on out on the internet and somethings may not seem real or are too good to be true. Take your time to read websites, reviews and really consider what it takes to get the job done correctly. After all, you get what you pay for.
Yelp is without a doubt, shady, unscrupulous, devious, dishonest in their methods, and even blackmailers! They can not be trusted and will hold your business reputation hostage if you do not advertise with them. They are just awful to deal with.
Hi Hughie. It really is a shame. I feel sorry for all the companies that PAY Yelp to advertise that they are offering FREE service. If it’s not already, it should be illegal.