Fake Locksmith

Question 1:

In no more than one paragraph, summarize the problem that this article investigates:

        The problem is that there are so many fake locksmiths out there. They are call centers that most often out of state with work with the sub-contractors to get as much as money they can get from customers. These fake locksmiths use the tricks to appear on the first list of Google. When customers call these fake locksmiths to get the quote, they usually get an estimate from $35 to $90. But when the work is done, the subcontractors would charge them 3 to 4 times more than the quote with the explanation, as the work was more complicated than usual.  Another problem is these fake locksmiths have all physical locations on Google map, but in which Photoshop by a web design firm creates them. Even though with the help of many Mappers, Google still never seemed to respond as quickly as the spammers. The spammers change their tactics so quickly, and Google literally hasn’t been able to keep up with them.  

Question 2:

Now expand on the role of the lead generation companies in this ecosystem. Precisely how do they connect consumers and locksmiths? In your answer, you should mention and discuss: Adwords, search engine optimization, and Map Maker.

        First of all, the fake locksmiths have spent a ton of money on Google Adwords in order to be seen by customers at the very moment that they’re searching on Google for locksmiths near by me. The Adwords is a Google’s paid advertising platform, which only charges the users by the amount of clicks to the website. The more money you spend on Adwords, the more chance you would appear on the number 1 list on Google search. However, in order to determine the AD rank on the Adwords, there are 2 factors need to be considered. The quality score and the maximum bid would determine the AD rank.  The formula is Max Bid X Quality Score= AD rank. The better quality score your websites has, the less money you have to pay to stay on top of the AD rank. This is why in case of locksmiths, the related ads can cost about $30 or so per click. The fake locksmiths pay Adwords to advertise for the “$19 service” to attract customers. The customers expect to pay only $19 for their services, but it would end up roughly around $200. This is the reason why the fake locksmiths are able to pay for the Adwords.

        According to shopify.com, “SEO is a process of proving to search engine that you are the best site, the most authoritative, the most trusted, the most unique and interesting site that they can offer to their customers.”  Basically, Google uses an algorithm to collect factors to determine your website. There is a bunch of factors that give scores to your website. In case if Locksmiths, it’s clear that customers look at how many buildings on the site. The more buildings lead customers to more likely believe that they were calling someone that could show up quickly. These fake buildings are necessary to trick the algorithm and customers to show up on the first list of Google.