Just A Minute!

Why Do I Keep Getting Calls Asking Me To “Verify My Google Listing?”

Hi Reader,

If you own a business, you’ve probably gotten tons of those annoying robocalls: “Press 1 to verify your Google listing now...”

They're urgent! They're scary! They're... fake!

Some companies get dozens of these every month. I got one myself this morning that said: "We're having an urgent issue with your Google business listing and would like to get this fixed before the end of the day..." Sounds really bad, right?

Here’s the truth: Google will never call you like this. These are shady companies that scrape your phone number off the internet, dump it into a giant robocall list, and try to frighten you into paying for a “service” you don't need.

Here are some tell-tale signs of a scammer:

• Concerning language like “your services could be disrupted."
• No company name, or generic company names like “The Business Help Center.”
• An offer to “fix” something that isn’t broken (for a few hundred bucks!).

Here's the good news: you don't need to do anything with these calls. Block these callers. Delete their voicemails. Don't press "9" or call them back to opt out.

Now, you're probably also wondering how you can stop them, right? The bad news is, you can't prevent them entirely. But here are a few options to limit them:

#1) Turn on call filtering: Your phone provider can block some (but not all) known spammers. It's cheap but not very effective. It's a good place to start, though.

#2) Silence unknown callers: iPhones and Androids have an option that sends strangers straight to voicemail. Warning: Any caller not already saved in your phone won't ring at all, so use with caution.

#3) Use a dedicated “website only” phone number: Don't put your actual phone number on the internet in the first place! (I do this by default for almost all my clients.)

If you already have one (or more) of these numbers, but you're still getting a ton of these calls, we can set up a "call challenge" that bots can’t pass. When a spammer bot calls and hears “Press 1 to be connected,” it isn't capable of doing this. The call is never connected, and your phone stays blissfully silent. This is quick to set up, can eliminate 90%+ of spam calls, and I can walk you through whether it makes sense for your setup.

#4) AI answering agents: This is something just now becoming available, and it’s pretty cool if you like experimenting with new tech. It can screen out most of the spam calls before they reach you. It has some additional costs, and it does take some setup, and it’s not for everyone (some legitimate callers will find it a little weird talking to a robot instead of a human). But if you’re curious about how it works (and whether it’s a good fit for your business), I’m happy to walk you through it.

The bottom line:

There are multiple ways to reduce annoying calls trying to scare you into signing up for things you don't need. Try whatever sounds best for you and your business, and adjust as needed. Let me know if I can help, and best of luck.

Speaking of luck, here's an Irish blessing for your business this week:

P.S. Got a question you’d like answered in a future email? Just hit reply. Yes, it’s really me, and yes, I read every response.

Ron Stauffer

Lieder Digital

​Visit My Website / Connect on LinkedIn​