Google files trademark infringement suit against bothersome SEO/SEM company.
Google has sued Local Lighthouse Corp, which has undertaken a massive robocall and telemarketing campaign and, from personal experience, tried to trick callers into thinking it was associated with Google.
It’s likely you’ve received a robocall from these this group, even if you didn’t know who was behind it. The calls suggest the caller is from Google, or representing Google, and needs to talk to you about your search rankings.
Google alleges (pdf) that the many of the company’s sales agents say they represent Google or are calling on behalf of Google. These allegations are apparently backed up by consumer lawsuits against Local Lighthouse.
When Google sent a demand letter to the company last year, it denied making robocalls, according to the suit.
After receiving numerous robocalls about Google rankings, I finally played along with one of the salespeople to figure out who was behind the calls and tied it to Local Lighthouse. The first time, the sales person caught on and hung up. The second time I had a lengthy conversation and eventually sussed out the company name.
If you receive a telemarketing call from someone falsely suggesting they’re associated with Google, you can report it here.
About time, too!