Inspection company uses my company name on Google Ads. Thoughts anyone?

Sooo this could be in relation to the call I received a day or two ago. Link here if you have not seen thread: Attention: Nachi, Ben or Nick Gromicko

I took a screen shot of company who used my company name Del Fine Home Inspections and basically on a Google Ad added it to title. I think person who contacted me works for company. Why would they use my name? What’s the angle? Thoughts?

So Ad went something like this… paid ad. I am not going to name company just yet.

Del Fine Home Inspections-Best Inspectors in Industry
(AD) Home Inspector | Home Inspections | Del Fine Home Inspections <<< this was not web address it was the other companies website… (LOL)
Inspectors-Inspections

That’s not your website in the ad link?

The original AD had other companies website link, but used my company name as Title.

Is it all fixed now, or is there something we’re not seeing? Link you shared above goes to your site.

I didn’t add the other companies web link.

Company is still at it. Confirmed last night.

Did you call them up and tell them to stop that s**t. They are using your name in their advertising which is probably not legal.

A couple of years ago I had a marketing company contact me about getting more activity to my website.
I do not remember the name of the marketing company because their proposal left a bad taste in my mouth and I chose not to work with them.

The marketing companies suggestion was to list out all of my competitors and make google ads using their company name and link it back to my company.

I informed them that I did not feel that this was a ethical or legal way of marketing. Their response was that “IT WORKS”

Click the ad every time you see it.

Common business tactic. A good example I’ve seen within these forums, Spectora software buys ad words for people who are searching for Spectacular software. Google does have rules about using someone else’s name exactly (like the way you showed it) I don’t think that’s allowed. As for clicking on it every time you see it, Google is smart enough to know a competitor continually clicking on the paid ads and it won’t bill them so don’t waste your time. I would contact google because the way you showed it, it’s probably against copyright rules. Good luck!

The guy probably is not putting your company name in his ad. Google recommends the plus sign be used in their ads. The plus sign replaces what the prospect is searching for in Google. If you then set your location to show ads when searching from or about the location (city or town) the ad will have that (location) in the title, making the ad look more relevant to the searcher. Lets say the keyword is +home inspection, when somebody types in your company name and your company name contains Home Inspection or Home Inspections, your name will appear in the ad.
Just tell this inspector what is going on. He can put your company name is his negative keyword list so it will block his ad appearing when somebody is searching for your name. I would be very nice when talking to him, because since Google encourages the plus sign to be used, he probably is not legally in the wrong.
If you would like to learn more about Google Ads, Google has videos on how to set up Adwords. They will even assign you a person at Google that will help you with your ads for six months.

Going on 2 weeks. I guess it’s time for me to take it as a compliment.

Search for any other company that has Home Inspection in their name. This will prove that I am right or not.

You’re saying I would see other companies showing my name? I only see that one company when I perform search.

I like how you think chuck!

this is a horrible situation. I would be pissed. You should post this in the legal thread and get advice from lawyers. definitely should contact the DBPR about this other company.

Part of me wonders if the owner hired a marketing company and doesnt realize this is how they are “getting results”.

This is most likely whats happening. Google auto populates adds. They actually recommend this. It was happening to my company. I contacted the company and it was google doing it not the company.

No, type in Joe Blow Home Inspections and see if his ad appears with that name in the title. Not your company name.

Exactly!