When consumers surf the web to learn about products and services prior to making purchase decisions, they’re searching to get the best deals. Still, shoppers have to be savvy about bargains they find – it can be easy for companies to spread false advertisments across the internet.
At the same time, customers can just as easily use the internet to take down brands that don’t follow through on advertised deals. Recently, Dallas-based search engine optimization (SEO) firm GlobeRunner helped one local consumer organization fight an online scam by creating top-searched warnings about fraudulent auto advertisements.
A local auto dealer was posting retouched car photos on the internet and promising bargain prices for quality rides. Customers were lured to the shop by its online prominence only to find the cars in question needed major repairs. Since the majority of disgruntled clients had found the auto dealer through internet searches, they decided to fight back on the web.
GlobeRunner helped consumers create an advocacy group and online ads that warned prospective customers about the car dealer’s deceptive practices. In its first weekend, the cautionary ad attracted 415 online visitors."It’s very exciting – a quantum leap in terms of effectiveness," said Eric McGehearty, CEO of GlobeRunner. He thinks consumer advocacy groups’ use of SEO could be a rising trend.
This tale might be taken as business owners’ cue to deliver what they promise online. SEO has the power to boost a brand, but it’s important to use only accurate information when trying to come out on top of searches.
