Question

This guy took 99 used smartphones are transported them in a small cart to generate a virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. By doing this, he proved it was possible to turn a green street red which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route to avoid being stuck in traffic. I wonder if this is possible to do the same thing, but visit a store or location--so make Google think that there is a bunch of people visiting a local business. Do you think it would have any impact on Google Maps rankings?  
http://www.simonweckert.com/googlem...qNpRA

Answer 1

It likely would work but there are easier ways

Answer 2

I will forever attribute this specific Google Maps spam strategy to you, Bill. It is clever and brilliant and I hope you wear the mantle proudly. LOL!  

Comments

But it's not really spam if they are separate phones, though, no?  

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@gomes I guess technically it's not spam until a search engine forbids the practice. But if it becomes a thing I'll give you credit.  

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@narcotize think of all the "fake social media stats" phones lying around that can now be re-purposed.  

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@phenothiazine you mean you aren't using your old phones for that already?  

Answer 3

I think if done over time it would show that store being busier than other times. Like a peak in traffic.  

Comments

I am pretty sure google could recognize the devices all sharing the same WiFi. Who’s to say that they don’t only count cellular connections.  

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@stanfill68171 Sure. which is what happens at Starbucks. Sounds like a great indicator of traffic because they KNOW those devices are in your location.  

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@stanfill68171 They "can" technically, but what if you and I go to the same store, like Target, and use their wifi? We have different phones and let's say we don't know each other. Google would be seeing activity at that location.  

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@gomes True. lots of big box stores and grocery stores have free Wifi Now

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. and I guarantee they are using that Wifi to track your behavior and probably use your EMEI to load you into a custom audience

Answer 4

I'm really curious to know how with geo targeting etc they didn't realise they were all next to each other like say on a bus.  

Comments

In this case Google didn't realize they were all next to each other. That's the funny part of it.  

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@punchball59914 geotargeting is not that accurate on the kind of msps Google is using. And, probably they don't even check thinks like that. Is America, they must be in cars

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@gomes Weird isn't because surely they must know where 20 devices or so are in a bus or train. So why not in a cart? Lol

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@punchball59914 They know the location, but it's only accurate up to a few hundred feet, I believe.  

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@gomes around 90 feet

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@gomes interesting why he didn't creat a drawing being an artist and all has disappointed me somewhat I must say lol

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He had car navigation turned on on the phones, so that's usually a good indicator of driving…

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@kingfisher13887 except this was in germany

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@maziar didn't knew that, thanks :)

Answer 5

Take the same 99 phones into the same location at the same time each day for 30 days straight. What do you think will happen to the "busy times" listed at that location?  

Comments

Yeah, just buy those phones and turn them on every day.  

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@gomes sounds like a good revenue opportunity for mobile repair places or anyplace that rents mobile phones.  

Answer 6

Wish he would search for my site with his phone s

Answer 7

I might have to start a new service. for $XXX I will visit your brick and mortar location with my bag of 99 iPhones.  

Comments

@gomes but why limit yourself to 99. I mean. The possibilities are endless. Or at least we should first research on how much phones can a cell tower actually service. I guess that might be your limit right there  

Answer 8

It is likely, yeah. They don't have a way of identifying living souls just yet. Only devices.  

Comments

@depoliti hopefully dead people don't walk round the street with a phone in their pocket though

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That's true of course. But apparently those 99 phones don't have an actual living person attached to them now have they  

Answer 9

Game the engines, shall we? :)

Answer 10

Probably, we might see GMBs like, "Rent 99 Phones, LLC" in near future. New niche, new business, new possibilities. LOL.  

Answer 11

Couldn’t you do the same with geofencing?  

Answer 12

Maybe QDF type signal. if you replicated all those phones at a venue or an event what impact would that have after the first instance of that "swarm"

Answer 13

How much do you think the 99 phones cost. He has to have cell data on each phone to get the driving directions to work. So what, it's about 15-20. 00 per phone right? @gomes or is my math off.  

Comments

You can get them for $9 each, I've seen them for as low as $7 each in bulk. But I don't think it would take 99 phones, it would be interesting to test it at 50 phones.  

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You still have to activate cell service though.  

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@si3 Hmmm. not necessarily. Couldn't one phone use a hotspot or they could use wifi ? Maps and location data still works on wifi.  

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In theory yes, but with you moving around the block it would drop if your not close to a open wifi. I think "normal" test would be at least 20. 00 per phone (bulk purchase + data charge) Now if they had the phones on a plan, you can do 5 phones on my current plan (10. 00 to add each additional line + phone) I don't see it being cheaper then 20. 00 a phone either way.  

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@si3 correct. and there are so many other ways to monetize those phones, as well.  

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What about 1 mobile hotspot with all phones connected?  

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I'm not sure, but shit's a lot cheaper in Europe where this looks to have taken place. There's a million prepaid sim options

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@narcotize Whitener In theory yes. But you would have several drop bc it’s pulling 99 phones at once. I would do like 10-1 hotspot.  

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@si3. Yeah, might need a few for that instead of 1.  

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The other issue I found in doing some research this morning. All those 10 phones would have the same IP, we don't want that. We would want 1 ip per phone.  

Answer 14

Someone shoulda paid him to put in and follow driving directions to a local GMB on all the phones, and track the rankings before and after ;)

Comments

@dimorph28475 I think I’m going to attempt to do a similar test. @gomes any chance you cn help me find a large bulk buy on used phones for cheap? I will get 10 of them on hotspots and pull 10:10. I’ll pick a GMB in Rockford or Madison in heavy competition and do the diving directions for a few days.  

Answer 15

I'm pretty sure after this google will be able to differentiate between real users using their mobiles and such idle phones especially the fact that they are all so close together, its just something the developers didn't think about yet

Answer 16

And now for something completely different - sung to the tune of Neun­und­neunzig Luftballons "Hast du etwas Zeit für mich Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich Von 99 billiges handy Auf ihrem Weg zum Schlosserei"

Answer 17

Setting up my own test  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGq...Mt7nw

Answer 18

I was just thinking about something like this. 100 phones = 100 People = 100 Gmail accounts All or few phones go into a local business and come out then they leave a review from the same phone. Few phones return back next day and some return. Phones send traffic report, that the route is busy on the way to the local business from various different popular spotd and also send reviews everyday. Now, G thinks that this local business is more popular and very much in demand by the local residents and boosts it up in the local map pack. Some phones can also travel long distance to reach the local biz to grow proximity reach.  

Comments

@apart65821 Google is already tracking all of those things so they will definitely have a positive effect on results. What else do you think they use to determine the "best pizza place near me" other than an analysis of such signals?  

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@phenothiazine high level local guide reviews.  

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@apart65821 Yep, like you already said. "All or few phones go into a local business and come out then they leave a review from the same phone. "

Answer 19

Definitely gray hat there Bill. ;)

Comments

I'm thinking black, Joe