⚠️ Contractors Beware: Google Review Fraud Is On The Rise (Again)! | Talk Of The Trades | Ep. 014

Google review scams are on the rise — and contractors are the top targets. In this episode of Talk Of The Trades, Aaron Watters and Dennis Ayotte expose the latest fraud tactics hurting home service businesses — from fake 1-star reviews to review extortion schemes — and share the exact steps to protect your reputation online. Aaron also discusses long-term planning, including the importance of attribution tools like The Graphite Lab's assembly feature for re-attributing call sources.0:00 – Welcome Back & The TACCA Golf Tournament1:40 – Why Networking Still Matters in the Trades4:50 – Smart Networking Ideas for Contractors8:10 – Leadership Groups & Building Business Relationships10:55 – Google Review Scams Are Exploding12:20 – How to Handle Review Extortion the Right Way17:25 – Other Online Scams Hitting Contractors20:00 – How to Protect Your Reputation Online24:50 – How can businesses successfully manage big software or system changes?33:45 – Planning for 2026: Budgets, Brand Awareness & AIThey also dive into networking strategies, Leadhub’s ClickUp transition, and best practices for 2026 marketing and budgeting.👤 Mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/@thegraphitelab2379👉 Subscribe for weekly insights on marketing, leadership, and business growth in the trades!📢 Follow Us:Talk Of The Trades: https://linktr.ee/TalkOfTheTrades🎧 More Episodes:https://open.spotify.com/show/0ocMWKCzR8kzO5W7Zaz0FC?si=219d22fb5f2d4ab6