Google has suspended the secondary ticketing company Viagogo from its paid-for search results, globally and with immediate effect, a potentially huge blow to the website’s ability to do business. Google said it had found Viagogo in breach of its advertising policy and would begin removing its ads on Wednesday. The Swiss-based website’s listings have previously appeared at the very top of the page when consumers search for tickets, even for gigs by artists who have condemned the website, such as Ed Sheeran. The letter said that Viagogo’s prominence in search results, via the search engine’s paid service Google Ads, was luring consumers into buying sports, music and theatre tickets that may be invalid. Claire Turnham, awarded an MBE for her work in securing refunds for consumers who bought tickets from Viagogo, said she was “ecstatic”.

Source: The Guardian July 17, 2019 12:50 UTC