Why the top Google result isn't always the best HGV school
Search "HGV training Kent" and the first few results are often adverts. Their position tells you who paid for the click, not who trains best.
Short answer
Results labelled "Sponsored" are adverts. The advertiser pays Google each time someone clicks, and that cost is built into the price you're quoted. Where an advert appears depends on how much the advertiser bids and how Google rates the ad, not on the quality of the training.
How to spot an advert
- Adverts carry a "Sponsored" label, at the top of the results and often again at the bottom.
- Map results can include adverts too, with the same label.
- The rest of the page, the ordinary results, can't be bought. They're ranked on relevance and reputation built up over time.
What an advert does and doesn't tell you
An advert shows that a company is willing to pay for your click. Plenty of good schools advertise. So do brokers that own no trucks and pass you on to someone else. The advert alone can't tell them apart, and it can't tell you whether the price is fair.
A company that wins most of its customers through paid clicks has to cover that cost somewhere, and it usually comes out of your course price or your training hours.
Check who is behind an advert
- Find the advertiser's name. Google verifies advertisers and shows their name and location in ad disclosures.
- Search that name in the Ads Transparency Center. You can see the other adverts they run, including adverts under different brand names.
- Compare names. Check the advertiser name against the name on the website and on Companies House. Several brand names leading to one company is a sign of a network.
- Look the provider up on Google Maps. A school has a yard with trucks you can see in photos, and reviews that mention instructors by name and the test centres they use.
- Ask the eight questions in our broker or school guide before you pay anything.
Reading reviews properly
- Look at how many reviews there are and how recent they are, not just the star rating.
- Real reviews tend to mention instructors, trucks, test centres and pass dates.
- Check the bad reviews for patterns, especially refunds, cancelled training and extra charges.
A faster way to compare
Our Kent price index lists what local providers publish, side by side, with the hours and what's included. If you already have a quote, check it here.