Update – Google has now resolved the issue affecting branded searches…
Updated on 5th January 2026
We’re pleased to share that Google has resolved the search issue affecting established brand names, and Paperstone is once again ranking correctly for its own brand searches.
As we outlined in our original post, Google Search was temporarily misinterpreting some branded queries, causing users searching specifically for Paperstone to be shown results for unrelated brands instead. This behaviour was not the result of a penalty, a loss of trust, or any action taken on our website – but rather a short-term glitch within Google’s search systems.
We’ve monitored branded search results closely and can confirm that Paperstone now appears as expected at the top of Google search results for our brand name.
What caused the issue?
There was a glitch with Google briefly which affected how certain brand queries were interpreted, particularly where brand names were similar to other, more globally recognised terms. In our case, searches for “Paperstone” were occasionally treated as a spelling correction rather than a deliberate branded query.
This resulted in:
- Reduced visibility for branded searches
- Confusing search results for customers actively looking for Paperstone
- Temporary fluctuations in branded traffic and click-through rates
Importantly, this was not related to our website quality or SEO compliance.
What this means for customers and partners
If you search for Paperstone today, you should now consistently see our official website, products and listings exactly where you would expect them.
For our customers, this means:
- Easier access to our website via Google
- Clear, accurate branded search results
- A smoother journey from search to checkout
For partners and suppliers, it confirms that our search visibility and brand presence remain strong and stable.
What we’ve learned
Even well-established brands are not immune to technical search issues – transparency and monitoring matter.
This experience has reinforced the importance of:
- Regularly checking branded search results, not just non-brand keywords
- Maintaining strong brand signals across content, technical SEO and structured data
- Acting quickly when anomalies appear.
We’ve taken steps to strengthen how our brand is understood by search engines and will continue to closely monitor branded performance.
Final thoughts
Search engines play a crucial role in how customers find and trust brands online. While this issue was outside our control, we’re pleased to see it resolved.
Thank you to everyone who flagged the issue and supported us while it was ongoing. As always, we’ll continue to prioritise clarity, accessibility and trust – both on our website and in search.
Original Article (Published November 2025)
At Paperstone, we’ve spent more than two decades building a name you can trust, supplying office and business essentials to thousands of UK businesses. So you can imagine our surprise when we noticed a sudden drop in our Google search visibility – all because of a quirky autocorrect mistake.
For some reason beyond our control, Google has been confusing “Paperstone” with “Pepperstone,” a multinational financial company. That means anyone searching for us is sometimes being sent somewhere completely different. Not ideal when you’re trying to reach new customers!
“This is extraordinary,” says Jim Brown, Paperstone’s CEO and founder. “We’ve spent 21 years earning the trust of UK businesses. To see Google treat our name as a typo – sending our customers to someone else entirely – is frustrating, to say the least.”
A tricky situation for an established ecommerce brand
The autocorrect mix-up has already caused a noticeable drop in searches for our brand. Even as a long-term Google Ads customer, getting help from Google to fix this SEO issue hasn’t been easy.
Search errors like this usually happen to newer or lesser-known brands, not a well-established company like Paperstone. It does make you wonder how Google’s latest algorithm updates are handling well-known brand names.
Why other online retailers should pay attention to their SEO
- As AI-driven search systems get smarter, even established brands can end up misunderstood.
- Strong SEO doesn’t automatically protect you from these algorithm quirks.
- Keeping an eye on your brand, optimising your structured data, and checking your search results regularly is more important than ever.
“This feels a bit like a David vs. Goliath situation,” adds Jim. “Even as a high-spending, long-term Google customer, we’ve felt invisible. We want other brands to be aware, so they don’t get caught out the same way.”
What we’re doing about it
- Speaking with industry peers and journalists to raise awareness.
- Updating our brand markup and schema data.
- Keeping a closer eye on our branded keywords.
Let’s tackle this Google SEO challenge together
You can help us – if you see Pepperstone results when searching for Paperstone – simply click “Search instead for paperstone” when Google suggests it (like shown); or try searching with extra keywords e.g. “Paperstone UK”.
We’d also encourage other ecommerce and retail brands to check their own branded search results and flag any strange autocorrect behaviour. We’re happy to share what we’ve learned with anyone facing the same issue.
This isn’t just a Paperstone problem – it’s a reminder that no brand, no matter how established, is completely immune to algorithmic changes. As search engines evolve, staying alert, flexible, and proactive is key.
If you’ve experienced a similar issue or would like to talk to us about this please contact us at hello@paperstone.co.uk.
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