Case 4: Searching for an architect should mean finding an architect

RSUA is committed to ensuring that when a member of the public searches for an architect in Northern Ireland, search engines direct them to qualified architects rather than to individuals or businesses that may claim to be architects but are not.

Our aim is to protect the public and maintain the good reputation of architects.

You can read more about our work here.

John O’Brien Architectural Services Ltd

In January, RSUA raised its concerns with ARB that Enniskillen-based firm John O’Brien Architectural Services Ltd may have been misusing the title “architect”.

Following ARB intervention, the following changes were made:

• Previously, the metadata of the business’ website homepage included three instances of the line: “Experienced Architects | John O’Brien | Enniskillen”. These have been removed.
• Meta keywords are tags in a webpage’s code that help search engines understand its topic. Adding the word “Architects” allows a business to appear higher in search results when people search for that term.
• Previously, when searching on Yell for “Commercial Architects near Enniskillen” and “Architects near County Fermanagh”, the business was listed as “Architects in Northern Ireland”. This is no longer the case.

Screenshots – Before and After

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Ongoing Work – Role for Members

RSUA has four other case files live with ARB currently. We will report on these in due course.

If you become aware of any instances of title misuse, please contact Curtis Large, RSUA Policy and Public Affairs Officer, by emailing curtis@rsua.org.uk