Dozens of Irish firms have made complaints about an English company representing itself as part of Google and promising top rankings on the search engine’s website.

Matchmaker Marketing, based in Cheshire, has contacted hundreds of firms on Irish listings websites such as Whatswhat.ie. In several cases, the company identified itself as a division of Google, and promised to place its customers’ websites ‘‘on the first page of Google within days’’.

However, a spokesman for Google Ireland said Matchmaker had no connection with the internet company, and that its claims of front-page placements were impossible.

‘‘We’re extremely concerned to learn of companies without affiliation to Google using our name to mislead or mistreat small businesses who want to advertise online,” said the spokesman for Google Ireland.

‘‘Our legal team investigates such abuses, and we continue to work with the relevant authorities to combat the problems caused.”

Instead of placing its customers’ website on the front page of Google, Matchmaker places advertisements that appear in the advertising sidebar on Google. Such listings receive only a fraction of the hits gained by listings in the main section of Google.

The chief financial officer of Whatswhat.ie, Sian Philips, said her company had received correspondence from hundreds of customers that had been contacted by the English firm. A spokesman for Matchmaker was unavailable for comment