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SEO Scams: 15 Ways to Avoid Them
DavidJackson
subscriber Posts: 143 Silver Level Member
What qualifies companies to be SEO experts is competence. And the way you find out if a company is competent as well as legitimate is to check their credentials thoroughly, by exercising good old common sense and following these steps:
1. Verify their contact information.
2. Talk to previous customers.
3. Visit top SEO forums like Jill Whalen`s High Rankings Forum to find out what other legitimate SEO experts have to say about them.
4. Check their Better Business Bureau record.
5. Check them out with the Attorney General`s office.
6. Check them out with local police agencies.
7. Check them out with various online scam watch sites like Scam.com
8. Avoid companies that send you unsolicited e-mail (Spam). Legitimate companies don`t send spam.
9. Avoid companies that aren`t among the top 100 SEO sites, (although there are exceptions to this rule).
10. Avoid companies that try to pressure you into making a quick decision.
11. Avoid companies that aren`t willing to stand behind their work. (Money back guarantee, etc.)
12. Avoid companies that promise top 10 rankings. Legitimate SEO companies don`t make those kinds of promises.
13. Monitor their willingness to answer your questions. If they seem evasive, walk away.
14. Monitor how quickly they respond to your communications, or if they respond at all.
15. Listen to your gut. If it doesn`t feel right don`t do it.
Amendment:
16. Avoid any seo experts that objects to you checking out their company. Chances are they have something to hide.
David Jackson
DavidJackson3/24/2009 10:22 AM
1. Verify their contact information.
2. Talk to previous customers.
3. Visit top SEO forums like Jill Whalen`s High Rankings Forum to find out what other legitimate SEO experts have to say about them.
4. Check their Better Business Bureau record.
5. Check them out with the Attorney General`s office.
6. Check them out with local police agencies.
7. Check them out with various online scam watch sites like Scam.com
8. Avoid companies that send you unsolicited e-mail (Spam). Legitimate companies don`t send spam.
9. Avoid companies that aren`t among the top 100 SEO sites, (although there are exceptions to this rule).
10. Avoid companies that try to pressure you into making a quick decision.
11. Avoid companies that aren`t willing to stand behind their work. (Money back guarantee, etc.)
12. Avoid companies that promise top 10 rankings. Legitimate SEO companies don`t make those kinds of promises.
13. Monitor their willingness to answer your questions. If they seem evasive, walk away.
14. Monitor how quickly they respond to your communications, or if they respond at all.
15. Listen to your gut. If it doesn`t feel right don`t do it.
Amendment:
16. Avoid any seo experts that objects to you checking out their company. Chances are they have something to hide.
David Jackson
DavidJackson3/24/2009 10:22 AM
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Comments
Thanks, Craig. I`m glad you found the article useful.
However, the "usefulness" of any article is in the eyes of the reader.
David Jackson
DavidJackson1/27/2009 6:47 AM
Really good points!
We are currently looking at a number of SEO people for different verticals and it really does pay to do your homework.
We have one guy in particular that only charges $1 for the first month in order to prove his worth. Enough time to prove it, but well after the point that someone could use improper tactics to build your site.
Good SEO people understand the need for consistent repeat business and will negotiate for that.
Lastly, good SEO people don`t make promises because there are no SEO guarantees.
Brandon
Thanks, Brandon!
David Jackson
Exactly.
If a company has to resort to sending spam, that`s a huge red flag!
David Jackson
DavidJackson1/27/2009 3:41 PM
"Methinks thou doth protest too loudly!" William Shakespeare
Wow...if you`re protesting this strongly about seo scams, you must really have something to hide. I have a question for you: If you`re really an seo expert, why is it that your website which has been online for one year doesn`t rank any higher than my site, which is brand new?
You`re typical of the type of so-called seo experts I warn people about. You call yourself an expert, but yet you can`t get your own website`s ranking out of the basement. Caveat emptor!
I stand by what I wrote. Marketers should always do their due diligence, and check things out carefully. And yes, that includes the Attorney General`s office and local police. That`s just smart business.
Why? Because if the seo company that you`re considering hiring is ripping people off, you want to know about it before you give them your money. And the only way you`re going to know that is if you check things out. I can`t imagine any reputable seo company having a problem with that - with the emphasis on "reputable."
I`m going to add another warning sign to my list:
16. Avoid any so-called seo experts that objects to you checking out their company. Chances are they have something to hide.
David Jackson
DavidJackson3/24/2009 1:09 PM
I personally don`t think it`s necessary to get bids for seo. After all, the lowest price isn`t always the best deal. However, you should always compare fees, and what those fees include or don`t include.
All things being equal, it ultimately comes down to the seo company`s competence and professionalism, and the comfort level you have with the seo company.
David Jackson
DavidJackson3/24/2009 1:29 PM
Thanks for not giving a quote from a literary work you have never read in an unsuccessful attempt to impress. That tactic shows the writer to be ignorant.
I understand what you`re saying. My point is the lowest price is not always the best deal.
David Jackson
DavidJackson3/24/2009 1:44 PM
This is one of those crucial aspects which are
overlooked by many companies. In the latest advancements of the search engine
spiders, search engine optimization has not left by mere re occurring your
desired keywords, It is highly required that your website design and content
should serve as an enticement to the web spiders. Its of no use to have a site
which doesn’t comply with the standards of search spiders. I got my medical
website reconstructed from a web designer and marketing company named
medicalwebexperts.com. They need to almost reconstruct every page to make it
compliant with search engine algorithms. After a few months of time, the impact
was definitely distinctive in my income. I have got a steady increase in the
patients, which was a direct result of reconstructing and marketing my old
obsolete site.