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SEO Scams
By HHI Golf Guy | May 12, 2006
Even though I make a living off of SEO and web marketing, I will be the first to admit that the whole concept can seem like a lot of smoke and mirrors. I guess the best analogy is that investing in an SEO is a lot like investing in the stock market. You need to analyze the track record of who you hire, and you definitely have to place yoour faith in that person or company.
Like the stock market, there is no way to guarantee returns with SEO. Search engine algorithms may undergo a significant change and alter the way sites are ranked, or the bottom could fall out of the real estate market and home sales dry up. But one of the key differences in SEO and the stock market is that it can take quite a bit longer to get a return on investment with SEO - especially if you have a new domain.
And this is why I find it so amusing when I get a telephone call out of the blue from someone who tells me that they can guarantee me top search engine rankings on Google, Yahoo, and MSN. I had one of these calls today, so I decided to play along for a minute or two.
First of all, I could barely understand the caller. Not only did they speak with aheavy east Indian accent, but there was so much noise in the background it made it that much more difficult to hear the sales pitch. The first thing that this guy told me was that he could guarantee top search engine rankings for my site. Now, I haven’t done any SEO work on my own site in over a year (really - we have been that busy with client sites) but we are in the top 10 for most of our important keywords.
I asked the guy if these guaranteed rankings were “organic search results”. In other words, they were not a temporary PPC ranking or some sort of false window initiated by spyware. He dodged the question time and again, until I finally got him to answer. He said, “We install software…” and right then I cut him off. There is spyware out there that these scammers call an “Internet Explorer plugin” or “latest Internet Explorer Upgrade” that places an iframe window at the top of the screen when you use a search engine. This window shows up when one of the other people they have scammed has paid for that keyword.
First rule of thumb: No reputable SEO will ever ask you to install software on your PC or update your web browser from a link on their own site.
This guy tried to go on and explain their services, so I stopped and asked him if he knew anything about my site and what I do for a living. Of course, he knew nothing about my business. So I told him that I offered real estate search engine optimization services. Do you know what he said next? “I can help you get all of your clients to the top of the search engines”. I told him to quit trying to scam me and hung up.
Second rule of thumb: I don’t know of a single SEO firm that places cold calls to try and find new clients. There may be one or two out there, and if there are let me know. Most SEO’s obtain leads from their own web site and by referral. Be wary of cold calls. If you are unsure if someone is trying to scam you, please feel free to call me at (843) 290-0031 and I will be happy to let you know if their offer sounds to good to be true. Don’t worry - I won’t try to push you to buy our services. You have seen our web site and our results. You can use this information to make your own informed decision.
Topics: General SEO |
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