The most popular term used extensively around the marketing world is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Today you can’t have an hour of peace without being bombarded with spam emails from the next SEO Expert or receive a cold call from a SEO Guru that promises to make all your Marketing dreams come true. The best approach you could take to protect yourself against SEO scams is to become more educated on the subject.
1. Promise you the first position
The most common lie out there is the guarantee of a position in any search engine. Sadly anyone can give you a promise to get you to the 1st place on Google, but the reality is that this cannot be guaranteed. Even Google have mentioned that you should avoid companies that promise you such a thing.
2. Inside source at Google
Again not true. No company out there offering SEO services has any different form of relationship with Google than you do. If they claim that they do, it simply means that they’re lying to you.
3. Free trial service
To do a SEO the proper way is quite time consuming and difficult. To achieve great results, you have put in a lot of work and no reputable SEO firm will provide this for free. Be careful of people asking for your login details to your hosting account. Remember that free things in the end cost the most.
4. Add your website to hundreds of search engines
Do you believe that the 4 biggest search engines providers that account for over 95% of the market is not enough? Switch your focus to the places where it matters, those are Google, Bing, Yahoo and AOL.
5. Super-secret SEO strategy secrets
Firms that can’t explain in a clear and understandable way what they’re planning for your website when it comes to SEO are not to be trusted. Potential use of black hat and unfair SEO techniques will backfire and get your website blacklisted by all the big search engines.
6. Top of the list within a day or two
We have talked about why the idea of a guaranteed first position in Google is flawed. Add a deadline to this promise and you will see how flawed this proposal is. To guarantee such a thing within a certain time frame would cost an arm and leg for Pay per Click.
7. The cheapest offer
Like we said before, SEO is time consuming and is not a thing for newbies. When you stumble upon a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. They are many things that could go wrong if you choose the SEO firm that offers miracles for next to nothing. And if things are an utter failure, you get what you pay for.
8. We are Google’s partner in SEO
Sadly again this is not true. There is no such partnership with Google in the SEO area. Furthermore, there is no Google employee that would go out of their way and illegally help you out with your SEO project.
9. Are you the sole owner of your content?
When signing an agreement with an SEO agency, make sure that you do not give away ownership of the content. If you the firm is shady, they could auction of your content to your competitors.