Creative Services Company Blog
Beware Of SEO Scams
A week rarely goes by that doesn’t send several SEO (search engine optimization) offers to my email inbox. It would be almost laughable if real businesses weren’t falling victim to many of the scams out there. I see so-called SEO services that offer to get you on the first page of Google in weeks for a fee, sometimes even a monthly fee. It takes about two minutes of work to see most of these sites aren’t even indexed in Google themselves. Others are indexed but are buried so far in the mix with their keywords you couldn’t find them if you spent hours searching. If you could they wouldn’t need to spam you with their crazy ads. If they can’t take care of their own SEO, why would we trust them with our business?
One very important thing to keep in mind when trusting someone with any aspect of your site, especially SEO, is the harm potential goes way beyond just not working. If the service/company violates any of Google’s terms by using black hat methods YOU pay the ultimate price by being penalized, suspended or even banned from Google’s index. Something as simple as hiding keywords or submitting to link farms can severely hurt your sites SERPs (Search Engine Results).
There is a ton of information on the web about SEO and I’m certainly no expert. I know the basics and even the basics continually change. Google keeps everyone on their toes and most of us behind the eight ball by routinely changing the rules mid-stream. Do your research and ask question before trusting your site’s future on some fly by night SEO service. Places to start your research should include:
- http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/
- http://googleblog.blogspot.com/
- http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/
Tags: scams, search engine optimization, search engine results, seo service
Haha! Can’t get rid of me that easily! Although, how do I subscribe via email?
Timely post btw, I’m in need of outsourcing some SEO I think.
.-= Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..10 Social Share Sites Chosen – Do You Agree? =-.
[Reply]
Brian D. Hawkins Reply:
May 20th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Oops, I’ll get to work on that Dennis
[Reply]
Aanonymous Reply:
January 13th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Is the danger with the Link Tools and other SEO services that google will ultimately will deem them “Black Hat” techniques. If google could identify that links to a site had been created by a tool rather than by popularity surely they would discount them and punish the recipient? Is it just a matter of time before google writes the code that can identify this?
[Reply]
Thanks for the information and for the links you’ve provided. Yeah, Google sure has its own way of keeping each one of us on our feet. I guess it’s better to have a bit of a knowledge about SEO and do some of those yourself rather than make submissions and pay and still get nothing. It is a risk we have to pay.
.-= Headphone Reviews´s last blog ..May 13, Bose Headphones – Bose around the ear headphones, Bose in ear headphones, Bose noise cancelling headphones =-.
[Reply]
Brian D. Hawkins Reply:
May 20th, 2010 at 6:51 am
Or at the very least know enough to keep from being scammed.
[Reply]
I do know the pile of spam crap promoting bogus seo companies, way too many to name. I do however love the ones that will put everyone in the number one spot on Google, and guarantee it. I would love to have them put the keyword “marketing” in number one in two weeks.
My suggestion is to start asking questions, I have a whole post on questions to ask somewhere, anyway most of the time you will get stupid answers or none at all.
If you really don’t know enough to ask questions there are some basics that have not changed for years. It is no secret basic SEO is massive content with links back to all of it. By knowing just there two things is a great start.
We have learned that there is not really that much that has changed over the years. Yes a few new additions to algorithms that freak people out but are really no big deal for the most part.
Brian’s point is do the research, and don’t outsource something you don’t know anything about, educate yourself first.
.-= Brad West´s last blog ..Who Certifies All the Life Coaches With Certificates =-.
[Reply]
Brian D. Hawkins Reply:
May 26th, 2010 at 6:54 am
Thanks Brad, I’ll ask for ‘make money’ on the first page of Google too. Great point.
[Reply]
[...] Posted in Uncategorized by onomoney on May 26, 2010 Beware Of SEO Scams « Creative Services Company http://blog.csc4u.com/beware-of-seo-scams [...]
Good that you’re spreading the words, Brian. DP forum has full of wanna-be SEO specialists who over-promise and yes, under-deliver.
SEO is a journey not a destination….
PS: How’s it going, Brian?
.-= Yan@Kindle Cover´s last blog ..CaseCrown Mod Flip Genuine Leather Case =-.
[Reply]
Amateur SEO companies that promise quick results most of the time will only get your website banned.
[Reply]
In the high-fraud, “no guarantees” environment of SEO and SEM, solid references are about the only certainty you have that a company is going to deliver on what they tell you they’ll strive for, but can’t ethically promise.
[Reply]
I hate those people who claim that they are SEO experts were they are really not experts at all. They don’t even know the basics of SEO, but have guts to tell to everybody that they are experts. As a buyer of service, we must at least learn the basic and know at least the overview of the plan of the hired expert for your site to avoid any possible conflict with search engines like Google.
.-= ColeStan@Gift Ideas´s last blog ..Find The Best Christmas Gifts For Your Clients =-.
[Reply]
Every day i get these Scam messages they say “if want to be on the frist site of google, just reply”! the backlinks you get aren’t even a cent worth.
SEO is a serious business but some people are trying to destroy it.
[Reply]
I like this article. I would say there are two types of scams going around. One as you have mentioned is about the off site link building. The other which we find happens a lot is the taking over of website maintenance. A company will tell a propsect that their website is not “Search engine Friendly”. They then end up keyword stuffing individual pages and tell them job done, thanks very much and give us our money. The reality is they have done more harm than good. We often provide all our clients with a cop yof the Google seo basics pdf. This ahs a lot about onsite optimisation which will tell tehm what they need to look out for.
.-= Neil@SEO Milton Keynes´s last blog ..Need SEO in Milton Keynes =-.
[Reply]
Those scams and spams in our emails have the nerve to SEO even if they are not ranking for their keyword? Wow reading and careful research will hold the key to make our blogs and websites get some rankings. Thanks for this article mate, we’ve been warned.
Jay @ legitimate online jobs´s last [type] ..How to Get Backlinks
[Reply]
the best way is to do it our self and all we need to know is the basics of seo once you know the basics and carefully follow the search engine web master guidelines to avoid being banned on search engine. i think all the techniques use in seo are still the same from the time it started until now the only techniques are added maybe is the social media optimization.
[Reply]
This interesting I did know you guys are also victims like me, but one thing about seo companies is to do your own due diigence and then outsource, we certainly can’t do all the job alone…
Iroko@Cheap laptops deals´s last [type] ..4 Critical Ways To Generate Web Traffic To A Newly Created Website or Blog
[Reply]
I like this information, and yes it our responsibility to see to it that the SEO service that we are going have should be properly chosen. so that the money that were going to pay shall not be put in to waste.
[Reply]
Thank you for letting us know to avoid this kind of scams. I appreciate it. We should be careful in choosing the right SEO service providers. Many of them are opportunists just to get money.
The SEO service provider should have the right knowledge in all aspects of this field. should not be stingy in choosing SEO. Never choose amateur SEO just to save a few bucks.
[Reply]
I would like to add that companies should be vary wary of SEO companies offering guranteed results. Google states a warning that prospective SEO buyers should avoid any company that guarantees search engine results, as no SEO company operates SERP’s; therefore it is impossible to provide gurantees and thus companies should be wary of companiues using this as a selling tool.
[Reply]
Can any one give the guarnteed ranking for google. Plz reply
[Reply]
Jackie from laundry games Reply:
August 30th, 2011 at 10:52 pm
Thank for the post, i myself was also got fed up with these kind of scam email. if they can put our site at the #1 place, why dont they do that for them first?
@Sankalp: no one can guaranty you that, seo is a continually process, if you stop you will lose your position immediately, be cause there’re only 10 slots at the 1st SERP while there’re million people want to get their.
[Reply]
Check the process they follow for link building. At the same time, do not forget to check out the proficiency of the company in adopting new techniques and working on the same, before finalizing your service provider I would say.
[Reply]
I’ve been receiving this kind of e-mails recently.
Of course that’s total crap. They can’t even rank their websites on first page at least and promising to do it with your website.
[Reply]
For my experiences you should avoid fiverr stuff. Some of the things out there are quite good, but if someone offers you are “3000 BACKILINKS” for 5$ then it’s most likely a blackhat or a scam, and you will end up in sandbox.
[Reply]
I make sure I check out everything before committing myself to any scheme which promises to promote my business. I can’t say I’ve ever responded to anything I’ve got in an email. I do all my SEO work myself…apart from the odd bit I outsource, but the people I do use I trust implicitely.
April @legitimate online jobs´s last [type] ..Legitimate online jobs is there such a thing?
[Reply]
I hate those people who claim that they are SEO experts were they are really not experts at all.
[Reply]
It in my opinion boils down to natural link-building over time. The latest after the Panda update, link farms and super fast link building will be punished by Google. I utilize some natural link buidling myself for one of my sites where I promote HiFi headphones hifiheadphonesworldwide.com. I use mostly article marketing for promoting my sites.
[Reply]
For my experiences you should avoid fiverr stuff. Some of the things out there are quite good, but if someone offers you are “3000 BACKILINKS” for 5$ then it’s most likely a blackhat or a scam, and you will end up in sandbox.
[Reply]