Beware SEO and SEM Experts Who Claim The Following…

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November 30, 2007 by James
Filed under: Internet Marketing, Rants and Raves 

seo scoundrelsIf you’ve been reading this site for a while you will know I advise clients on various forms of internet marketing including SEO and SEM. And from time to time I cross paths with self-proclaimed SEO/SEM experts who make no bones about the fact they don’t like my approach to this subject. Why is this? Mostly because I am open about the industry, have no secrets and tell people the facts about the current state of SEO and SEM.

So how do you tell if you are dealing with an unethical SEO/SEM expert? According to Google there are few clear signs, and these are as follows:

No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. [THIS IS THE BIGGY...]

In fact, if the self-proclaimed expert alleges a “special relationship” with Google, or claims “we work with Google” or states they receive advice from Google, or claims to have a “priority submit to Google” … heed my advice. RUN! Google does not do this. See their policy document below.

Be careful if a company is secretive or won’t clearly explain what they intend to do.

Again, SEM/SEO has gotten a bad name because of so-called ‘experts’ because there really are no secrets. Google lays it all out in their directives to webmasters about what is good and what is not. Basically, if the ‘expert’ is vague - RUN! Their actions may harm you, your site, and your business.

And the list goes on. In fact for Google’s own word on the subject read this:

http://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html

And lastly, here are a few more ‘warning’ signs the SEO/SEM Expert is questionable:

  1. They own and use shadow domains
  2. They put links to their other clients on doorway pages
  3. They offer to sell keywords in the address bar
  4. They don’t distinguish between actual search results and ads that appear in search results
  5. They guarantee ranking, but only on obscure, long keyword phrases you would get anyway
  6. They operate with multiple aliases or falsified WHOIS info
  7. They get traffic from “fake” search engines, spyware, or scumware
  8. They have had domains removed from Google’s index or is not itself listed in Google!

http://www.google.com/webmasters/seo.html

Remember, if in doubt - don’t…

Back to the “Deadly Sins of Advertising” tomorrow ;)

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Comments

One Response to “Beware SEO and SEM Experts Who Claim The Following…”

  1. Greg Meyers on November 30th, 2007 11:52 am

    Great Post James. It’s a shady world out there these days!

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