If you own a website, chances are you’ve been contacted by one or more search engine optimization (SEO) marketing or web design companies that adamantly professes a multitude of reasons you should hire them to help you with your company’s search engine rankings. There are thousands of SEO companies in business within the United States alone. Almost all of them are vying for your business, and some will say anything to influence you to hire them instead of their competitors.
Theoretically, in a free market, this type of competition is ideal because it keeps prices down for consumers. However, not all SEO companies are created equal! Let me repeat that… NOT ALL SEO COMPANIES ARE CREATED EQUAL! Some know what they’re talking about but some don’t. Some are ethical and some aren’t. The biggest challenge businesses face today is figuring out which SEO and website design companies are trustworthy and which should be avoided.
Following are SEO Scams that You Should Avoid:
“Your Website Will be Listed in the #1 Slot on Google If You Hire Us”
There is absolutely no way that any search engine marketing company can guarantee your company will be listed in the #1 slot on Google. For more information on this subject, take a look at a blog entry titled, “Why Reputable SEO Firms Don’t Promise Guaranteed Search Engine Rankings” on internet marketing industry leader MOZ‘s website. According to this article, “From 1996 through today, SEO scams have used ‘guaranteed rankings and traffic’ as a slimy catchphrase to lure in gullible buyers with too-good-to-be-true promises.”
“We Know What We’re Doing, And Everyone Else is Clueless”
If an SEO company claims to know more than every other SEO company in the world, they are probably not telling the truth. Have you heard the terms “Black Hat” and “White Hat” SEO? According to these two referenced websites, Black Hat SEO “is customarily defined as techniques that are used to get higher search rankings in an unethical manner.” In contrast, White Hat SEO “refers to the usage of SEO strategies, techniques, and tactics that focus on a human audience opposed to search engines and completely follows search engine rules and policies.”
If an SEO company claims to know all the secrets of SEO, it most likely employs Black Hat techniques – which can be detrimental to your website rankings in the long run.
“We are the Cheapest SEO Company, and we are Also the Best”
No. This cannot possibly be true. Effective search engine marketing techniques take time and effort to implement and maintain. There is no possible way that an SEO company can be successful with your company’s search engine optimization plan by charging you $19.95 per month.
If you take anything away from this blog post, make it this: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. This philosophy can be applied to many things in life, but it’s definitely applicable in the world of SEO. Don’t let unethical SEO companies prey on you. For trustworthy and honest SEO and internet marketing advice and guidance, give Websynario a call. We are here to provide you with a professional website design and an ethical SEO plan.