The Gratuitous Guarantee
These top three lies are the most often told, as they are the scams that are the least traceable. You could search to see if a company is associated with Google or if they've publicized cracking the uncrackable algorythm that is Google. But a guarantee? They're just words, and that's all you'll get in the end. Words. Why? Because nobody can guarantee rankings because everybody else is fighting for the top spot. You're bound to run into snags, have to change courses, and perhaps deal with only being on the first page, and not #1 for quite a while. If anybody is offering a guarantee for #1 spot, run for the hills.
The 'Thousands of Search Engines' Ploy
This one is funny, as people hear big numbers and don't use common sense. There are really only 3 major search engines that anyone has heard of. Google - Yahoo - Bing. Can you name any others? If you can you're in the minority, and why would you want to rank on a search engine only 2% of people use?
$50 for 500 Links!This is the pitch we lose clients to. They want to go with the company that's going to give them more for less. Why does it work? Because everybody wants to save money on their business internet marketing, but they know they still have to do it. It's a double edged sword for small business owners wanting to compete online. So when this golden opportunity to gain hundreds of back-links for a mere $49.95 comes along, it sounds too good to be true. At it is. The cheaper the link, the more likely it is to be just that - a cheap link. It will have no weight, most likely not be relevant, and what's more, could be on a website that you just don't want to be advertising on!
It's Friday? You'll be #1 on Monday!
This is the other pitch that people fall for. So you've got a website, and you're not making money off of it. The solution is to start an Phoenix SEO campaign to boost rankings and potential sales, and on top of it, you don't want it to take too long. Well listen up! You can get ranked in 2 days! How? Google AdWords. Why is this a scam? Because you're not getting targeted, consistent traffic to your site. Also - your site is only visible to people who type in that specific keyword, and only if they click in the paid portions of search engines. On top of that, once your budget is used up: your website falls off the face of the earth.
We've got Google in our Back Pocket
No employee at Google is going to risk getting fired and fined till the cows come home to help you get ranked in their search engine. Remember that, and don't ever fall for this. Google is in it for themselves, and they're not going to partner with ONE special Phoenix, AZ SEO company and help them make a profit.
The 'Trade Secret' of SEO
If you've got a contract with hazy deliverables and not a lot of concrete information, someone is hiding something from you. Granted, we have to protect our livelihood and our strategies, but once a contract is signed, you should be able to ask questions and get an answer.
Google's Algorithm? Cracked!
Not so. Engineers are working 'round the clock to keep updating, adding to, and changing the algorithm, so on the off chance that someone who's got enough computer hacking knowledge to even scratch the surface of Google's algorithm, 24 hours later, that information will be old news.
Installing Things on your Website
The only thing someone should be installing on your website is Google Analytics and a sitemap if you don't have one. Anything else and the company probably doesn't know what they're doing. Installing a link directory, or any other type of 'internet widget' probably means all their link building amounts to is a link exchange. The point, gentlemen, is one-way links.
In the end, do your homework. Make sure the company you're paying to do your work isn't just taking money from you and letting a computer program do all the work. SEO takes time, energy and human thought to come up with creative, effective strategies that will be a long-term success solution rather than a quick fix that might land you in hot water.
For more information on our SEO plans (or if you need help fixing an SEO mess!) give us a call at 480.442.6106 or email us directly.
-- Integraphix, an Ethical SEO Firm
