Originally Published June 2010
In the past quarter, SEO has suddenly become a Hot Topic.
Is it SEO or an SEO Scam?
Recently, many My Pandamonium™ clients and and a surprisingly number of small businesses in all industries are receiving marketing calls and emails for SEO and/or Internet Marketing Services.
These SEO Marketing calls and emails are Guaranteeing (?) Top Placement in all Google Searches. In one case with which I am familiar (because I took the call!) for the small sum of ‘only’ $100 per month, with $150 needed to start the service.
That’s $1200 PER YEAR! And what does the consumer get for the $100 per month? Five (yes – 5!) keywords. And this company (one of many currently telemarketing and email marketing, mostly the West Coast) absolutely guarantees a #1 Google Search placement by only adding 5 keywords to your site.
There are many companies now jumping on the SEO Marketing bandwagon.
Best Advice: BUYER BEWARE.
SEO And Internet Marketing Facts
NO ONE can ‘guarantee’ top placement in Google (or other Search Engine) Searches. Google does not sell placements and their formula (algorithm) for calculating Search Placements is a closely guarded secret. Google changes their algorithm every quarter to prevent ‘gaming’ and misuse of their Search Ranking system.
One increasingly common untruth about the Google Search Algorithm is being made by companies that claim they can ‘beat’ the Google system and/or Guarantee Top Search placement. This is simply – not true. There are no shortcuts or guarantees for Google and other Search Engine results – but there are SEO Best Practices.
I have been developing SEO websites for years, using SEO Best Practices and educating small business owners about SEO Best Practices. And until recently, most clients did not know what ‘SEO’ means. My Pandamonium™still offers the same complete SEO Web Design services at very reasonable pricing – highly affordable for small business.
From Google’s Page Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
~ No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.
Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “priority submit” to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through submitting a Sitemap and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever. [Included with a My Pandamonium™ Websites.]
~ Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue.
Amazingly, we get these spam emails too:“Dear google.com, I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories…”
~ Be careful if a company is secretive or won’t clearly explain what they intend to do.
Ask for explanations if something is unclear. If an SEO creates deceptive or misleading content on your behalf, such as doorway pages or “throwaway” domains, your site could be removed entirely from Google’s index. Ultimately, you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire, so it’s best to be sure you know exactly how they intend to “help” you. If an SEO has FTP access to your server, they should be willing to explain all the changes they are making to your site.
SEO is a lot more than just keywords!
What is the best buy for YOUR SEO dollars?
My Pandamonium™ – Contact Us!