I ran across this excellent blog post today “7 Signs of SEO Scams”. It is well written and really debunks the common myths of SEO. Before I share a little excerpt, let me say that while I am not an SE
O expert (at least not yet!) I do work closely with several people on my team who are so I can offer my clients the best expertise possible. I am smart enough to know what I don’t know — admit it and then partner with experts I trust.
That being said, web clients will come to me and say things like “I want to be #1 in Google for Real Estate in Philadelphia” or better yet #1 for “business coach”. Well, I hate to say it but that is short-sighted and unrealistic. No one can promise you #1 rankings for anything ever. Just not possible. It is like asking a financial adviser to guarantee a certain rate of return - out of their control, can’t happen. What can be offered is a sound, SEO strategy that takes ongoing work and effort. That includes finding the right keywords to target (for you).
Doing so is a time intensive process, so expect to pay for good service. It is more than just sprinkling a few words in your copy and calling it a day.
Here are two of my favorites from Josh Garner’s article:
1. We can rank your site in 48 hours!
Boy, I wish this was possible. It sure would save me a whole lot of time slaving over my computer like a maniac, pouring over search term trends, conversion reports, traffic and ranking reports, etc. I wouldn’t be spending hours on end modifying and optimizing content until my SEO fingers bleed. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case. It takes hours to find the right search terms. Depending on the size of a website, it can take days to implement changes. It takes weeks to see the initial effects. It can take months to get things going in the right direction. If you’re being promised results in a few days, your being offered a money pit and little more.7. We guarantee page 1 rankings!
Nobody can do this. Nobody. In SEO, there are no guarantees on rankings, traffic, or any other measure. Think of SEO like advertising (that’s really all it is, just online). The best marketing guys don’t guarantee anything either. Neither do doctors or lawyers. You hire these professionals based on the questions you’ve asked them, their past successes, experience, etc. SEO is no different. Good SEOs are good SEOs because they have spent years learning and testing, and know of the measures most often needed to produce results. So if anyone guarantees anything, they are only guaranteeing that you will be wasting your hard earned money.
Head on over and check out the full 7 myths. For anyone seeking to understand what SEO is even at its most basic, it is worth your time. That way you can be sure to avoid getting scammed or wasting your pipe dreams on unrealistic expectations.
Read Some Related Articles...
Buyer Beware of Over Hyped Web Promises
Recent Comments