When considering working with a Search Engine Optimization Company, it’s important to make sure that you don’t get ripped off. Unfortunately, there are many SEO companies out there that over-promise and under-deliver, leaving their clients feeling frustrated and betrayed. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to avoid getting scammed by an SEO company and what to look for when choosing the right one.
The SEO Sales Pitch
When shopping around for a Search Engine Optimization company, you may come across numerous providers offering a range of services, all with the promise of quick and easy success. Many will make bold statements and promises, such as “guaranteed first page rankings” or “we’ll increase your website traffic by 100%.” This kind of sales pitch should be taken with a grain of salt as it is often too good to be true.
Before hiring any SEO company, it’s important to take the time to research the provider and ask them detailed questions about their process. Reputable SEO companies should be transparent about their methods and the results they can achieve. If a company won’t answer your questions or provide clear metrics for how they measure success, it’s best to find another provider. It’s also important to make sure that the company is up-to-date on the latest search engine algorithms and is willing to share how they optimize websites for maximum visibility.
The Over-Optimization Penalty
Search engine optimization is an ongoing process of research, analysis and optimization. Many Search Engine Optimization Companies make the mistake of over-optimizing a website in an effort to get quick results. Over-optimization can result in a penalty from search engines. This penalty can have a major impact on your website’s ability to rank in search results.
The most common forms of over-optimization include keyword stuffing, link spamming and hidden text. Keyword stuffing is when a Search Engine Optimization Company adds too many keywords to your website, making it difficult for search engine crawlers to read and interpret the content. Link spamming is when a company adds irrelevant links to other websites in an effort to boost their rankings. Hidden text is when a company adds text that is invisible to users but still visible to search engine crawlers.
Google and other search engines will penalize websites that are found to be over-optimized, so it’s important to make sure you don’t fall into this trap. A good Search Engine Optimization Company will understand the importance of using natural techniques when optimizing your website and will ensure that your website is compliant with all search engine guidelines.
The Link Building Scam
Search engine optimization (SEO) companies have been known to promise a “quick fix” to boost your website’s rankings by building hundreds of low-quality links in a short amount of time. These links are often referred to as “spammy” or “black hat” links, and they don’t just hurt your site’s reputation—they can get you penalized by search engines.
When looking for an SEO company, make sure to research their link-building tactics. Check out their portfolio to see the kinds of links they build, and ask how they go about acquiring them. Legitimate SEO companies will use white-hat methods such as creating quality content and building relationships with influential websites to acquire high-quality backlinks. Any SEO company that promises a large number of links quickly should be avoided.
The Guaranteed #1 Ranking Scam
One of the oldest and most common SEO scams is when a search engine optimization company promises that they can get your website to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) for certain keywords. While it’s possible to optimize a website for certain keywords, guaranteeing a #1 ranking is impossible. No SEO company can promise that their efforts will result in your website appearing in the top spot on SERPs. The algorithm used by search engines to determine which websites appear in the top spots is constantly changing and, as such, any guarantee of a #1 ranking is impossible.
If a search engine optimization company does offer you a guaranteed #1 ranking, be wary. Chances are, they are attempting to take advantage of you and have no intention of actually helping you achieve your goals. Instead, look for a reputable SEO company that offers realistic expectations and tangible results.
