Search Engine Optimization/Marketing. The never ending pursuit of getting on that first page of Google. What does it really take to get there? How long will it take me to get there? This is my first post to this column but over time I hope to answer all these questions and more. For today I’ll give you some pointers on what to look for and what to run away from.

First of all the scams:

1. NO ONE can guarantee the number 1 spot on Google or any other search engine. If someone tells you they can what they are going to do is take your money (usually $200-$500) and put half of it in a pay per click account overture or Google adwords and pocket the other half. Same goes with someone who guarantees results in 48-72 hours.

2. Never use link networking or link farming sites. These will get you penalized or banned from the search engines. The reason is if you have had 10 inbound links to your site for two years and over night you have 1,000 inbound links this is going to appear unnatural to the search engines and considered spamming.

3. Run away as fast as you can if you hear anything similar to: no one will see the content, we hide content, we use cloaking software, we use layering, or anyone who even hints at deceiving the search engines in any way. This will get you banned. The search engines want to see what the average joe who goes to your site will see.

4. Re-direct and multiple domain names. Some SEO firms will use multiple domain names with spam content to get search engine traffic and then re-direct the traffic to your site. This technique was invented by people in the adult industry so that no matter what keywords you searched you would be re-directed to an adult site. You could punch in lawn chair and get re-directed to an adult site. As amusing as it was it got old when after you were on the 3rd page of results and you still hadn’t found some patio furniture.

5. We’ll submit you to 75,000 search engines. Another example of spamming. This will get you penalized or banned almost overnight.

These are some of the more popular scams though I’d be writing all night if I tried to cover them all. Basically if it sounds to good to be true or it promises results in less than a month don’t do it. If you have a question about an offer I will always be more than happy to help out.

If you like this post then please subscribe to the RSS feed.

Please Click One

              

Powered by Bookmarkify™

Like a lot of people who make their living on the internet I own a lot of domains. Some are good and some are just throwaways that I have had for several years. This is not the first time I have ever seen this scam or several variations of it, but it is the first time I have bothered to spend a calorie or two to talk about it.

 Today I got a letter (USPS) delivered to my desk from the CFO, of PageViews.com,  who let it sit on her desk waiting to get paid for a while before she brought it to me.  It is an official looking piece of mail that is an invoice from Domain Listing Service Corp. in Chicago IL. for “Annual Website Search Engine Listing” on one of my throw away domains. If it was not for it being for the throw away, it would have been paid. There is small print on the invoice: “This internet listing offer is provided to millions of websites throughout the United States to enhance their website exposure. This is not a bill. This is a solicitation. You are under no obligation to pay the amount stated unless you accept this offer”.  Being in the Search engine optimization business I had to chuckle at what they promise. Domain submission with 8 keywords / phrases to 25 major search engines. Quarterly submissions. Complete details are available at their website. This in it’s self is a joke as it does no good to submit to the search engines without preparing the site. The “bill” is for $65. Instructing me to send a check or to pay online. I went online and found that there is no site at www dslcorp dot net. The online payment page is up and active at:  payments dot discorp dot net. I entered the “customer number” and the amount on their form and it brought me to a PayPal order form.The domain Listing Service Corp. shows 27 N. Wacker Drive Chicago, IL 60606 but a search at the Illinois Secretary of state office for corporations http://www.ilsos.gov/corporatellc/ reports:  Your search for domain listing service, did not match any records in the Corporation/LLC-GS Search database.

The who is record for this company is dsl corporation 16420 Park Ten Place Suite 400 Houston, TX 77084

According to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, http://ecpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/Index.html Business Name domain listing service was not found.

It is sad that the SEO industry is filled with charlatans of all types. This one is bad on several levels. First the false balling, then the “service” the pretend offer and I fear, there may be some Phishing going on also.

Today, this one got under my skin and I have donated a couple of calories to the ether.

If you like this post then please subscribe to the RSS feed.

Please Click One

              

Powered by Bookmarkify™