It pains me to say that I still hear stories about small business owners being duped when it comes to SEO.
I decided to put this article together containing some warning signs that could indicate you’re speaking to a bogus SEO caller.
Sign #1 – “We’re in Partnership with Google”
A common thing that comes up a lot when I hear about bogus SEO companies calling people is their claims that they’re “in partnership with Google”. Technically I suppose, anyone who runs a pay per click advertising campaign could say they’re partnering with Google.
However, these companies try to make out they are some way affiliated to Google and that this will work in your favour if you spend your money with them. It’s simply not true – Google doesn’t work like that.
Sign #2 – Being Overeager
An SEO company that cares about helping your business will take time to get to understand it first. Phoning someone up, reading out a standard script and then asking for bank or credit card details should set your alarm bells ringing.
Think for a minute…have they researched your industry, your competition, understood your current SEO activity? Anyone can say we guarantee you a number one spot on Google, backing it up in reality is a different thing and one which cannot be guaranteed.
Sign #3 – Background Chatter
The ethical SEO industry isn’t about call centres and trying to get as many clients to sign up as possible. If you can hear a lot of other people chatting in the background, you should think twice about the company’s approach.
Are you just another person to get money from or one of a select few valued clients?
Sign #4 – Their Reluctance to Answer Questions
One of the things I dislike about the industry is how easy it is for bogus companies to bamboozle people. SEO isn’t some mystical art. If you have a website and receive a call from a company, make sure you ask lots of questions.
If you aren’t prepared when they call you then take a look at 10 questions to ask an SEO agency and ask them to phone you back. These high volume SEO call centres don’t like to spend time explaining things on the phone – they just want your money.
Sign #5 – Their Inability to Meet You
There are great SEO companies all over the world but personally I prefer to work with local companies if I outsource anything. If an SEO bogus caller says they will charge you say £1,000 for a number 1 Google listing, ask if you can meet them in person to find out more.
If the company is unethical, you’ll find they come up with all sorts of feeble excuses about overheads and keeping costs down as reasons not to have a meeting. The reality in many cases is they could be a call centre trying to make easy money from unsuspecting website owners.
It’s worth noting that any of these things doesn’t necessarily mean you’re dealing with a bogus company or one that’s trying to rip you off. Just keep these common warning signs in mind so you know what to watch out for if you do get a call selling SEO services.
Image credit: ray7775
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