SEO Scam Number 1

Thinking of hiring a professional SEO company to do your search engine optimisation? Well here is the first of a number of 'no nos' when it comes to picking the right people for the job. Over the coming months I will post the common scams and warning signs, as more and more surface. This one certainly is not a new one but is a common one, to say the least....

"NUMBER ONE ON GOOGLE IN A WEEK."

This is a promise you've probably seen - and if not this one, then something similar. If any company has this on their website then you can automatically (and should automatically) question the operation of the company. The simple fact is that all the money and all the time in the world cannot even guarantee number one in Google for a highly competitive keyword. First page, perhaps - but number one no matter what? Impossible to guarantee. This is particularly something to be cautious of when on a website because this implies that this promise is being made before the company even knows what a potential client's keywords are. This is the type of company who will promise the world, take your money for a few months and then hold their hands up at the end of the few months, when no progress has been made, and say, "Ooops, oh well."

Also watch for word games! "First page of Google in a week," for example, is a common promise by companies who will imply that they will have you top of the results, but actually plough your money into Pay Per Click. So yes, you will appear on the first page of Google, as their wording promised, but you'll be in the SPONSORED LISTINGS. So they have kept to their promise and had you on the first page - but it's a short term cash injection and its effects only last as long as you are paying a premium for ads located on the top page. This is not SEO, but SEM (search engine marketing). Any reputable company should specify what they will be spending your money on and if 'Pay Per Click' is part of it, then it's not the same as embarking on an SEO campaign.

Be wary.