Search engine optimization is an important marketing tactic for many businesses who want to earn a positive and trusted online presence. But some companies don’t have the resources or knowledge to implement an SEO strategy on their own, so they hire an SEO company to do it for them.
While SEO companies can greatly benefit your business, there are some companies out there who are less than professional and prey on the needs of ignorant companies like yours. More and more companies are finding themselves getting scammed by companies who claim to be SEO professionals. Instead of allowing your company to fall victim to one of these scams and lose out on a large sum of money while possibly damaging your online presence, use the following warning signs to help you ensure you’re choosing a credible company.
They have bad PR—or no PR at all.
Thanks to Google, you can do your own research and background checks on companies. Make sure to not only Google the name of the company (and read through all the results thoroughly) but also Google their phone number and address. Many scam companies will take the time to ensure their name is getting good press, but will fail to think of other information that could lead to negative reviews. If something in your search seems off—or if this company doesn’t seem to exist—you’re better off choosing a different company.
They won’t give you references.
You should always ask for references from companies you plan to work with, but you should also take the time to follow up with these references. If you ask a company for references and they are either hesitant to give them to your or don’t give you any at all, move on.
Their references seem off.
Some scam companies will provide you with fake references. If the phone numbers they give you lead to businesses or if the review from the reference seems too scripted, they’re probably fake references.
You randomly received an email from them.
Trusted companies don’t need to spam random email addresses to earn business—they earn their business through great promotions and word of mouth. If you’re thinking about hiring an SEO company who reached out to you randomly through email, you’re better off without them.
They haven’t been around long.
The longer a company has been in existence, the more experience they have. If the company you’re considering just started this year, they don’t have their feet wet enough to understand it all, and they may have just appeared out of the blue.
They ask for upfront money.
You should never pay a company for a consultation, and you should never give money to a company without a contract. If a company asks you for money just to meet with them or forces you to hand over a deposit before receiving a contract, they’re only in it for the money.
They promise you the world.
Honest SEO companies know that there is no guarantee on where your site will rank once they employ SEO for you. If a company promises to get you the #1 ranking on Google for all of your keywords—and they promise to do it overnight—they’re scamming you.
Implementing SEO is extremely important for your company’s success, and if you don’t have the knowledge or resources to implement it, you’ll want to outsource your efforts. Unfortunately, there are companies out there who will try and take advantage of your company, but if they show any of these signs, it’s best that you move on.
Prepared by the SEO Consultants at SEOmap. SEOmap is a group specializing in helping individuals and corporations indentify the most profitable search terms and generate profitable SEO campaigns
