Search engine optimizers are everywhere, it is a booming business. SEOs as they are known help websites in numerous ways. They handle writing of copy, site architecture, as well as submission to directories.
With rampant development of the web and its related services it is becoming harder and harder to separate the “wheat from the chaff.” Sadly along with genuine SEOs are present unethical or rogue SEOs who play the game by unfair rules.
You need to be savy and think on your feet and learn to recognize a rotten apple quickly. Be wary of SEOs who send you e-mails unsolicited and make statements about getting you no 1 rank on large and popular sites like Google, Yahoo, and so on.
1. If a SEO beats around the bush and does not lay cards on the table then the company is suspect. An established SEO will have nothing to hide and will utilize only ethical practices. So, any SEO should explain with clarity what they will do for you. Never get taken in by big statements like “we have special arrangements with x,y, z so your site will get priority listings.” Watch out for misrepresentation of the SEOs success rate and false promises.
2. Unethical SEOs present what look like impressive lists of search engines that your site will appear on. Often many of the search engines listed will be dead sites. If the SEO was a professional outfit they would make efforts to ensure that the information they provide will withstand scrutiny.
3. There are companies that are in actuality just telemarketing business that will hound you, take an advance, and fail to deliver whatever they promise. Beware of companies that plague you on the e-mail and phone.
4. SEOs often abuse search engines. They buy links with high page ranks and link the site to yours. Often the link site is not of quality or good content. Practices like this can get your site banned by search engines, damaging your reputation. You need to check the references provided by the SEO and do a market survey to establish their credentials and business standing.
5. SEOs who work in the dark manipulate key word frequency by producing content that is nonsensical with the correct frequency of key words. This is done to ensure that your ranking improves. Avoid this and determine exactly how the SEO is going to help you.
6. Any SEO that promotes free-for-all links or popularity schemes is to be avoided. These are just meaningless exercises and embellishments of a grandiose scheme. This will never improve your ranking or lead anywhere.
7. Beware of SEOs that use shadow domains to gather hits. SEOs create and own such domains to fulfill false promises.
8. Tools like spyware and scumware are used to generate traffic. Generating fake traffic is not going to do your website any good in the long run. No business can sustain on the creation of a mirage.
9. SEOs club search engine results with pay-per-click and pay-per-inclusion and even place you in the advertising section than in the search engine itself. Be clear what they are charging you for and what the SEOs plan of action will be.
10. Unscrupulous SEOs even urge customers to pay for the ability to type keywords directly into the browsers address bar. Be cautious and never take a SEOs claim at face value.
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