How Not To Be Duped By SEO Spam

The typical morning routine at Appleton Creative:

Coffee
Greet coworkers
Check email

Part three of the morning routine often involves some cringing and head shaking. Why? Because without fail, each morning, at least one of these slips through the spam filter:

You might be thinking, “What’s the big deal? Just click delete and move on.” We can’t in good faith ignore these emails knowing countless other people are bombarded with them as well. As experts in SEO, we understand full well the intricacies that go into a solid SEO plan. Not only do these companies give true SEO services a bad reputation, they use deceptive marketing tactics to scare the less informed into using their services.

Let’s set the record straight.

Questions go a long away. So does transparency. Ask yourself:

Do I know the sender of the email?
How did they get my email address?
Is there a link to their site or a phone number? If not, why not?

Question the services being offered, too. If you’re being promised immediate organic Google first page search results, note that an SEO company cannot legitimately push a lesser known website to the top of Google rankings in a couple of days without using some deceptive or shifty tactics. These types of tactics can get your site banned (we’re looking at you, Rap Genius). Also, with localized and personalized search results, where Google considers a user’s location information to generate results, it’s almost impossible to know exactly where your site will rank from person to person.

If you’re already in a business relationship with an SEO company, particularly one who solicited you through email, ask yourself how reluctant they are to reveal their methods. Have they laid out the steps they’re taking to optimize your site? Any reputable company can map out a strategy plan in detail for you to review. An SEO plan takes time, tracking and continuous optimization. Don’t be duped by spam emails. And remember, good SEO companies lead by example.

Need help with Search Engine Optimization? We can help. Appleton Creative is an award-winning, full-service advertising agency located in Orlando, Florida. Appleton works with local, national and international clients to provide marketing strategies through print, web, social media and video production – all in house. At Appleton, we want to learn about your business, empower your marketing team and be your creative resource. Your marketing goals are worth a conversation: contact us at 407-246-0092 or info@appletoncreative.com.