The number of people and company's offering Search Engine Optimization services is growing rapidly. Mixed in with the reputable businesses is a new group of scam artists out to make a quick buck. Will you be able to identify a scam artist when they contact your business?

Here are three calls we've received at our business in the last few months.

Claim 1: "I can get your company on the first page of Google for $10.00."

To be honest this was an automated call that was on our answering machine when we arrived one morning. We'll usually engage anyone who calls us just to see what they have to say but decided "why bother?".

We can get you on the first page of Google for $10.00 too, the problem is you will only be there for a few seconds. It's kind of like having a one second ad spot during the super bowl for $1.00. Did anyone really see it and will you increase your business from it?

Claim 2: "I can sell you exclusive ownership of your most important keywords."

Wow! You mean I can be the only business that has the right to use my top keywords? Well, not really.

This company offers to sell you a “keyword that you can own forever…and if you want, you can resell it to other advertisers once they get desperate to own that keyword.”  If you want to find out more about this, Google "leapfish scam".

Claim 3: "I'll get your business top placement in Google's local business listing in less than 48 hours."

They actually did. The problem is they did it by using a technique called "keyword stuffing".  Google loves good relevant content and keywords. But it likes this content as part of a well written article on a page not as a bunch of words stuffed together in a hidden content box. While Google began penalizing companies that use this technique on their website, they haven't yet fixed this hole in the local business listings. Our bet is that they will, and when they do any business using this technique could be blacklisted by Google.

In Summary:

Just like in the old cowboy westerns, the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys wore black hats. Reputable Search Engine Optimization and Marketing companies use only "white hat" methods. So proceed with caution. If an offer sounds to good to be true, it most likely is.