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Search
Engine Optimizers
Search
Engine Optimizers (SEO) provide useful services for website owners
including writing copy, giving advice on site architecture, and
helping to find relevant directories to submit a website.
However, there are a few unethical SEOs who have given the industry a
bad name through their aggressive marketing techniques and trying
to manipulate search engine results.
Here are a few
tips to help you choose an SEO that will improve your site's
ranking.
Be wary of SEO firms that send you email out of the blue.
"Dear
virtualtech.com.com, I searched for your website and
noticed that you are not listed in most of the major
search engines and directories. We can get you listed in
search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, and more!"
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| Treat these unsolicited
email about search engine placement as you do emails
that say "you have been pre-approved for a $100,000
loan, with no interest". |
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, MSN, or Yahoo
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Beware
of SEO's that claim to be able to guarantee rankings, or that claim that
they have a "special relationship" or "priority
submit path" with search engines.
Be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what
they intend to do -
Ask
for explanations if something is unclear. If an SEO creates deceptive or
misleading content on your behalf, such as doorway pages or
"throwaway" domains, your site could be removed entirely from
search engines. Ultimately, you are responsible for the actions of
any companies you hire, so it's best to be sure you know exactly how
they intend to "help" you.
You should never have to link to an SEO -
avoid
SEOs that talk about the power of "free-for-all" links, link
popularity schemes, or submitting your site to thousands of search
engines. These are typically useless exercises that do not affect your
ranking in the results of the major search engines.
Some SEOs may try to sell you the ability to type keywords directly
into the browser address bar -
most
such proposals require users to install extra software and very few
users do so. Evaluate such proposals with extreme care and be skeptical
about the self-reported number of users who have downloaded the required
applications.
What are the
most common abuses a website owner is likely to encounter -
one
common scam is the creation of "shadow" domains that funnel
users to a site by using deceptive redirects. These shadow domains often
will be owned by the SEO who claims to be working on a client's behalf.
However, if the relationship sours, the SEO may point the domain to a
different site, or even to a competitor's domain. If that happens, the
client has paid to develop a competing site owned entirely by the SEO.
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