SEO Buyer Beware: How to Protect Yourself From Being Scammed
Not sure what to look for when shopping for SEO audits? Afraid of getting scammed? If you have little or no technical knowledge about SEO, it can be challenging to know what you're getting for SEO services. Here are some things to look out for:
1. First off, there's the "Mystery Audit"
This is when an SEO company offers to audit your website but doesn’t provide any clear details on what they will be auditing, or what metrics they will be measuring. This lack of transparency can make it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the audit or the value of the service being provided. You end up getting a bunch of vague recommendations that don't really help you at all.
2. Next up, there’s the "Incomplete Audit."
This is when an SEO company only audits a small portion of your website and leaves out the rest. This can be misleading because it fails to provide a comprehensive assessment of your website's overall health. By only auditing a small portion of your website, the SEO company may miss critical issues that are negatively impacting your website's search rankings and traffic.
3. Then, there's "Overpromising and Underdelivering."
Some SEO companies may overpromise results without being able to deliver them. Some may provide you with a generic report filled with technical terminology that you simply won’t understand, and they fail to explain the results in detail. On top of that, you’re left with a report with no concrete recommendations or clear direction on how to proceed. This can lead to disappointment and frustration on the part of the client, who may feel they have wasted their money.
4. Lastly, we have "Outdated and Ineffective Techniques."
Some SEO companies may use outdated or ineffective techniques that can actually harm a website's ranking in the long run. It is important to work with a reputable company that stays up-to-date with current SEO best practices. A common outdated technique is often referred to as “keyword stuffing.” This is a black hat SEO technique in which a website overuses particular keywords or phrases in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings. This practice involves adding the keyword excessively to the website's content, meta tags, or hidden text to increase the website's visibility for that keyword. However, keyword stuffing is now considered a spammy and outdated practice that can result in penalties from search engines. Instead, websites should focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that naturally incorporates keywords and provides value to the user.
So, what's the best way to identify a high-quality SEO company you can trust? Here are a few things you can look for to ensure that you get what you pay for:
1. Ask for a detailed proposal
A reputable SEO company should provide you with a detailed proposal that outlines the scope of work they will perform, including a breakdown of tasks, timelines, and deliverables.
2. Request Progress Reports
Ask the company to provide regular progress reports that detail the work they have completed, and the results achieved. This will help you track the progress of your SEO campaign and ensure that the company is doing what it promised.
3. Check references and reviews
Before hiring an SEO company, check their references and read reviews from previous clients. This will give you an idea of their track record and the quality of their work.
4. Educate Yourself
Although you may not have technical knowledge of SEO, it's always helpful to educate yourself on the basics. This will help you better understand what the SEO company is doing and enable you to ask informed questions.
How do BBG&G’s SEO services differ from other companies?
Along with the SEO Audit that contains technical results, we create a detailed summary explaining what everything means, and map out the next steps. We create a game plan to tackle the high-priority issues first to ensure immediate results. On top of that, we include a fact sheet with common SEO terminology and metrics to help educate you on the topic so you can better understand the process.
