If you’ve had a website for any length of time you’ve likely been spammed by someone who claims to be an expert, specialist, guru, Jedi, or whatever other self-aggrandizing expression they use to describe their online marketing prowess. The email probably told you they’ve noticed your rankings have dropped, you can’t be found on the major search engines, blah, blah, blah..
Unfortunately a lot of people still fall for these urgent-sounding emails. They don’t realize thousands of people received the exact same email, and these people never saw your website before. Furthermore, unless they have access to your Analytics software, there is no real way for them to know your “traffic dropped”.
These spam emails are just as bogus as these greatest hits:
- This email is from UPS: we can’t deliver your package so open this attached ZIP file (don’t worry there’s no virus in there)
- This is a Chinese domain registration company and someone has sent an application to register your domain name in our country
- I’m your friend and stuck in a foreign country because my wallet was stolen–please wire me money quickly
- You’ve just won the Nigerian lottery
- I just got an inheritance but need your help to get it–don’t worry I’ll share some of it with you
Even though the Webtivity website ranks very well in multiple cities for many, many key phrases (we are an internet marketing company after all) we get these emails too. Every. Single. Frickin’. Day. And guess what? Even Google gets these emails too!
From Google Webmaster Tools:
(source: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35291?hl=en)
Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue. Amazingly, we get these spam emails too:
“Dear google.com,
I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories…”
Reserve the same skepticism for unsolicited email about search engines as you do for “burn fat at night” diet pills or requests to help transfer funds from deposed dictators.
Here are some tips for not getting scammed by someone supposedly selling “SEO services” (or Viagra, weight loss pills, etc.):
- If they’re emailing you out of the blue trying to sell you something and you’ve never heard of them before: Hit the SPAM button really really hard.
- If they spammed you through your website Contact Form: Swear at them and delete it.
- If they emailed you from a free email account like Gmail or Hotmail realize it’s because they are spamming the crap out of everyone until the email address gets shut down. Plus you can’t track them down once they steal your money.
- If the spam email says “Reply to this email with ‘Unsubscribe’ if you no longer want to receive emails from us” do NOT reply (unless you want to verify to a spammer that your email address is legit and receive MORE spam.)
- If the email says “Click this link to…” do NOT click the link (unless you want to verify to a spammer that your email address is legit AND/OR go to a website that will install malware on your computer.)
One final question for you to consider: If your website ranks so poorly.. HOW DID THEY FIND YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE???
Peace out.
