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First Page on Google - SPAM

Todd, Todd, Todd, shame on you, why are you trying to convince people that you can get them to believe that you can get them on the first page of Google?

I have been doing SEO for more than 15 years and I never promised a client anything. I don’t even promise a client that I can get them listed on any page on Google. The reason behind that is that I can’t control a third party (like Google). I can make everything right and go to submit their website to find out that they are blacklisted for one reason or the other. I know there is a process to follow to get a website removed from the blacklist, but again, I have no influence over Google to make remove it. So shame on you for making a blind promise like that.

What I find strange about this email is that “Todd” wants me to reply to him instead of having me click on some link or some other type of trick. I guess that adds a little legitimacy to this. I notice that, unlike the many similar emails I receive, this one isn’t tailored towards me or a particular website.

What I find even more ironic (I know he has never looked at any of my websites or where they place on Google), is that the site in question is #1 on Google for the keywords that I want.

Todd is using Outlook.com which I talked about in a previous post about SPAM and Outlook a few days ago.

The question of why can’t I have the first place or the first page in Google is often asked and the best way to explain it is, let’s say that you are a small mom-and-pop carpet business (Pop’s Carpet and Tile). You have a cute little slogan of “You Can Walk On Us”. You hire an SEO company and they tell you that they can get you in the first space on Google. Let’s also say that in your area (Townsville), there are 8 other Carpet and Tile businesses. Of those 8 companies, four have hired SEO companies to help with their website placement.

There is only one #1 spot and if four companies plus you are all fighting for that coveted spot, logic would dictate that only one can have that spot for the keywords “carpet”, “tile”, “Townsville” (and a few other keywords and some phrases, but for the sake of this post, we will use the keywords I listed). This means that your chances of getting that coveted spot are not that great (20%, give or take). So your company promised you the top spot, they even offered a money-back guarantee in writing. So after a few months (let’s just say 6 months) and things shake out, you are in the #4 spot for those words. You contact the SEO company and they tell you that you are #1 and that they will not provide a refund.

You question them and find out that they are correct, well sorta, you are #1 on Google for the phrase “You Can Walk On Us”. Too bad no one will ever search for you that way.

That is how many of these SEO companies work. Another trick they will do is request access to your website and rework your content (which is a must for SEO), but since English is not their native language, you will get all sorts of grammar and spelling or what is often referred to “Engrish”.

SEO is truly one of those, you get what you pay for the type of things.