Every time you receive an unsolicited email from a self-proclaimed 'SEO expert' – beware. Chances are this is a spam email from an SEO scammer.
Below we'll help you learn the warning signs of these all-too-familiar scams.
SEO Scam Alert!
An SEO scam usually goes something like this:
An 'SEO expert' or 'online strategist' sends you an email that says they have analyzed your website and noticed that it is not performing well.
They often mention unspecified 'problems' with your website. They say they can easily boost you to the top of Google search results. They tell you you’ll gain more traffic and more customers if you just reply.
The problem is, the vast majority of these emails are phony.
Top 6 Red Flags
The email may seem tailored to you because it includes your first name and even your website name. But the rest of the message is usually pretty generic.
The easiest fake emails to identify are poorly written. But beware, some are well written and may even reference actual ranking factors.
The top warning signs for an SEO scam, include:
- The email is unsolicited.
- The company is not named.
- You receive an identical pitch from multiple senders.
- The email was sent from a disposable email domain (like gmail or yahoo) rather than a company domain.
- They provide a fake address for their office location.
- The pitch shows that no real research has been done.
Here at CMS Intelligence, we get these pitches all the time even though we publicly identify ourselves as a website company who uses SEO strategy. This means that any alleged expert who made a quick visit to our website would realize that emailing us is a waste of time – further proof that these SEO email pitches are phony.
Our clients regularly get these emails too, and sometimes ask us if they are worth looking into.
Are they worth looking into?
Absolutely not! Scam emails belong in your trash!
If you’ve received one (or many) of these emails, chances are it was just a piece of spam generated by a software program. And even though the email seems personalized to you, it most likely arrived to your inbox through automation.
These software programs use publicly available data to generate lists of websites, website owners and contact emails; then add the generic text and send out the mass mailings.
Often, the sender is a company whose function is to collect contact information from leads (like you), and then hand it off to another company that does half-baked SEO work that builds no long-term value. It is almost certain that none has spent anytime actually analyzing your website.
Then, what should I do?
Delete, delete, delete. Don't give these emails a second thought.
If you’re still not convinced, ask yourself: Is hiring someone I don’t know, who reached me through an unsolicited email, a wise investment?
It's far better to focus on measurable SEO strategies that you already have in place. Or if you feel your SEO strategy is lacking, boost your efforts on your own or with a legitimate SEO provider.