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Torapath Technologies | Dealing With A SEO Scam? Here Are 5 Signs:

Dealing With A SEO Scam? Here Are 5 Signs:

VIA:  TORAPATH TECHNOLOGIES

By: Mikala Morgan, Online Presence Strategist, Torapath Technologies

Just a few weeks ago, a friend of mine who owns a small business was contacted via phone from an agency located in Dallas, TX, who claimed that they could “guarantee her business’s website to be ranked on the 1st page of Google in just 24 hours with a pre-packaged SEO plan.”

Sounds like a great opportunity, right?

Though this does sound like an easy, effective and quick SEO strategy to many small business owners… these standardized, overnight SEO plans are usually a complete scam. 

So how do you know when a SEO agency and/or strategist is actually trustworthy or not? 

5 Signs Of An SEO Scam | Torapath TechnologiesHear are 5 signs that you are most likely dealing with a SE-NO!

1. 100% Guaranteed First-Page Rankings on Google.

This is normally one of the very first signs of a scam.

Why?

Any experienced SEO professional will never “promise” anything and most especially not first-page rankings, because this is simply unrealistic with Google’s constant algorithm changes and updates.

Now of course every SEO agency and advertiser strives to keep up with organic search trends to keep their client’s websites as highly ranked as possible, maintaining a positive rank on Google requires ongoing optimization techniques and strategies. 

2. A Pre-Packaged SEO Plan.

This offer should be another “SE-No-Brainer!”

Every website is different and therefore the optimization strategies should always be customized NOT standardized.

True SEO experts know that it takes experimentation with each individual site to actually be able to find the underlining issues of each site, whether these issues are on and/or off-site.

Using these pre-packaged plans could also put your business at risk of being blacklisted by Google. This means Google is basically treating your site as if it were spam and removing it from organic search rankings altogether, tragic!

3. They Claim To Be An “Exclusive Google Affiliate.”

Agencies and advertisers do have the ability to qualify to become an official Google Partner, which means that they have passed Google AdWords product certification exams and are up to date with the latest product knowledge.

However, being a Google Partner does NOT give an agency and/or advertiser exclusive or “insider” Google knowledge and capabilities.

If a company is claiming that they work exclusively with Google, it’s most likely a scam.

4. Initial Flat Rate To Instantly Publish “Ready-Made” Content On Off-Site Directories & Social Media.

This goes hand-in-hand with the the “pre-packaged SEO plan.”

These initial flat rates are normally to send out “spam-like” content from your site to other spam sites and social media platforms in an effort to gain quick backlinks!

More backlinks are not always a good thing if they are only from spam sites. The same goes for a lot of the ready-made content that these scam artists could potentially publish your site.

Google wants its searchers to find relevant, high-quality content. By publishing quick, irrelevant content that doesn’t actually appeal to searchers, your website’s reputation could feel the negative impact on Google.

5. They Offer “Competitive Roadblocking.”

Usually if they will offer some type of “competitive roadblocking plan” that guarantees your site’s keywords to appear organically BEFORE your competitors, it’s another sure sign of a scam. 

Once again, anything guaranteed should trigger an alarm in your head. Especially since they are most likely guaranteeing you AND your competitors the same “special organic keyword placement.”

It’s simply unrealistic.

AND in a lot of these keyword situations, these scam artists will charge you for these SEO (organic) plans and actually turn around and use your money to run paid advertising campaigns on Google Adwords, without even having clue!

 

Always make sure to do your research and check the reputation of the agency and/or advertiser.

In need of an actual trustworthy SEO company?!

Contact Us Today!

Optimizing your website AND business for search engines is a big part of what our Online Presence Team at Torapath Technologies does on a daily basis.

We build customizable plans that include quality content, reputation management and various optimization techniques to drive real traffic to your site.

Call, email or stop by our office today to see how we can help. 

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10 Secret Tricks, Tools And Cool Features Hiding In Google

Via: Torapath Technologies

If you use Google for searching the web, you’re going to love these 10 features, available to everyone that you probably didn’t know about. The best way to find these is to simply search for the item in Google.

  1. 10 Secret Tricks Hiding in GoogleGoogle’s Dictionary Extension for Chrome. Add this plug-in and you can highlight words on a web page to look them up and see how they’re pronounced without leaving the page!
  2. Google Forms. Need to create a quick survey? Poll your friends on where to go to dinner? Collect RSVP information to organize a party? Google Forms will allow you to do all of this quickly and for free.
  3. Google Keep. This free productivity app is similar to Evernote, allowing you to keep lists, web pages, documents and information organized on the web and on your smartphone.
  4. Google Public Data Explorer. This free application makes large datasets (like world development indicators or unemployment statistics) easy to explore, visualize and communicate.
  5. Google Fonts. Want a unique font to use on your web site? This public database of typefaces is free and offers a myriad of font choices and selections.
  6. Google Mortgage Calculator. Want to know if that new house is within your budget? Google mortgage calculator can quickly calculate a monthly payment for your home for free.
  7. Google Sky. For my fellow “trekkies” and sci-fi fans, check out Google Sky. From this page you can view celestial objects, including stars, galaxies, planets and tons of other cool photos taken from space.
  8. Google Unit Conversions. Need to convert kilometers into miles or vice versa? Just type in “unit converter” and Google will pop up a web-based converter that will do the math for you in seconds.
  9. Google Flight Tracker. Type in any flight number and Google will report its status.
  10. AdBlock. This is the most popular Chrome extension out there. AdBlock, which works in Chrome, Opera and Firefox, will remove banner advertisements that can make reading some sites difficult.
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How Important is Online Presence to Small Businesses?

 

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Long story short…ONLINE PRESENCE IS EXTREMELY important!

As I continue to grow in my knowledge of digital branding as the Online Presence Strategist for Wireless I.Q.,LLC. I can’t stress enough the importance of having an online presence to small businesses. *Also, notice I did say “continue learning,” because I believe ANYONE who is a digital marketer or considers themselves an expert in the business, must be willing to continue learning to ensure that their client’s will receive the best possible success because the digital world is constantly changing!

With that being said, some might be thinking…”What exactly makes up your online presence?” For a business, the two biggest factors that I would say makes all the difference is SEO and SEM.

…S -E-whaaaat?

SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization, which essentially means increasing your website’s visibility in search results. For example, when you search for youR business in Google, Yahoo, etc…does your business’s name appear on the first page? second? at all?

Studies show that nearly 1 in 4 shoppers have changed their minds WHILE IN A CHECKOUT LINE at a store after looking up details of their purchases on their mobile phone! Optimizing your website and your business for these search engines is a MAJOR factor when it comes to enhancing your online presence.

What about SEM? SEM is short for Search Engine Marketing, which is basically marketing to Internet users through search engine results, page listings and paid advertising placements. Some stores have seen a 122% increase in store visits after creating inventory ads online, according to Google. *ONLINE PRESENCE=SUCCESS*

Now social media I would usually classify as a separate sector from online presence, however, I thought it would be helpful to explain a little bit about the importance of monitoring your brand across social media platforms, as well.

In any given month, approximately 1.28 BILLION people are active on Facebook, which means that YOUR CUSTOMERS AND POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS are ONLINE! Building relationships and meaningful relationships is so crucial!

To measure the success of your social media platforms you must have a clear, defined goal and metric to accurately target the specific audience that will benefit from the services your business provides!013aa230-375b-47fa-8eca-6f42e01a31b6-original.png

Now all of this might sound like a mouthful…but here’s the easy part, there are people who can handle all of this online presence mumble jumble for you!

AKA: ME! As well as many others who work for digital branding agencies. I highly recommend small businesses to consider investing in their online presence, so that customers will continue to invest in you! 🙂

 

XOXO,

Want to talk social media. SEO & SEM for YOUR business?!

Contact me here: mikala@wirelessiqllc.com or check out all of the services we provide at: Wireless IQ