SEO Scammers: Beware the modern day snake oil salesmen and SEO charlatans!

In today’s digital age, search engine optimisation (SEO) has become an essential component of any successful online business. But with the increasing demand for SEO services comes an unfortunate side effect: the rise of SEO charlatans who prey on unsuspecting victims with empty promises of top search engine rankings.

These charlatans are everywhere, sending out unsolicited emails, cold calling, and even spamming social media platforms. They offer quick and cheap solutions to rank high on Google, and some even go as far as guaranteeing top positions within a few days. Unfortunately, many small business owners fall prey to these scams, thinking that they are getting a great deal on SEO services. But in reality, they are just wasting their money on something that will not deliver the desired results.

A true SEO professional knows that ranking high on Google takes time, effort, and a comprehensive strategy tailored to each client’s unique needs.

 

google guaranteed

How do you spot an SEO charlatan?

So how can you spot these charlatans and avoid falling into their traps? Here are a few warning signs to watch out for:

1. Unsolicited Emails or Cold Calls
These are the most popular. Why? Because it costs nothing and all they need to know to target you, is that you have a website.

Be very wary of SEO companies that contact you out of the blue via email. These companies often purchase email lists or use automated tools to scrape websites for contact information. We’ve shown a typical email here of what these contain.

Firstly, the spam email usually comes from a free email account such as Outlook.com, Gmail or the like. The reason being is that they are generally not legit businesses who have websites proving their track record.They can also easily chop and change at no cost to themselves.

Secondly, sending unsolicited email is illegal in many countries. It is illegal to send unsolicited email in the UK. We absolutley abhor spam. Read our ‘Stop spam’ article here on how you can help to reduce it.

So, if we take it that these people have no qualms in flaunting the laws of a country, do you think they’ll have any qualms about taking your money and not delivering? We think not.

 

Our advice: Do a Google search for an SEO company near you (or at least in your country where you have some recourse if things go wrong). If you can find them using keywords associated to SEO (eg: seo services, seo agency, seo company etc.) they’ll be able to get your business found.

2. Guaranteed Results
If an SEO company promises you top rankings within a short period or guarantees you a particular ranking, run the other way. No one can guarantee top rankings on Google. Search engine algorithms are constantly changing, and no one has the power to manipulate them to deliver top results.

3. Lack of Transparency
A reputable SEO company will be upfront about its strategies, methods, and pricing. If you feel that the company is hiding something or not disclosing important information, it’s time to move on.

4. Cheap Prices
Beware of SEO companies that offer too-good-to-be-true pricing. Quality SEO services require time, effort, and expertise. If a company is offering you rock-bottom prices, they are likely cutting corners or using outdated tactics that could harm your website’s rankings.

In conclusion, if you receive an unsolicited email or cold call from an SEO company offering quick and easy solutions, be very wary.

Take the time to research the company, read reviews, and ask for references. A true SEO professional will take the time to understand your business needs and create a comprehensive strategy that delivers results over time.

Don’t fall for the charlatans’ tricks and scams, and always remember that good SEO takes time and effort.

Follow us on Facebook

We have created this website for Kate, a local Licensed Therapist who is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. She offers ethical counselling in a setting which is non-judgemental and respectful. Please check out her site for all the services she offers https://windrivercounselling.co.uk/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness #counsellinghelps #counsellingsupport #counsellingstudent

1

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐩𝐬. Here are 5 tried and tested strategies to use to help you get them and make the most of them: https://canterburywebsitedesign.co.uk/how-to-get-google-reviews/ . #googlereviews #localSEO #localseoservices #howtogetgooglereviews #howtogetgooglereviewsformybusiness

If you are interested in promoting the social and emotional well-being of children and young people please check out the website we created for the charity Sebda. They are working to build capacity in mainstream schools to support children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties https://sebda.org/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness #sen #sebda

3

🚀 New Case Study Alert: Taking Hardys Market Online! 🌐 We're thrilled to share our latest e-commerce project: Hardys Market, a beloved Eastern European grocery store in Kent! 🎉 They approached us to create an e-commerce website that caters to customers across the UK, making their unique products accessible to everyone. So we created a multilingual e-commerce website for them. Check out the case study on the project here:

Multilingual E-Commerce Website
. #Ecommerce #WebDesign #multilingualwebsite #CanterburyWebDesign #SEO #ResponsiveDesign #DigitalTransformation #WordPress #ukbusinesses #woocommerce #easterneuropeanfood #groceriesonlineshop

Looking for something different for your wedding or event? Check out this website we did for Sonny Hillier who have many years experience of providing horse drawn carriages for weddings, funerals and special events, and takes great care to ensure that every turnout is of the highest possible quality https://sonnyhillier.co.uk/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness #weddings #funerals

Google reviews have the power to make or break a business' reputation online - here are some tips on how to make the most of them:

The Importance of Google Reviews
. #reviews #localseo #localseoservices #google #googlereviews #smallbusiness

1

🍾It's Global Champagne Day today! So why not celebrate with a glass or two at Café des Amis, accompanied by their finest Mexican cuisine 🥂 Check out the website we created for them https://cafedez.com/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness #visitcanterbury #champagne #globalchampagneday

1

Check out this website that we designed for Dice and Destiny, your friendly local game store with experts on staff and a welcoming community. Take a look at what they have in their online shop https://www.diceanddestiny.co.uk/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness #visitcanterbury #gaming #pokemon

1

Tired of getting a load of spam from your website forms? We include the paid plugin Cleantalk Anti Spam in all of our bundled hosting packages. Here's how it works:

CleanTalk Anti-Spam
. #webhosting #webhostingcompany #AntiSpam #managedhosting #managedhostingservices

If you are looking for super tasty, 100% organic vegan food check out the website we created for The Wallflower Café! They have a café in Herne Bay and also provide outside vegan catering throughout Kent for your events https://vegan-cafe.co.uk/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness #veganfood #vegansoulfood

1

🚀 New Website, New Look! 🚀 We recently gave Peugeot Motorcycles UK a major website upgrade! From sleek design to seamless geolocation for stockists, their site is now faster, mobile-friendly, and easier to manage. Check out how we transformed their digital presence in our latest case study here: https://canterburywebsitedesign.co.uk/case-study-website.../ . #WebsiteUpgrade #WebDesign #PeugeotMotorcycles #CanterburyWebDesign #SEO #ResponsiveDesign #DigitalTransformation #WordPress #ukbusinesses

2

Did you know that today is National Fitness Day! If you are feeling in need of a workout check out the website we created for Rept Fitness, for Reece who has been a personal trainer for over 7 years. Take a look at what he has to offer https://www.reptfitness.com/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness @reece.at.rept.fitness

4

Looking for beautiful, discounted designer wedding dresses? We created this website for Brides by Zoë, for award winning Zoë who has selected some of the finest bridal gowns designers have to offer. Take a look at what she has to offer https://bridesbyzoe.co.uk/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness #visitcanterbury #weddinggowns #weddings

3

Looking for a great local restaurant serving delicious Mediterranean cuisine? We created this website for Cafe du Soleil, who are based right in the centre of Canterbury in an 18th century mill on the River Stour. Take a look at their menu https://cafedusoleil.co.uk/ #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing #socialmedia #webdesign #business #onlinemarketing #contentmarketing #website #marketingdigital #searchengineoptimization #google #webdevelopment #digitalmarketingagency #marketingstrategy #instagram #advertising #entrepreneur #marketingtips #design #wordpress #digital #graphicdesign #websitedesign #smallbusiness #visitcanterbury

3

'Buy cheap, buy twice' is never as pertinent when it comes to your business website, hosting & email. A single point of contact and prompt, local UK based support are critical. This article delives into what you need to know before switching your Wordpress website hosting and other services, to Forsquare:

1

Need more sales leads from your website? E-E-A-T-ing well is critical - see what we did there 😉 So have a look at some easy tips on how to improve this for your website to improve your online lead generation:

E-E-A-T
. #seo #digitalmarketing #websitedesign #smallbusiness #smm

2

Does posting on Facebook actually work for small businesses? The answer is no....and yes....it depends on your industry. We dig a bit deeper in this article:

Dear Faceless Marketing Spammer Let's get one thing straight: pissing us off by bombarding our inboxes with your cookie-cutter marketing emails is not a strategy that will ever generate business for you from us. We receive hundreds of similar emails each week, each making the same promises as you. And then, as if by some miracle of irony, you follow up on your initial spammy send, expressing your surprise that you haven't heard back from us! Perhaps you imagine that your email got lost in transit, or maybe you think we accidentally overlooked it in our sheer excitement to collaborate with you? Let us assure you, our silence is not an oversight. Your follow-ups are like the encore performance of a terrible play—unwanted! The pièce de résistance, however, is when you cunningly use our own website's forms to try and sell us your services. The audacity is almost impressive. Our contact forms are intended for potential clients, not for you to peddle your unwanted wares! We have a few suggestions on what you should do with your marketing emails: Reflect: Take a moment to reflect on your strategy. Maybe there's a reason your emails are going unanswered? 😉 Redirect: Consider directing your efforts towards customers who actually express interest in your services. Radical, we know. Rest: Seriously. You're wasting your time, as well as harming the planet with the electricity and server resources that are used to send and deliver your unwanted emails. So give it a rest. In conclusion, dear marketing spammer, your persistence in filling our inboxes with unsolicited nonsense is not winning you any business. So please take your marketing emails and go away! Yours in eternal exasperation, All Frustrated Business Owners

2

Are a lot of your target audience not native English speakers? Did you know you can inexpensively add a multi-ligual ability to your website allowing your customers to translate it to over 100 languages? Here's how:

Should I Add a Translation Option to My Website?
. . #webdesigner #webdesign #website #webdeveloper #webdevelopment #websitedesign #design #graphicdesign #ui #html #uidesign #ux #css #web #uxdesign #digitalmarketing #wordpress #translation #translator #n #english #translationservices #language #translate #languages #translators

Wondering why your business isn't coming up all over the county on the Google Map pack? This article explains why and what you should do instead: https://canterburywebsitedesign.co.uk/geolocation-and-your-google-business-profile-rankings/

1

Happy Pride!! 🏳️‍🌈 This Pride Month, we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and their vibrant contributions to our world. We're proud to support our LGBTQ+ clients and stand for equality and inclusion. Here's to love, acceptance, and individuality! #PrideMonth #LGBTQ+

Wanting to try and increase the conversion rate from your Ecommerce store? GPay and Apple Pay Are Essential for Your Online Business. Here's why:

Why GPay and Apple Pay Are Essential for Your Online Business
. . #ecommerce #marketing #business #ecommercebusiness #entrepreneur #onlineshopping #website #seo #webdesign #b #onlinebusiness #applepay #smallbusiness #webdevelopment #shopping #onlinestore #onlineshop #ecommercewebsite #wordpress #WooCommerce

Is your website not ranking the way it should be? Toxi, spammy backlinks could be the reason. In this article we delve into what they and what you need to do to get ready of them: https://canterburywebsitedesign.co.uk/the-importance-of-removing-spammy-backlinks-from-your-website/

We were privileged to be approached recently to build the new Peugeot Motocycles website. If you're in the market for a new scooter or motorbike, definitely check out the new site here: https://peugeot-motocycles.co.uk/ . . #webdesigner #smallbiz #webdesigncompany #webdesign #webdesignagency #webdesigner #webdevelopment #webdesigning #webdesigners #wordpresswednesday #wordpress #peugeot #peugeotmotocycles #peugeotscooters #tr #scooter #cc #rkiye #peugeotdjango #peugeotsport #peugeotuk #scooters #motorcycle

1

Abbott Contractors, a Multi-Trades Service Provider who operate across Kent & London recently contracted us to build their new website. Check it out here: https://www.abbottcontractors.co.uk/ . . #webdesigner #smallbiz #webdesigncompany #webdesign #webdesignagency #webdesigner #webdevelopment #webdesigning #webdesigners #wordpresswednesday #wordpress #builders #construction #building #builder #realestate #interiordesign #design #renovation #home #contractors #contractor

4

Another website upgrade we undertook recently was for @kentcommercialkitchens They are one of the top commercial kitchen design and build companies in Kent. Have a look at their new website which includes their vast portfolio of work - you'll definitely recognise a few places!: https://kentcommercialkitchens.co.uk/ . . #webdesigner #smallbiz #webdesigncompany #webdesign #webdesignagency #webdesigner #webdevelopment #webdesigning #webdesigners #wordpresswednesday #wordpress #commercialkitchens #commercialkitchenequipment #restaurantsupply #restaurantequipment #kitchenequipment #commercialkitchen

1

We've been working with Discount Tyres South East Ltd to give their website a major upgrade! The new site is designed to be User-friendly, Informative & Mobile Friendly. Head over to the new website now and see for yourself and then get in touch with if you need anything tyre related: https://welovetyres.co.uk/ . . #webdesigner #smallbiz #webdesigncompany #webdesign #webdesignagency #webdesigner #webdevelopment #webdesigning #webdesigners #wordpresswednesday #wordpress #tyres #wheels #cars #tires #rims #x #car #tyre

3

Do you create a lot of videos for your business or as a hobby? Videos that people want to watch obviously 😉 You could be making money from them! Have a look at this article which tells you exactly what you need to do to get started:

Keeping the Google playing fields clean and fair is an important part of our SEO strategy for our clients. That's why we check and report those who are not playing fair by keyword stuffing:

1

We're serious about your business success. Are you? One thing that sets us apart is the seriousness with which we plan your very unique & specific SEO strategy and proposal. Read more here: https://canterburywebsitedesign.co.uk/were-serious-about-your-success-are-you/

Get your free SEO audit today. Have a look at why its so important here: https://canterburywebsitedesign.co.uk/unlocking-success-the-power-of-a-comprehensive-seo-audit/

What some of our happy customers have to say about us on Google