How to Identify Spam SEO “Specialists” from the Real Deal
Stop Digital Marketing Scams Before they Start
Spam has evolved since the days of Nigerian prince and phishing scams. Many website owners have received a “helpful” offer from a self-proclaimed digital marketing specialist willing to fix their website. It looks and sounds like a legitimate cold call from an SEO expert. Yet responding to the message will result in only more spam and no results. So how can you spot the difference?
These two emails were sent 3 hours apart by two different “Digital Marketing Specialists”. Notice anything unusual?
The messages are identical yet came from separate people. This is a standard form of online spam, likely from a digital marketing agency halfway across the globe. They make websites the same way they create spam: identical websites where the only difference is the name and contact information. If you’re lucky, maybe they’ll let you pick your own colors.
It’s easy to spot this high volume spam when two messages arrive hours apart. Yet there are also several red flags marking these emails as suspicious.
Spam Red Flags
Before you respond to an unsolicited message like the above, keep an eye out for these major red flags:
Red Flag #1: A fake response
- One way spam marketers try to gain your attention is by pretending you initiated contact or have a preexisting relationship. Why else would they disguise their email as a reply?
Red Flag #2: Immediate errors
- An individual claiming to be a plural (“Specialists”) isn’t the worst mistake in the world. But a simple mistake can be an early warning sign of a questionable source. Sure enough, the message has a few more mistakes – would you really want this “Specialists” [sic] writing for your website?
Red Flag #3: An anonymous source
- Working for “a Creative Agency” doesn’t really mean anything without an actual business name to back it up. A legitimate business will always include full contact information. It’s why every iNET Web business card and email signature includes a phone number, fax line, and physical address.
Red Flag #4: “Mandatory” information
- Making demands is never a good start to a business relationship. And besides, why do they need your URL address if they were already on your website? This is a sign of a mass produced message sent to dozens of websites in a day. Don’t expect personal service here.
The Blue Contradiction: “I came across your website…”
Part of the fear tactic used by spam marketers is claiming your website is failing, no matter how much traffic you actually have. If the website is really struggling, how did they find it in the first place?
How to Spot a Real Internet Marketing Agency
A genuine marketing agency won’t try to scare you with technical jargon and falling numbers. At iNET Web, our goal is to make your business more profitable with our expert web design, search engine optimization (SEO) and traditional advertising practices.
The next time you get a scary spam message saying your website is doomed to fail, check with iNET instead for a custom audit of your website. We start with a fully personalized site review:
Notice anything special about Step 3? It’s where we ask for your ideas. No one knows your business better than you and we want your insight. We represent businesses of all shapes and sizes, some right here in Wisconsin and others across the country. We know how important it is to market by industry and location.
Our team will look over your website from every angle to see what works and what doesn’t. Once done, you’ll get a custom report covering each and every detail. Included will be a proposal covering what iNET will do to start improving your website results and profits.
