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 'problems' with your website but never provide specific examples. 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 unsolicited emails are phony.
SEO Scams Avoid Specific Examples
Even if the email seems tailored to you, don't be fooled. They will often mention 'problems' with your website but never provide specific examples of those problems.
Scam emails will often say your site isn't ranking for important keywords - but rarely actually mention what keywords.
What are the warning signs?
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.
At CMS Intelligence, we get these pitches all the time even though we are a public website company that 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.
Top 6 Signs of an SEO Spam Email
- The email is unsolicited.
- The pitch says there are 'problems' with your keywords, but never specify what keywords.
- They mention 'problems' with your website but never provide specific examples.
- The email was sent from a disposable email domain (like gmail or yahoo) rather than a company domain.
- You receive an identical pitch from multiple senders.
- Their company is not named or they provide a fake address for their office location.
Are they worth looking into?
Absolutely not! Scam emails belong in your trash!
If you’ve received these emails, chances are it was generated by a software program. These programs use publicly available data to generate lists of websites, contact names and emails, and then add the generic text and send out a mass mailing.
It is almost certain that no one has spent anytime actually analyzing your website.
Delete!
Don't give these emails a second thought. Delete them, and never bother to respond.
If you feel your SEO strategy is lacking, boost your efforts on your own or work with a legitimate SEO provider.