10. We Know Someone
I was once promised better SEO (my site is already top-ranking in the top three major search engines on some great keywords) because the spammer told me in an email to “undisclosed recipients,” “had an inside contact at Google.” They knew things the other SEOers did not.
Doubt it.
All search engine company employees sign confidentiality agreements. To blab could land them in jail.
If an SEO expert cannot stand on his own reputation but has to name drop, he’s not someone you need to know.
11. Unsolicited SEO Offers
I once got an email from a man who told me he could improve my page ranking on certain keywords on a list of web pages he kindly provided me from my website. Guess what? I was already in the number 1 and number two spot on Google (and number one on Yahoo, as well).
Spammers often use spiders to crawl for a list of URLs and email addresses. Anytime you get an unsolicited offer via email from someone who claims to have visited your site, been so impressed that they want to help, and has a deal to offer - put the email where it belongs: in the Spam Folder.
12. Threats and Extortion Campaigns
Yes, there are scammers out there that actually threaten to sabotage your website if you do not let them SEO it for you. These scammers may even say things in emails like, “I want to discuss this with you live, can I call you at …” and then actually list your phone number!
They want you to think you have been targeted and if you do not go with their service the underlying tone is that they will do something awful.
Ignore them. It is all hype. And, it is also illegal to threaten or attempt to extort money over the Internet. Report them to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
