Are you, or possibly your marketing partner, breaking Search Engine rules?

This is a question that few companies ask themselves or, more likely, even know enough about the topic to ask the right questions. In today's highly competitive Search Engine ranking space, and given the importance of it to your business, this question must be asked.

In an effort to close more business many marketing companies will say something like this to get you to sign-up with them; “We will push the envelope." We have heard of tactics like this time and time again from our existing clients. What these companies won't tell you is; that they are about to stray into the SEO dark side and play tricks on the Search Engines. The critical issue here is that few will realize the long term ramification of these tricks and how they will impact their long term business.

You see, many marketing companies are in it for the short term with the goal of having their recent work be seen as valuable so that they are paid for their efforts. Then they move on to their next victim, sorry, client. (We'll tell you how to weed out the trash in a future article). However, moving on, if SEO trickery is a tactic that is taken the long term results are often devastating to the business – especially a business where the bread and butter is based on new clients finding your ad when they need your services. E.g. - a dentist office that has a healthy list of clients who regularly book appointments and checkups will not feel the effects of a web marketing campaign gone bad as rapidly as say a Tree Removal company who relies on being up front and present when the next storm takes out trees in their local community – and this becomes more true as more people daily toss aside their yellow pages and turn to the web for products and services.

Here are just two examples of breaking the rules and why you should avoid them like fake food:

• The old multiple locations trick?
  • Ok, so the idea is, if you are getting x business from the current area you are listed in, why not create another area listing (or two) and get even more clients? It is tempting we know, but the truth is, Google is a very fare company. The entire idea of Google Places is to allow local companies to garner their fare share of the business. Sooner or later Google will learn of your trickery because either they will call you or someone will post a comment that the location does not exist. And when this occurs not only will Google smack the reputation of your fake location but they will do the same for the real location. If you want to get your face in front of individuals that are outside of your local area Google has a program for that and it's called Ad Words, and managing Ad Words correctly will yield a healthy ROI.
• Testimonials – here, there, and anywhere?
  • Ok, you know testimonials are important but you don't know how to go about getting them. One day you receive a call from a company that says we will post x number of testimonials a month for $x/month. Or, you decide to start posting testimonials yourself, possibly you may even think that doing so under a different user names is best. Well, both of these tactics will hurt your business like a knife in your toe. You see, Google is very much aware of where testimonials come from and if your business is located in Troy Michigan and you are receiving testimonials that are being posted from an IP address in Ervine CA or some city in India it tosses up a very big red flag. Learning how to properly manage the testimonial process can be a very good asset to the marketing of your business but they must come from your real customers. You can not game the system, it is a waste of valuable energy.

Want to learn more? Attend one of our open seminars in the Boston area. Just send us an email and we'll contact you automatically informing you of the next event.