What annoys you the most about "SEO" firms?

I am getting really tired of some of the lame efforts provided by some "SEO" firms...

Here is one example of annoyance to the client, the public & the search engines...

Shame on YOU!

OK, so yes, we can Optimise your website...let's start by creating a links section using ALL your keywords and phrases... let's hang it out back of your website with a link to it from "somewhere" maybe your home page or maybe mine!.

When someone arrives at your website (because we have such great positions for you due to the use of the condensed content on other websites), let's be useful and just let the traffic flow on out..

there is no need to have obvious links to your products and services, this is an SEO exercise, it's an addition, it's called links!...it will help you rank high in the search engines without affecting your current website.

This is one of the most pathetic attempts to climb the ranks that I have seen...

What the heck is the use of an outgoing links page if when found in the search engines there is no obvious way to access the client's website.

What a dis-service.

What are your gripes about what you see in the way of shonky goods sold in the name of professional SEO?

I hate software.

Too many people are being sold on the idea that software is the be-all-and-end-all of optimization.

"Buy my software for 419.99 and you'll rocket tot he top of the SERPS."

It's crap, hogwash and snake-oil all rolled into one tidy package designed to separate people from their money.

One of the main reasons I joined SEMPO was because this industry needs standards - in a hurry. Not saying that SEMPO will be the one to set the standards, but we're trying - and trying is better than nothing.

The industry needs a set of published standards for SEOs to follow - fit the bill or stand aside. Without a logo or something on your site stating you are a member in good standing (of whatever body emerges), you are less trust-worthy than others (to a degree).

lol - well I can see where you are coming from dear, but I don't need no badge

My gripe is about folks using the non official badge of "seo expert" "search engine blah.. blah.. " and not delivering anything but crap...

I don't think that there can be an "offical" badge for the industry to distinguish those worthy and those not...????

I mean - I am one of the best, but I don't and prolly wouldn't wear a badge, so??

Adding - I am a person, not a software. SEO software sold as a magic fix is a real problem...if there is no true expertise riding it then it could launch and land a person in unpleasant circumstances for sure!


[ Message was edited by: excell 11/20/2006 07:44 am ]

My gripe: Someone taking on a contract to fix a site, and then going to a forum to ask how to do the job, starting right at the basics... and all the while using some Location_SEO_Expert moniker.

I think that is too cheeky for words: going to a site for some free help while charging a client for the job.

Aaaarrgghh!!!!

g1smd - on the button!

What annoys me most about SEO firms is the rank amateurs who advertise themselves as "SEO experts" and then show up on forums like these and ask the most basic questions that anyone who earns a living from seo should know. Even worse is when they ask client-specific questions that any SEOer worth their salt should know. What, in fact, they are saying essentially is this, "I will take your money under false pretenses and then ask other, competent SEOers what to do." When I look into a members profile, go to their site and see them advertising themselves as Search Engine Consultants I despair. Truth is, I see this as fraudulent trading, taking money for a job they can't do

The client gets, at best, a second rate job, at worst, a penalty or ban for bad practice.

This is bad for the client and bad for the search engine marketing industry as a whole. No wonder some people see us a bunch of charlatans and snake oil vendors.

Pet peeve? SEO companies who offer to optimise for hundreds of phrases for £500 - they then merge the file holding the keyphrases with a single page - the resulting hundreds of pages have around 95% duplicate content.

g1smd - I was going to say exactly that!

1st post, newbie questions, then you look at the site in their profile and they are offering "professional" SEO services.

And constantly getting emails like this:

We are a INDIA based Web services company with primary focus on

1. Affordable Link Building
2. SEO Services
3. Search engine marketing (SEM) consulting to Clients
4. Web Design and Development (ASP, ASP.Net, Java ,Perl and PHP development)

The SPAMMER SEOs are my biggest pet peeve because my SPAM load is overwhelming without their contributing to it. The companies using phone banks to call unsuspecting Web owners are right up there. And I've posted before about people taking money to do something they have no clue how to do.

All of these individuals are sorely lacking - at least in wisdom if not in integrity - not that they are wise enough to even be aware of that fact.

Duane, you know I love ya, but I'm with excell on whether any official seal of approval means much. The reason we have so many laws, standards, and organizations is the mistaken belief that someone else is protecting us. The sooner people learn to take responsibility for themselves and realize that it is impossible for the government or some other official organization to be taking care of us the better.

Just because an SEO or PPC expert can pass a test or get a certification does not mean they can effectively implement the concepts or generate the best results. While some of the most brilliant may choose to be certified, knowing that it is one way to enhance their skills or to provide clients with confidence in their abilities, many don't feel the need to get someone else's approval.

All that said, it never hurts to provide information to help people become aware of what skills they may wish to develop and what others in their industry feel are important techniques to utilize.

Promises. I far as i know no one can guarantee a number one listing on a search engine. I never guarantee placement. Promises for number ones for vague terms like health, doctor, meducine, etc.

And then the ones that say they will submit to all the search engines, EVEN GOOGLE, with automatic submit programs.

argh! you guys got me going....

I had a spam email recently from one 'SEO' company. I had a look for their site and found it wasn't indexed by Google. It turns out that they use robots.txt to block the search engines from visiting their site! Morons!

ROFLOL

But, but, but...*sniff*, I like seals and certification logos... *sniff*...

Seriously, I hear what FR and excell are saying - and it's spot on.

If certifications are to work, it falls back on the organization authorizing them to police infractions actively, and for the community as a whole, to ultimately recognize any program as "worthy" of note.

Right now, my support for certifications is base don the idea of having soemthing is better than having nothing. QAt some point, users will see the differences and spread the word - sure the "seal" might means next to nothing, but if company A invested time and effort into obtaining it, it means they did something. if company B didn't well, there you go.

Ultimately, and sadly, I fear my support for certifications is base don too many ideas that require large amounts of ground level support to be fully worthwhile. Right now, too many things are props and meaningless - even some that are good, are too limited.

Death the the Seal - Long Live the Seal!

From the sempo home page:

"SEMPO is an industry organization designed to promote search engine marketing in general, not an accreditation body for SEM firms."

Give it up SG - spend your time working on your site(s) mate

LOL - nice find phil - I guess I'll have to send someone an e-mail about that...LOL

[passes SG a hanky and a magic eraser pencil...]

You must have all heard that

'SEMPO is also launching an institute designed to produce a new generation of search engine marketing professionals'

Dana Todd was taking about it at pubcon. Seems there may be a 'seal' after all?

The intent was more to provide some education on the basic and advanced aspects of search marketing - to at least offer something for folks to learn from - rather than having a crop of folks selling services, then turning to places like this to get client questions answered.

lets face it. people will take the course and then hang the shingle. all the theory in the world won't help most of these graduates. we also know that we all have our tried and true secret technigues that we don't share with anyone. the only way to really learn is thru trial and tribulation, self discovery and the ultimate solution...

BY FAILING ONE'S WAY TO SUCCESS

which takes time and endurance

well actually - some of us might share our secrets with others.. but what usually happens is that the information is misinterpreted or changed or not taken in properly... filtered through other understanding to become ineffective if not in balance with a whole range of other factors etc.

Same with any sort of "formal" training...knowledge can come out wonky.

LOL...wonky. Filtering is a major issue.