Nora Brown Design

Don't be fooled by SEO promises

I recently received this email, and clients have forwarded me similar or identical ones:

Internet Marketing Services We would like to get your website on first page of Google. All of our processes use the most ethical “white hat” Search Engine Optimization techniques that will not get your website banned or penalized. We would like to get your website on first page of Google. Please reply and I would be happy to send you a proposal. In order for us to respond to your request for information, please include your company’s website address (mandatory) and or phone number.

This should set off alarm bells for a couple of reasons:

1. Well, first off, I didn’t submit a “request for information.”
2. Shouldn’t they already know my website address, if they are claiming to be able to provide SEO for it?
3. “on the first page of Google” for what search term? “Website design”? I don’t think so. “Nora Brown Design”? Already there.

As I’ve written about before, SEO is just one part of findability, and will for the most part flow naturally from having a well-coded site with well-written content that interests users.