Search Engine Optimization Promises via Email Spam

Each morning I wake up to a dozen or so uninvited emails. Each one promising me business success with quality inexpensive search engine optimization or link building services. It dawned on me that many businesses, maybe yours included, are trying to understand and build success on the web and you must wonder how these people found you. Do they know something about your business that you don’t? Are you missing out on this one opportunity that could make the difference? Is your site going to fail if you don’t at least find out what they know?

First you need to stop wondering. These emails are for the majority, a courtesy of email spamming (marketing) that really doesn’t have anything to do with you at all. In fact the person sending the email (usually computer generated merges) hasn’t likely even looked at your website. However, somewhere they’ve either secured your email, utilized a generic info@ or sales@ your domain, or one of many other marketing strategies utilized to get a working email address. However they got your email, doesn’t change the fact that they likely don’t know anything about your website.  (Frankly I’m in the business and I get hundreds of these types of emails monthly)

Yet it’s very “personal” when you receive an email despite potentially knowing the person really isn’t talking to you, at least until you talk to them (and curiosity can often pull you in). The worst thing you can do is reply. Then you’re on their confirmed list, and they can slowly wear you down. Drive enough insecurity and doubt into you and you might be willing to invest 100, 1000, 5000 dollars or more. It’s a volume game. Granted some of these marketing firms may have a very skilled workforce, that can achieve good results (over time) with your website and the search engines. But how do you weed out the online marketing fly by nights from the legitimate businesses?

Understanding that search engine optimization is a set of skilled steps that need to be consistently employed to obtain long term success is a good first step. If you’re comfortable with online marketing strategies, and have a solid strategy laid out, then you might be in a position to selectively communicate with providers for specific services. However, there is a lot more to SEO (search engine optimization) than sequenced steps. Beginning with business planning – an overall strategy you will deploy, should be the first step, and I highly doubt you’ll get that from someone trying to sell you a service through email spam.

What’s your experience with your morning surplus email?

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