Bill Hartzer Website Marketing Services

Spammers Still Hurting the Search Engine Optimization Industry

No wonder the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) industry has such as bad reputation. I am amazed that there are still so many SEO snake oil salesman out there spamming small businesses. Let me show you one prime example of some of the junk that people calling themselves “internet marketing specialists” and SEO specialists are spamming (sending unsolicited commercial email). bhqi547xyn

Let me ask you one question, first. Have you ever heard of a “heated pet”? I have to be honest with you: when I think of “heated pet”, this is what I think of:

heated-pet-pitbull

Today I got what I thought was one of the more “creative” snake oil SEO spam. Until I started reading it. Apparently my website is NOT ranked on the first page for “heated pet”. WTF is a “heated pet”? Seriously, if you are going to send out spam promoting your SEO services then at least you need to use a keyword phrase that someone would actually want to be found for. Here is the email I got today, targeting one of my websites, www.Hartzer.com (which is a website about ‘lab puppies’ and ‘labrador retrievers’, not ‘heated pet’:

email

—–Original Message—–
From: Jason Miller [mailto:jason@linkstiger.com]
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 11:45 AM
To: XXXX@Hartzer.com
Subject: I visited your website and had a question

Hello, my name is Jason Miller and I am an internet marketing specialist. I was looking at websites under the keyword heated pet and came across your website http://www.hartzer.com. I see that you’re not ranked on the first page of Google for a heated pet search.

I’m not sure if you’re aware of why you’re ranked this low but more importantly how easily correctable this is.

There’s no reason you can’t have a top three ranking for the keyword heated pet based on your site structure and content. You have a very nice site.

You need significantly more one way anchor text backlinks. If you’re interested I can help you with this…

I’m talking about getting you ranked for ALL your keywords. Adding new backlinks on a steady and consistent basis from high PR quality websites is what produces the rankings you are looking for http://www.hartzer.com.

The right kind of links are very critical in getting top ranking….and I can hand deliver these quality links to you.

My partners and I own 1000′s websites and offer private linking to hundreds of website owners just like yourself.

I didn’t send this email out to very many people but I am currently reaching out to a list of your ‘keyword competitors’ as well. But I do favor your website because I can see your website monetizing the targeted website traffic the keyword heated pet can deliver.

I have your contact information and phone number. Is it ok if I give you a call?

I have a very simple way to prove that what I do works and it’s risk free for you to try. Nothing beats seeing the results with your own eyes

Is it ok if I give you a call? I would love to pursue this further over the phone with you or should I go somewhere else?

Sincerely,

Jason Miller
(480) 445-9297
www.linkstiger.com

P.S – If the tables were turned and somebody I didn’t know came to me with a proposition, even one that was appealing, I would be hesitant because I would be wondering – what’s the catch? What does this guy know that I don’t.

But then I would think he does know something that I don’t know. He does have thousands of high PR websites, he does have hundreds of thousands of pages indexed and ranking in Google Yahoo and MSN. Sites that can deliver the quality anchor text backlinks. I would also think that I need to get my website in the top rankings. And he is offering to turn key top rankings for me…on all my keywords including heated pet. Even keywords I’m not currently competing for. Keywords that produce traffic that’s potentially worth tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars.

I emailed you because It’s a win -win for both of us. Think of it this way – Who wouldn’t be interested in buying money at a discount? Because that’s what I’ll be able to do offer you…Money at a discount.

Is it Ok to give you a call? Or you can can call me anytime at the number above?

This spam email is from “LinksTiger.com”, someone calling himself “Jason Miller”. But, surprisingly enough, the domain owner of Links Tiger doesn’t hide behind private registration:

Whois Record

domain: linkstiger.com
created: 16-Sep-2008
last-changed: 16-Sep-2008
registration-expiration: 16-Sep-2009

nserver: ns57.1and1.com 74.208.2.9
nserver: ns58.1and1.com 74.208.3.8

status: CLIENT-TRANSFER-PROHIBITED

registrant-firstname: Jason
registrant-lastname: Henderson
registrant-organization: LinksTiger
registrant-street1: 7610 Thomas Rd
registrant-pcode: 85033
registrant-state: AZ
registrant-city: Phoenix
registrant-ccode: US
registrant-phone: +60.28502115
registrant-email:

By the way, you might find it funny that 7610 Thomas Road in Phoenix Arizona is a Carl’s Jr restaurant:
View Larger Map

The only way that the Search Engine Optimization industry is going to start to get our reputation back is if we start educating local businesses about what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable when promoting a business online. Better yet, try putting an SEO RFP together, there is a SEO Request for Proposal template right here.

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43 total comments, leave a comment.
  1. yahrah
    Aug 7th 2009

    hahaha.. this is funny, i don’t think they know what they are talking about… They called themselves as SEO specialist? they even don’t know what exact keyword for this site.. truly a spam and desperate…

  2. Celestino Braga
    Aug 8th 2009

    A lot of Internet Marketers nowadays will brand themselves as experts
    in Search Engine Optimization when they don’t even know how to use
    the right keywords….

  3. Single Maria
    Aug 10th 2009

    Thanks for the post. This is a new one for me, but I think I really don’t like SEO experts for the simple fact that they are too good at their job. SEO is a booming field and unfortunately, there are a number of people out there that are really good at it. Whether they are so-called link ninjas, SEO consultants or just amateur SEO freaks – they’re ruining the Internet for the rest of us.

  4. maybe he want to put not competitive keywords including keyword phrase that never be found for..lol

  5. Beni Anand
    Aug 11th 2009

    Good post. Its really true. Seo experts are giving suggestion, but each one’s opinion to increase the traffic to the site is different. So sometimes it may irritating and confusing to follow their tips. Thanks for the comments

  6. If they’re (the spammers) are really that good, why do they need to spam people in the hope of getting business? It seems really desperate. Besides no one can ever guarantee search engine results.

  7. Lido Venice
    Aug 12th 2009

    Why give energy to a spam letter?
    Is like you write an article about a mail you receided talking about some product that grows something in your body…..

  8. Don Christie
    Aug 13th 2009

    I think the SEO business is a great way to actually help small business.
    If you make the effort to find out what the business is selling or offering, you can very quickly and easily get local targeted traffic.
    Another thing is the cost per click for local town + keyword is usually very cheap. Besides the fact you will be helping the business online, you build so really good affiliate marketing skills!
    Don Christie

  9. Scaffold Towers
    Aug 14th 2009

    I get innundated with these emails with a similar format – they tell me I’m not ranking for some keyphrase (even when I clearly am), and then want to offer me their services for a fee.

    I have to laugh at the level of literacy of these guys, & I especially love it when they sign of with something like “I am anxiously awaiting your reply!”

    Keep waiting baby!

  10. It’s always interesting to me all the scams people try and pull out there. Being a photographer I get asked all the time to join some secrect club here or there. They all have the same mantra…. “you’ve been selected to be one of our top photographers, … Now pay us money to be on our website”. So dumb.

  11. Michael
    Aug 15th 2009

    I receive these messages all the time and I am quite tired of it. Most of these guys don’t know anything about good SEO if they did there sites would be 1 2 or 3 on google but there not.

  12. Video backgrounds
    Aug 17th 2009

    All small business companies are trying to promote their business through email but they have been spammed like this kind of frustration.

  13. the only thing whe they do email spam is because they can’t do SEO for their own website.

  14. Creare Web Designers
    Aug 19th 2009

    I think ‘spammers’ are always going to be a problem, regardless of the industry. I think the solution is that if your a company that offers SEO services, you just simply have to prove your worth and distinguish yourself from these spammers.

    Meet and talk with your client, offer examples of competitive keywords your company has got a website onto the top of google for and be transparent.

  15. I’m pretty new to SEO, I work in a SEO company for several months. My impressions? I don’t know… When I see a mail like this one, and when I see reactions to it, well that tells me a lot. I’m not surprised that people are pretty negative about SEO. SEO might become another substitute for spam and that is very bad for internet marketing. SEO is a great way to help small business but doing it this way is wrong. Like I said, I am pretty new to it and I have a lot to learn, but I’d never write a mail like this and I want to point that not all SEO “experts” are like this. If I don’t know something, I have my supervisor to guide me. SEO is constantly changing field and you got to learn constantly, and there are those who push to the limits and ddo spamming. But there are “white hat” SEO’s who stick to some rules and who play by the rules. Web admins need to be aware because a SEO “expert” like the one who sent that mail can ruin all you efforts because by his mistakes your web site will be penalized and recovery is slow and painful.

  16. Internet SEO
    Aug 19th 2009

    They are just too lazy to optimise their own website thats why they are emailing ppl offering aka spamming others lolz. They should start working for them self before offering some one else…

  17. MONI GOYAL
    Aug 25th 2009

    I think the most important question to ask such type of seo companies is where you stand in SERPS for your industry keywords.

  18. The Therapist
    Aug 25th 2009

    It is just a strategy that today marketers use, it is annoying to receive such emails, but they market that way. First of all, have a look at their website and check if its worth it.

  19. kiki does it
    Aug 26th 2009

    How is this productive? Spam like this is pointless for so many reasons. For one thing, it’s not clear exactly how he means to help you, or even what the key word “heated pet” is supposed to mean. If there is any way he meant to promote you, it should have been made clear, as with any business proposition. Also, did he not expect you to do at least a little research? This is, supposedly, a business man who claims to be able to help you out of the blue. If he couldn’t produce legitimate credentials, he might have thougt to have a more believable address, for goodness sake! It’s common sense.

  20. ????? ??????
    Aug 27th 2009

    the reason whe they do email spam is because they can’t do SEO for their own website.

  21. Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas
    Aug 27th 2009

    Spammers (I’m thinking of the SEO-side of spam not the email – that would top the list easily) are generally weeded out themselves unless they’ve got some unique tactics that haven’t been detected by Google yet and even then – a quick reporting will usually handle that ;)

  22. Bob Beckett
    Aug 28th 2009

    Small business could be benefited with SEO since over internet they get a big market and advertisement could be beneficial to the company. Sometimes it backfires and they becomes accused of spamming.

  23. TK Pandey
    Aug 28th 2009

    A lot of Internet Marketers nowadays will brand themselves as experts
    in Search Engine Optimization when they don’t even know how to use
    the right keywords.

  24. CompareBookings.com
    Aug 29th 2009

    lol……that hilarious ………there are plenty internet marketers calling themselves experts not even knowing how to use the keywords …………….this post is so true

  25. Funny story but too true about business owners being susceptible to this type of thing due to a lack of knowledge about SEO/SEM. My business partner and I are combating this by educating local business owners about what they really need to know so that they are don’t fall prey to such snake oil salespeople.

  26. Craxie
    Aug 31st 2009

    maybe he want to put not competitive keywords including keyword phrase that never be found for..lol

  27. sohbet
    Aug 31st 2009

    SEO is a booming field and unfortunately, there are a number of people out there that are really good at it. Whether they are so-called link ninjas, SEO consultants or just amateur SEO freaks – they’re ruining the Internet for the rest of us.

  28. You would be surprised at how many of these kinds of spam email we get and we’re actually an SEO company! You would think spammers would at least properly look at who they’re spamming, but I guess that’s too much to ask.

  29. Garry
    Sep 1st 2009

    All small business companies are trying to promote their business through email but they have been spammed like this kind of frustration. Thanks for a good post.

  30. Wine Clubs
    Sep 2nd 2009

    I think the one thing that has caused us to do our SEO in house although we’re not experts by any means is that there are so many scams out there. How do you really know who to trust? It’s also hard in that no one is willing to take a pay for performance type thing, so businesses feel like they are taking all the risk.

  31. That`s gotta be the lamest thing I`ve ever seen. He probably use some kind of automated program to fill in random words in his e-mail. Fishing, if you will. Looks incredible stupid. Fascinatingly so, actually.

  32. I’m so amazed at how few photographers really understand SEO…. if they weren’t in my area I would help them out, but then again I don’t want to compete with other photographers.

  33. alisha07
    Sep 2nd 2009

    Spammers regularily scan UseNet for email address, using ready made programs designed to do so and they have programs which spider through web pages, looking for email addresses. They have many options to do spamming. What can we do to stop them?

  34. Guncel
    Sep 5th 2009

    I think the most important question to ask such type of seo companies is where you stand in SERPS for your industry keywords.

  35. Guncel Blog
    Sep 5th 2009

    All small business companies are trying to promote their business through email but they have been spammed like this kind of frustration. Thanks for a good post.

  36. Annabel - Forex Trading
    Sep 6th 2009

    Bill, spammers seem to be everywhere! They are getting through as followers on Twitter and now on my Gmail account. I totally agree with Wine Clubs – I have resorted to doing my own web site design, SEO, copywriting because I have hired and wasted so much money with so called ‘experts’. Great post!

  37. Acai Berry
    Sep 7th 2009

    Google and all search engines will have to change it’s algorithm time to time and will have to teach a lesson to all the spammers.

  38. PEGASYS
    Sep 8th 2009

    SEO is a booming field and is very useful to small business companies to promote their business and company’s reputaion through internet

  39. This is one of the most stupid mails I ever have seen, but sadly, many people are stilling following the instructions and links in the e-mails, as long as they do those e-mails will always come into our inbox.

  40. ligtv izle
    Sep 15th 2009

    the reason whe they do email spam is because they can’t do SEO for their own website.

  41. Spammers really dono the consequence of spamming others blog and all. If they come to know , they have to feel about it.

  42. David Bell
    Sep 22nd 2009

    Spammers enjoy taking the easy road,throw enough out there and some will stick.Ultimately they cuase huge damage and clogg up the search engines and email boxes with total garbage…It would be nice if someone invented software where at the click of a button masses of garbage text could be sent via reverse protocal..

  43. catering melbourne
    Sep 25th 2009

    If so many seo customers are taking their seo to India – spammers will be there all the time

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