Most People That Have A Web Site
Don't Even Realize They Don't Own It!

This article is an attempt to make clear some of the myths and misunderstanding about selling on the web. As a result of the numerous people that called me with their complaints and the many emails received, It seems more and more people are falling victim to Black Hat SEO.

Black Hat SEO

Black Hat SEO is sometimes called spamdexing (the opposite of White Hat SEO). Black Hat SEO can be any optimization tactics that cause a site to rank more highly than its content would otherwise justify or any changes made specifically for search engines that don't improve the user's experience of the site. In other words, Black Hat SEO is optimizations that are against search engine guidelines. If you step too far over the mark, your site may be penalized or even removed from the index.

For example, adding product reviews to e-commerce site is encouraged, because it adds useful content to the site. However, using bait-and-switch techniques to create a doorway page that hooks people querying for information on soccer, it then leads to information about health products will be unacceptable.

The following Black Hat SEO tactics should be avoided to keep your site away from penalties:

• Keyword, anchor text and domain name stuffing
  
• Using hidden text or links
  
• Using techniques to artificially increase the number of links to your pages, such as link farms
  
• Excessively cross-linking sites to increase link popularity
  
• Cloaking, delivering different pages depending on the IP address and/or agent who is requesting it
  
• Doorway / Gateway / Jump Pages
  
• Duplicate content taken from other sites
  
• Auto-generated content of no value to the end user
  
• Spamming forums or blogs
  
• Excessive outbound links to websites that use high risk techniques or spam
  

The main complaint is that they are paying entirely too much for little or no results. Additionally, many fall prey to bad SEO practices. If you plan to hire an SEO pro in the future, I suggest you use this article as a set of guidelines.

Before going with any SEO firm or individual, do the following:

1. How established and experienced are they?
2. Do they have references?
3. Are they published?
4. Get a live domonstration of their skills
5. Scrutinize their portfolio.
6. What kind of results have they achieved?
7. Contact a few of their clients.
8. Were they satisfied with the work performed?
9. Do they use natural organic optimization?
10. Try to find an organization that will give you what you want within your budget.

Consider and confirm their methods. How will they help you optimize your site to reach your goals?

Do they use organic methods exclusively or Pay Per Click?
Some individuals or companies use doorway pages, hide text in the background, utilize re-directs and other blacklisted methods. Stay away from these.

The cheapest isn't always the best, however, the highest price may not be attached to a comprehensive and viable course of action.

Get everything in writing. Look over the document carefully. Be sure it covers everything you have discussed, including methods of achieving your desired results. Have the copies signed by both parties. If the job is a large one you may want to consult a lawyer.

Clearly state the terms of payment.

Most SEO professionals will abide by the 50% up front, 50% upon completion standard. Make sure all financial terms are as clearly defined in your contract as the actual scope of work. This will protect all parties involved in the event that expectations are not met.

All in all, try to do your best to educate yourself on SEO. Have a basic understanding of SEO terminology and SEO methodology. Anyone offering SEO services should not have a problem explaining how they intend to get you results.

If they fail to gain your confidence or raise a red flag for any reason whatsoever, keep searching. You will eventually find someone who will help you reach your goals for a fair price.

In Conclusion

Whatever you need to promote your Internet presence, We can help. We can assist you to take your web site to the next level by providing self study search engine optimization training and a number of other services.