I recently received an email that claimed to offer SEO (Search Engine Optimization) services. I wanted to share this email with you and to give you my comments on their legitimacy, or lack thereof.

Here is the email:

Dear Website Owner,

70% of POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS searching the Internet will never find your web site unless you're ranked on first page of Google, Yahoo, or MSN. If I assist you to achieve at least 4 times more INTERNET traffic to your website by getting you to the top of the search engines would you be interested?

Our internet marketing company is ranked on the first page when you search on Google for our primary search phrase "SEO Company." We would like to do the same for your Company's website so you can come up for your main keyword search phrases as well? All of our methodologies use the most ethical Search Engine Optimization techniques that will not get your site banned or penalized.

This proprietary SEO service includes:
• No setup costs
• Cancel at any time
• Guaranteed increase in traffic

Please reply to my email and I would be delighted to supply you a custom proposal
Warm Regards,
Darren Daley

5021 VERDUGO WAY, STE 105
CAMARILLO, CA 93012 - USA

_________________________________________________________

P.S. This is an advertisement and a promotional mail strictly on the guidelines of CAN-SPAM act of 2007 . We have clearly mentioned the source mail-id of this mail, also clearly mentioned the subject lines and they are in no way misleading in any form. We have found your mail address through our own efforts on the web search and not through any illegal way. If you find this mail unsolicited, please reply with "Remove" in the subject line and we will take care that you do not receive any further promotional mail.

Where’s the company name? Where’s the company website? Hmmm.

Let’s look at the email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Now, why would someone who has a legitimate SEO business use a junk email address from gmail, rather than a more professional email address, like This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ?

Let's look at the office address: 5021 Verdugo Way, Ste 105, Camarillo, CA 93012

When I did a search in Google, I came up with a UPS Store address, which tells me that they have a mailbox at that location. Not to say that all businesses that use a UPS Store address are scams, but not having a physical location, plus no company name, plus no website? This is a good example of an SEO scam.

This person got my email from my website and sent this message, in an (weak) attempt to get me to pay him money for nothing. Besides the fact that I do SEO as part of my company, although I don't consider myself an expert on the subject.

So the morale to the story is this: If you’re a small business owner and you get a email from someone you don’t know, claiming to be able to boost your website traffic - do a bit of research. Look at the website of the company. Put in the keywords they should be targeting and see if you can find them on the first, or second, or third page of Google. If you can’t, they are not a legitimate SEO company and it’s simply one of the many email scam attempts.

Be careful out there!

Last update : Friday 11 July 2008 10:39:40 PM

Keywords : seo, search, engine, optimization, google, yahoo, msn, internet traffic, internet, internet marketing, search engine optimization, pirouette92621@gmail.com, 5021 verdugo way, camarillo, ca, 93012

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