Before you hire a random SEO company to SEO your website, learn how to recognise a fly by night SEO company. The following points out how to recognise a fly by night SEO company. 

Avoiding a Fly by Night SEO Company

Unfortunately fly by night companies offer great SEO services, but, don't deliver on their promises. Rather, they are waiting to waste your time and money. For this reason it is good to know how to recognise a fly by night SEO company. This will help you to avoid wasting your time and money.

How to Recognise a Fly by Night SEO Company

The best way to avoid a fly by night SEO company is to recognise the warning signs. This will help you to avoid using an illegitimate SEO company. The SEO company is most likely illegitimate if:

1. The company does not have a proper URL or website address, or no website at all.
2. The company makes use of unethical SEO techniques.
3. You are promised first place (not page) rankings in popular search engines (such as Google, MSN or Yahoo).
4. You are promised that your site will have the first rank (not page) in Google searches.
5. The company offers free SEO trials.
6. Prices range between R250 to R2000 once off / monthly.
7. The company is not up to date with SEO techniques.
8. The company is secretive about their procedures.
9. You are told that it will take a few days to SEO your site.
10. The company insists that they have contacts in high places.
11. You are sent sabotage threats if you do not use their SEO service.
12. The company does not have sound SEO knowledge.
13. You can only find mobile opposed to landline contact numbers.
14. There is no physical contact address given on the company's website.
15. It is difficult to get in touch with anyone at the company.
16. You are frequently greeted by an answering machine during daytime calls.
17. There is no response to your messages or emails.
18. Your questions go unanswered.
19. You feel that the company has something to hide.
20. The company's staff is evasive, unfriendly or unprofessional.
21. The company's staff makes use of jargon to look knowledgeable.
22. The company does not agree to certain terms.
23. You are not given any feedback about your site.
24. You are not given a breakdown of the SEO work that will be done.
25. The company only wants once off upfront payment.
26. You can't get in touch with the company after initial payment.
27. You are informed that the company has lost some of your information.
28. The company forgets what you want.
29. The company does not refer you to past clients.
30. You receive negative feedback from past clients.
31. The company's website address uses free email services (such as Gmail)
32. The company's website has limited contact numbers.
33. There are a number of mistakes on the company's website (such as spelling errors or design flaws).
34. You find content that has been copied from other websites.
35. You find any questionable information on the company's website.
36. The domain name of the company is incorrectly spelt.
37. You need to use a password to log onto the site.
38. The website address has no reference to the company name or its product.
39. There are a number of broken links on the company's website.
40. There are no terms and conditions on the company's website.
41. The terms and conditions are difficult to find on the company's website.
42. The terms and conditions indicate any extra or hidden payments.
43. If your site doesn't appear on the first page of the major search engines for keywords relating to your product or service after using their services for 3 months.

Conclusion

If you are not 100% sure that the SEO company is legitimate, rather, find another SEO company. There are plenty of good SEO companies waiting to give you a good SEO service. Avoid fly by night SEO companies at all costs, otherwise, it will end up costing you. Remember the age old saying, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!

Further Articles

• How to Select a Good SEO Company
• Why Use an SEO Consultant
• Warning Signs of Bad SEO Companies
• SEO Evaluations
• SEO Misconceptions