The internet, like the real world, is full of scammers and con artists. Internet marketers, SEO “specialists”, social media “experts” and web consultants often try to sell you products that you don’t need. They might also attempt to talk you into a product that may be useful, but comes with an inflated price tag. Nearly every day our customers ask about the authenticity of a letter, phone call or email. Some of these communications look and sound so real, that even we might be fooled if we didn’t see them so frequently.
Here are a few basic guidelines to help you avoid getting fooled by a shady business:
Know who is really calling.
Recently we’ve heard from a lot of our customers about calls from “Google”. We have even received several ourselves. Most of them deal with your local search results and map listings or with Google search in general. It’s true, Google does make calls to local businesses. But most calls actually come from marketing companies that are “authorized resellers”. You should always ask, if they are a third party or if they are really a Google employee.
Understand how search works.
With the exception of paid advertising, where you rank in a search engine result is determined largely by the SEO of your website and automated, unbiased algorithms that Google, Bing and Yahoo share with no one. If an internet marketing company guarantees that your website will rank on Page one of Google, be wary. With over 13 years experience helping dentists get found online, our websites consistently get excellent search results. But as certain as we are of our experience and high standards, even we do not guarantee a specific result. There are simply too many factors that are beyond our control. Google will never ask you to pay to rank higher. Read our blog post on understanding your search results for more information on what you see when you search.
Beware of scare tactics.
Honest marketing focuses on positives by describing what you can gain through adding a new service, but a common tactic of internet scammers is to frighten you into thinking that refusing their solution could be disastrous. They might claim that you will be left behind, that your listings will disappear, that you won’t be found or that you will be invisible online. Often, a marketer will choose search terms that real people looking for your practice would never use so that they can “prove” to you that your SEO needs help. A reputable company will show you how they can help you, not frighten you into buying (or keeping) their newest product.
Look and listen closely.
One very common tactic for certain internet companies is to send out sales advertisements that look like invoices. This same scam used to be very common in the days of yellow page listings and has simply been updated for the 21st century. Read the fine print or listen to the sales pitch. If you still can’t decide if a phone call, mailing or offer is legitimate, give us a call.
Smile Savvy wants to see dental practices grow. We never want to sell a product that isn’t going to benefit your practice and we work hard to always be on top of current internet trends. If you have a question about any of our services, or the services offered by others, please do not hesitate to contact us.
