Comments on: Beware the Charlatans

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:21:51 +0000

Ok, so I’m looking for an SEO company that plays nicely. Anyone can recommend a good one?

Thanks,
a

By: Martin Diano

Martin Diano — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:23:49 +0000

I am concerned about posting a comment for fear it my be viewed as a fraud or spam attempt.

Thanks for a terrific insight into the underbelly of SEO.

Martin

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:24:58 +0000

one of the services we provide for our clients is blogger outreach. when our clients see their competitors discussed in the comments, they inevitably ask, “what can we do about this?” with an eye towards spamming.

we’ve had to educate several clients on proper blog etiquette, and thankfully (and to their credit), they have all seen the light on how blogs work.

sad to see other firms seeking the shortcut path, rather than striving for excellence through hard work and talent.

By: Stuart Bruce

Stuart Bruce — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:41:32 +0000

In the UK (and indeed all of Europe that has implemented the EU directive) this is illegal and could even land the directors of the company in jail. The new Consumer Protection Regulations outlaw a number of dubious practices.

By: Stephen Davies

Stephen Davies — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:49:49 +0000

I think Lewis is right. We just assume everyone else (particularly with professional credentials) believes in transparency online too.

I remember Paull Young saying he was speaking at a conference once and the SEO guy speaking before him said that companies should engage in the tactics you’ve mentioned above. Not only was he openly admitting it, he was advising it to a group of people as best practice.

Good call.

By: Jed Hallam

Jed Hallam — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:22:37 +0000

Excellent expose Todd!

I think the main thing to consider is that we’ve (the royal ’social media/pr we’) only just begun to change our habits. It’s now our job to educate the other industries that continue to misuse opportunity.

I’ve just (just too late to beat you!) finished a post about applying relationship skills to networking.

Best,
Jed

By: Janet

Janet — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:53:35 +0000

Mich,

A very smart person once told me; the best way to deal with somebody like that is to ignore their existence completely. Blackhatters thrive on being outed for doing things that get them “banned from Google” etc. because people who work MLM schemes actually like that.

Ignore them, don’t recommend them and if asked for a reference a simple “I’d rather not” will send your message.

By: Mich

Mich — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:32:58 +0000

But what do you do if the “charlatan” is a well-known “social media guru” already embedded in the community?

By: Lewis Webb

Lewis Webb — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:56:30 +0000

Sometimes when you’ve been preaching transparency for so long, it’s just jaw-dropping when someone comes along and suggests astroturfing as “a great idea”. Even with a crack down in Europe, it’s pretty disappointing to know that there are still those out there willing to manipulate the web like that – and charge for it! I don’t think you should feel naive on this one, it’s safe to say that a lot of us working in social media assume that most of our peers are on the same page.

By: Tonja

Tonja — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:36:37 +0000

Great post and it’s so true. Sadly, it’s still running rampant. I get calls from SEO agencies that want to partner with us and they inevitably end up sounding like hit men — “we have people that can post things in places …”