I don’t know about you, but I get calls or emails every week from people providing SEO (search engine optimization) services promising to get me ranked at the top of Google search results.

I know they are phony because they promise to make me #1 or at the top. A real SEO doesn’t promise search results. There are just too many variables to make hard rock promises.

When I speak to one of these people, I ask them just what they are going to do to get me ranked. What follows is usually a lot of fast talk and I honestly can’t make heads or tales of it. I’ll ask them to repeat and slow down and I still don’t have a clue what they are talking about.

Recently, I received a solicitation from an SEO that seemed more legitimate. I googled several keywords pertaining to his firm and his own business did not come up in the search rankings.

Then I googled his personal and company names and there were several SPAM and virus warnings about the company on a Google forum.

I feel sorry for any firm that hires this rascal.

This is a very difficult area for businesses. They need SEO services desperately, and the landscape is full of charlatans ready to take advantage of their inexperience.

Other legit services promote getting your business listed in their directories. It’s usually very expensive and, if you can afford it, it can be a part of your marketing plan. But directory listings alone won’t bring you the kind of ROI that a good online specialist can bring.

Easy Web Tip #29: Before you hire any search optimization specialist, see if he or she can explain to you in layman’s terms what you will be getting. Ninety per cent of SEO is easily explainable. Another hint to credibility is that a good SEO will improve the site first for your customer and then the search engines.