creative commons Archives - Website Design Company Kelowna BC - Atomic 55

SEO Spam Email Is An Annoying Sign That Your SEO Is Working.

admin — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 22:01:03 +0000

A while back we wrote about the pain caused by Copyright Trolls. In that article, we briefly touched on another annoying group of spammers that can cause you grief. These are spammers of the SEO variety. Considerably more harmless than the Copyright Trolls but far more intrusive, especially where your inbox is concerned.

Were you looking for information on Copyright Trolls? Read more on that topic here.

Editor’s Note 01/25/24: This article has been updated to include information about SPAM phone calls claiming to be from Google. Read more at the end of this article.

“I like to think, that SEO Email Spam is akin to a fruit fly. Annoying, but also a signal. “

In the case of a fruit fly, the signal is that you have some decaying produce/plant life in the vicinity. In the case of an unsolicited SEO email, it’s a fairly good signal that your SEO efforts are working, contrary to what the email’s subject matter claims.

Let’s explore the topic in more detail, including ways you can identify the SPAM, reasons why you’re getting the SPAM, and finally, how to minimize the SPAM, and focus on what your SEO should let you focus on – your customers!

It’s wise to consider that not every company in the digital marketing space is a good company - even if they’re “real”.

How do you know if the SEO Email SPAM is legit?

The unfortunate part about SEO Email Spam is that sometimes it comes across as genuine. In some cases, it’s being sent from a real company. However, it’s unfortunate that the real company likely has no intention of actually helping you.

It’s also wise to consider that not every company in the digital marketing space is a good company – even if they’re “real”. The way to spot the real from the good is to look where one should always look, in the details. Legitimate SEO providers focus on building relationships, delivering value, and adhering to industry best practices.

Since these spam-based companies are much more interested in making a quick buck they tend to make a minimal effort. You’ll notice that they don’t often have your name, the English is usually broken, and they love to send you multiple messages day after day, all containing the same misleading message.

In many cases, these emails come in looking like a reply email, with a re: in the subject line. This is to make it appear as though you may have initially sent them something first. They aim to capitalize on the fear that you might not fully understand the service/product you’re likely already paying for.

Why am I suddenly receiving an influx of these SEO SPAM emails?

This is one of the most common complaints we get from customers who are paying for SEO work on their accounts. The short answer is that you’re coming up high enough in the search engines to trigger their radar. You’re either doing the work yourself, a company is putting in the work on your behalf, or you’re ranking from sheer luck. We know it’s not the latter, so they have a pretty good chance of piquing your interest given that a high-ranking website appears to be your focus.

Spammers often use web crawlers to scrape email addresses from websites, and this could increase unsolicited emails. In addition, spammers often employ automated tools to send bulk emails to a wide range of recipients. If you fall within a particular demographic or industry, you may become a target for SEO spam as part of a broader marketing campaign.

Finally, they might also use automated tools to scan online content for specific keywords related to SEO, websites, or online marketing. If your content contains such keywords, chances are good that you may be targeted. In most cases, this is where our customers fall prey. Once we get you ranking for a key term you can expect that these types of emails will start to squeak through.

"The Re: that never was."

Volume-based marketing:

Some companies adopt a mass marketing approach, targeting a large number of email addresses in the hope that a small percentage will convert into clients. This strategy is often driven by a desire for quick results without considering the negative impact on their reputation.

Low-cost marketing:

Sending out mass emails is a relatively low-cost marketing method compared to more targeted and ethical approaches. Overseas companies may find this method attractive for reaching a global audience without investing heavily in advertising.

Lack of regulations:

Some countries may have lax regulations or enforcement when it comes to spam emails. Companies operating in these regions may take advantage of the lack of legal consequences to engage in spammy marketing practices.

Limited accountability:

Overseas companies may believe that being located in a different jurisdiction provides a level of anonymity and protection from legal repercussions. This perception can embolden them to engage in less ethical practices.

Unsolicited marketing:

These companies may not have obtained consent from recipients to send marketing emails, which is a violation of privacy and email marketing regulations in many jurisdictions. However, they tend to prioritize their business goals over ethical considerations.

Taking Action is the Best Way to Curb SEO SPAM Email Activity in your Inbox

If you’re sick of waking up to 3, 5, or 7 emails from spammers each morning then thankfully you can do something to combat the spammers. You’ll need to do a little more than just deleting the email in frustration from your inbox if you want to stop hearing about how they can improve your rank, correct fatal errors on your website that are preventing you from ranking, and more. By taking action you can help to train your email SPAM filter so that these guys end up in the TRASH by default and don’t interrupt your day.

To reduce the influx of SEO spam, consider taking the following steps:

Use Spam Filters:

Enable and update your email provider’s spam filters to help identify and filter out spam emails. We always recommend using a reputable email provider like Google Workspace for your business, because they do a better job at blocking this type of content at the source.

Avoid Clicking on Unknown/Untrusted Links:

Do not click on links or download attachments from unsolicited emails! They may contain malware or lead to phishing sites.

Review Privacy Settings:

Check the privacy settings on your website, social media profiles, and other online accounts to limit the visibility of your contact information. This is easier said than done especially when your goal is to get leads for your business. Talk with us/your SEO provider to find out if there is anything more that can be done to minimize SPAM connections.

Unsubscribe:

If the emails include an unsubscribe option, use it. Legitimate businesses usually provide a way to opt out of their marketing emails.

Report Spam:

Use the “mark as spam” or “report as phishing” option in your email client to help train the spam filter.

In addition to flagging the offending email properly within your email program, you can also report the offenders to the Government of Canada using the button below, or via email to: spam@fightspam.gc.ca.

The government receives over 5000 submissions per week, so while spam filtering and legislation have gotten better over the years, it’s still a common problem in the digital space.

At the end of the day, the main thing to keep in mind is that reputable and ethical SEO companies do not engage in spamming practices. They won’t send you a text message out of the blue with salacious claims that your website is full of errors. And they won’t inundate your inbox with multiple emails promising you a report to show where you’re going wrong.

“The reality is, that if you start receiving SEO SPAM emails your website is getting noticed. Not only by Spammers but by real customers too. “

As any reputable company will tell you, SEO takes time, planning, and a team that cares about your brand, image, and overall website health. Like anything worthwhile, good SEO takes a consistent content effort to do it right and build a campaign that gets results.

Editor's Note: SPAM phone calls from Google?

When this article was shared with one of our customers, she brought up another form of highly disruptive SPAM. Phone calls. If you’re in business then you know the call we’re talking about. It’s a number that appears almost local. When you answer, there’s almost always a delay and then a click, indicating you’ve been connected to a dialer. The person on the other end, claims to work for Google. They continue to tell you that they can help your business become more visible on Google Search, Google Maps, or otherwise. And they’re lying.

First, they don’t “work” for Google. Google does not employ an army of telemarketers. In fact, calls from individuals claiming to be from Google or offering to improve your website’s ranking are often associated with scams or deceptive practices. Google itself does not typically make unsolicited calls to businesses or individuals regarding their website rankings or SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It’s important to be cautious when receiving such calls, as they may be attempts to sell unnecessary services, gather sensitive information, or engage in fraudulent activities.

Once again, we encourage you to reach out to us to learn more about your SEO and to determine if there are legitimate concerns. If you’re unsure about the legitimacy of a call, it’s also advisable to contact Google directly through official channels to confirm the information.

Here’s a list of how to determine if the call is legitimate and how to take action if it’s not:

Review Google’s Communication Policy

Verify the Caller’s Identity

Check Google Search Console

Be Skeptical of Guarantees

Research the Company

Avoid Immediate Decisions

At the end of the day, taking unsolicited advice from a telemarketer, email, and/or text message could increase your chances of falling victim to potential scams.

Stay safe out there. Get in touch to learn more.

The post SEO Spam Email Is An Annoying Sign That Your SEO Is Working. appeared first on Website Design Company Kelowna BC - Atomic 55.

Copyright Trolls and SEO Spammers

Jennifer Fuller — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 00:47:23 +0000

A few thoughts on things persistent in today’s news feeds, and inboxes. In 2021, we saw a dramatic increase in Copyright Troll activity. Emails sent from Copyright Trolls can scare the most steely of small business owners. They talk a big talk, they’re forceful, and if you engage with them even once they’re relentless. We want to share our experience in dealing with these online vultures and the best way to keep those threatening emails at bay.

“While they use similar tactics, Copyright Trolls are worse than SEO spammers and they can be much more painful to deal with in the long run.”

I have a family-run lavender farm where I help with the management of marketing services. This website does very well in search engines, and it attracts a lot of attention in general. Between the contact form, orders, and online chat, MKL’s lead management is a full-time job. Due to my experience, I knew that because of this website’s popularity and traffic I was in for some SPAM. That’s because spammers pick on websites that are easy to find. The better your website is at generating traffic, the more of a target you become.

It’s always a sign when customers reach out and tell me they’re getting unsolicited emails from SEO companies.

It means that their website is gaining rank and garnering attention. Often these companies have found your website and are looking to capture business. Even more often, they assume that you don’t understand what you’re doing online to get the results you’re getting. As a result, they try to capitalize on your perceived inexperience.

However, sometimes it’s regrettably not that admirable. There are some trolls and spammers who are looking to inject your website with Malware. Even more who attempt to steal your credentials for further cyber fraud. That’s why it’s important to be wary.

Don’t click links from strangers online the same way you don’t take candy from a stranger offline.

Copyright Trolls often send over their first correspondence by email. If you’re lucky it goes unnoticed in your SPAM or Junk folder. This is where these emails should all remain. And, this is frankly where they should be immediately banished to in case one squeaks through to your inbox.

If you’ve used a reputable web development company or in the case of my family lavender farm, you’ve used all of your own images, then the number one thing you can be assured of is that you aren’t likely in violation of any copyright laws. You either own the copyright by virtue of the images being your own. Or, the company you hired to build your website and provide stock images is sourcing them correctly. However, if you didn’t clear that with the company that built your website in the first place, then you might have reason to shake in your boots. In most cases, you’ll still be fine to delete the phishing email in question, so please keep reading!

In our case, all of the images on the lavender website were taken by yours truly. It was laughable when an email came in pointing to a large image of our own lavender plants in a neat row. I promptly deleted the first email, which requested that I click a link to view the picture in question in more detail. This was one of the first of more nefarious attempts to inject Malware into my device.

The emails followed nearly every day for a period of 10 days. Like clockwork, they also progressively became more and more threatening, from ensuing legal action, jail, and hefty fines and penalties for the longer that non-compliance dragged on. I diligently deleted all of them as they hit my inbox and here’s why.

My experience

This wasn’t my first or even my second rodeo when it came to dealing with trolls. In fact, previous to my own personal experience I had to go through it with clients. In the early days, we encountered copyright lawyers acting on behalf of ill-advised clients. Oftentimes, they were American and were operating out of their jurisdiction and just looking for a really easy payday.

Know your Sources

If you didn’t take the images yourself then you absolutely need to know where images are coming from, especially if they are being used in any of your marketing materials. This is true of websites, presentations, brochures, signage, cards, magazine print, etc. If you use an image and you didn’t personally capture it, then it requires credit and in most cases some form of monetary compensation. Generally speaking, your marketing company should have a subscription to a stock photo website such as iStock which allows them to select images each month on a subscription plan and includes the proper licensing required. If you hired a photographer to snap your images then it’s likely that you signed a copyright agreement when you engaged their services.

Keep your Records

This is one of the key reasons you should NOT hire a friend, acquaintance, or student without experience or a clear copyright disclaimer. Copyright Trolls aside, if an image is used improperly online you could be penalized and it could cost you. A lot.

Digital images require proper usage rights licensing. The same goes for fonts, illustrations, and other digital assets.

"There is a person out there who would very much like to be compensated for that digital piece of artwork that you're going to use to promote your business online."

They should be paid accordingly. By using the right channels you can ensure they get their piece of the pie too.

When you use a professional marketing company to build your digital footprint then make sure you check with them very early on about their photo and copyright policy. It should be current, clear, and spell out how images are procured.

What steps should you take if you’ve engaged with a troll and you can’t get rid of them?

This is a common question and while we can’t offer legal advice on the matter, we can detail our experience in making 100% of them go away. We’ve had many clients get this SPAM delivered to their inbox and a panicked email is often sent our way asking for help.

Our advice in the following situations:

You have confirmed the image was procured properly and you have not responded to the email.

This is the best situation to be in with a troll. Delete the email and return to business as usual. Forget about it. Also, plan on deleting the subsequent emails that will follow. Eventually, the emails will stop and the troll or spammer will move along to their next victim. It’s also a good idea to block the sender and mark the email as SPAM.

You panicked and answered, apologized, or denied using an image that you know was procured properly. Don’t worry, while it will take a little longer for them to go away, they will eventually lose interest in your lack of communication.

Delete the email and all subsequent emails. You can also block the sender and mark the email as SPAM when they come in.

You aren’t sure where the image in question was procured and you can’t track it down.

First of all, don’t panic. We advise you to replace the image in question immediately with one where you can verify its proper records.

Remove the image in question from your website, media gallery, and any other place it shows up in your business name eg: old social media posts, profiles, etc.

Next, delete the email(s) from the troll or spammer. Eventually, they should lose interest.

They won’t stop harassing you after you’ve removed the image and you feel that you should respond

Short of hiring a copyright lawyer to begin defending your case, or paying the ransom amount the spammer is demanding, below is the only dialogue we endorse. If you must get in contact, either because you believe the claim is legit or because you don’t like loose ends then this is the information you should consider sending in your reply.

Forward a copy of your representation agreement with the photographer

Forward proof that this copyright has been registered in Canada

Oftentimes, the spammer can’t produce a representation agreement stating that they are in fact working on behalf of the photographer/artist to reach a settlement. This is a red flag that you are dealing with a spammer in a phishing attempt.

The other red flag is when the spammer can’t send proof of registration in the country where they are attempting to reach a settlement. Chances are, that if you send these questions back to the spammer they will have concern that they are dealing with someone a little more educated on the matter at hand and they’ll disappear back into the shadows of the Interwebs to find a new target.

If they come back to you with something even more legit, then you might need to consider legal advice.

Have you been the victim of Copyright Trolls? Share your story, and help others recognize this ugly form of online behaviour before they get scammed too!

The post Copyright Trolls and SEO Spammers appeared first on Website Design Company Kelowna BC - Atomic 55.