The Framers Forum

About 2 months ago I put my name on a local business website which was a freebee entry. A week or so later I received a letter from a company who would put my name at the top of Google's pages which I signed up for. At about the same time I started receiving phone calls from various companies who were just wanting to 'update' their database and to 'renew' my advertising for the next year on Google. I had been thinking of doing some sort of ads but hadn't really known how to go about it so I thought this would be ideal and went ahead with the second of these companies ( I thought I had been doing something different to the 1st signup but later realized that I was paying twice for the same srevice).
When the next calls came I started asking questions as to 1) How the got my name? 2) How much had I spent with them last year? etc.
When I told one salesgirl that she must have got my name from the internet she replied that her company didn't operate like that but she had used exactly the same keywords as I had given a previous caller. Another caller had convinced me that he was talking on behalf of Google but by the end of the conversation it turned out thathe was just selling adspace on google.
I have kept a list of company names and have made a note in my diary for next spring to beware of cold canvassers; I'm keeping a record of how new customers have found me to see if my money has been well spent!!
ps I'm usually quite good about people selling me things on the phone as I usually give them short shrift.

I believe there was a similar thread to this a while ago regarding companies who promise to get you higher up the google ratings.

They want the cash up front before you see the results which you don't and by which time they have your money and there ain't much you can do about it.

Personally I would leave well alone - unless someone out ther knows different?

There is another active thread about website hits you might like to look at.

John.

I make it a rule not to do business with any cold callers either on the phone, email or at the door.
With regards to getting a better page ranking on google, you can do that you’re self.
Maybe a thread should be started in the technology or business section.

The Jolly Good Framer #1 wrote:Maybe a thread should be started in the technology or business section.

Good idea. I'd love to have a better handle on search engine optimisation, but some of the sites I've visited on the subject leave me bamboozled.

i believe you have been swindled.

it was along time ago when i did this so it may be different now, but you submit something through google itself to get better search results, i remember putting key words and other details in. it was free.

i will ask someone in the know and report back about the truth of this statement.