6 Reasons Why SEO’s are NOT Like Used Car Salesmen

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Would you trust an SEO? Unfortunately the field of search engine optimization continues to develop a bad reputation as scammer SEOs get put in jail and huge companies like Wal-Mart commoditize the entire industry. Just after a short visit to the Digital Point forums, you can quickly see the general mistrust of SEO services and the large number of wannabes scamming naive and ignorant webmasters. Just last week, Shoemoney himself came out and stated that he dislikes 95% of SEO experts and considers them the scum of the earth.

Now, being an SEO myself and seeing all of the other crap being offered out there, I can definitely say that I don’t blame Jeremy for how he feels. Many people think they know SEO when in fact they don’t have the slightest idea. They simply see an opportunity to take advantage of naive clients and are out to make a quick buck. These people aren’t SEO’s. They just sell the services with unrealistic expectations and promises and then run away with the money. It’s really no wonder search engine optimization has such a bad reputation. It’s the fault of these other SEO’s, the Scum Eating Ogres.

I think that distinction needs to be made clear. Sure anyone can do SEO, but then again anyone can practice medicine too. With SEO being such a new field without any real education or certification programs available, it’s easy to breed misinformation that the scammers will inevitably feast on. As the field continues to mature and garner more mainstream acceptance, the fakers will be shaken out and burned. It’s just a matter of time.

As for Shoemoney’s analogy of an SEO being like a slimy used car salesman, I couldn’t disagree more. Below are reasons why SEO’s are NOT like used car salesmen. This list references real SEO, not the scammers who don’t really know SEO.

1. An SEO is NOT a salesman
   Unlike car salesmen, the main goal of an SEO is not about selling. Sure it’s an important aspect of any business, but a true SEO focuses not on sales but on getting results - to optimize websites to achieve higher visibility and exposure through search engine rankings. Once they’ve nailed that down (on their own sites or on client sites), clients will start pouring in inquiring about their services. Honestly, an SEO who has to sell is an SEO who really can’t do SEO at all.
2. An SEO should NEVER guarantee results while a car salesman should
   A car salesman who can’t guarantee results is shady. But an SEO who does guarantee results is even shadier. Since search engine algorithms shift frequently and many of the ranking factors are not directly controlled by SEO’s, it would be blasphemy to predict #1 rankings for competitive keywords. On the flip side, a car salesman usually knows the exact condition of a car. They don’t guarantee results because they know something is wrong but don’t want to convey that information. Big difference.
3. SEO is measurable but a car is unpredictable
   The effects of an SEO campaign can be measured in terms of search engine rankings, traffic, and profit. Progress can be assessed throughout and the SEO should be held accountable. A car on the other hand is extremely unpredictable. Buyers don’t know whether or not they got a good deal until the day the car breaks down. Salesmen aren’t accountable for anything after they make the sale.
4. SEOs don’t know everything, car salesmen do but are liars
   SEO’s don’t know everything and shouldn’t have an answer to everything. If they did, then they would be out making millions for themselves. Search engine algorithms are closely held secrets and SEO is merely speculation for what works. On the other hand, car salesmen know everything about a car but choose to keep important facts from potential buyers.
5. SEO’s have trade secrets and car salesmen have scam secrets
   Both an SEO and a car salesman might have secrets but they are for totally different reasons. An SEO keeps secrets to keep a competitive edge and to provide more value to clients. This is necessary to stay ahead. On the other hand, a car salesman keeps secrets to scam a buyer. One uses secrets to do good, the other bad.
6. Anyone cannot do SEO, but anyone can sell a car
   Ok, let me say this again. SEO is not rocket science but that doesn’t mean anyone can do it. Real SEO takes skills and a ton of experience to see substantial results. Anyone can sell a car especially a liar.

Shoemoney is inviting people to his radio show today to debate this issue further. I won’t be able to make it but I hope I was able to get my point across and offer up another view point in this post. Shoemoney, what do you have to say to that?