Pay-Per-Click Scams to Avoid like the Plague

Published January 12, 2009 by Garry Przyklenk Economics, Google Adwords, PPC Programs, SEO, Search Engines, Webmaster Tips

It pains me to have to write this post, because anyone who’s willing to throw their money at online marketing shouldn’t have to bear the cross of sitting through boldface lies. Unfortunately, I’m brought into meeting after meeting to consult for my clients in an effort to qualify online marketing vendors that promise the world. Fortunately, I’m always up for a good show, and don’t mind playing the naive web analyst.

Ever since companies started advertising online, there have been countless snake-oil salesmen hocking endless sets of lies to get clients to spend their money. SEO consultants used to be the worst offenders, promising guaranteed search engine placements (usually for brand names or domain names) and charging money to list sites on free online directories.

Scams in paid search can be much harder to spot. Here are a few gems, such as:

Guaranteed #1 24/7 placement in Google Adwords through constant monitoring. Yeah? How do they claim to accomplish that? By inflating impressions, clicking their own ads, and raising bids through the roof? Google appreciates all the money we spend with them, so they guarantee your ad is #1. Right, and you get a handful of magical growing beans and a goose that lays golden eggs.
Unlimited clicks. This one’s a doozy. The pitch is you pay upfront for a fixed term contract and a bag of keywords and no matter how many clicks the firm drives to your page, you don’t pay more than your fixed contract fee. Or they take all your money, send you a bunch of useless phony traffic through terrible content network ads and can’t be reached after the first week. Because they’re in Cuba. Or jail.
Reserved keywords. I’m about to tell you a story. Once upon a time, a firm claimed there was a controlling body that spans search engines and allows companies to register and reserve keywords for exclusive rights. Or was it that the firm was so big they were able to proportion keywords for exclusive access amongst their so numerous clientele? Either way, this is a fallacy that has to end.

I guess the take-home message is to be informed before making decisions that will cost you money. It can help to have a consultant or someone with a qualified second opinion in the room before paying for bad decisions through trial and error. Don’t stop asking questions, especially if there is any doubt. If a sales pitch for PPC sounds too good to be true, and doesn’t conform to market-economy fundamentals, run!

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