Have you heard about the “data service providers for Google scam“? Recently, some marketing companies have been reaching out to what they hope will be unsuspecting businesses, claiming to be a data service provider for Google. If you’re “lucky” enough to receive such a call, they will inform you that they have newly-opened positions in the major search engines to offer that they’re kindly saving just for your business. Do yourselves a favor and don’t believe a word of it, folks. This is nothing more than a scam, and it likely won’t be long before the perpetrators have the screws put to them by the real representatives of Google.
Don’t Trust So-Called Google Data Service Providers That Call You
One known company to employ this tactic is Local Lighthouse Internet Marketing. We mention this firm specifically, because they actually called us to shill this dishonest pitch. A little bit of research brings up this blog post in which a few of the people leaving comments share their own experiences and wary sentiments regarding the company.
Google search some more, and you’ll find plenty of additional commentary on the web that describes these so-called “data service providers for Google” as being “deceitful” and “deliberately misleading.” Blogger, Ron Wiebe, calls this, “the shadiest method of SEO . . . marketing I’ve encountered to date . . .”
If you have indeed received this sort of phone call, simply Google the name and phone number, and you’ll likely see them listed as offenders in various scam watch lists. Update (7/31/12): We’re still receiving calls from marketing companies with similar pitches, and some of them have a strange habit of hanging up whenever we answer. If you happen to utilize a telephone answering service, you may want to put them on notice that you’re not interested in receiving calls from any so-called “Google Data Service Provider” and save yourself the aggravation of dealing with such people.
Remember, web authority and search engine rankings are earned, not given. No Google data service provider will come knocking on your door with a magic wand that will make your business no. 1 on the internet. Do business with honest professionals that use tried and true search engine optimization to make it happen.
Thanks for your useful post.
This is the type of info that needs to be provided and not the random misinformation found on other blogs.
Hello! Just want to say thank you for this interesting article! =) Peace, Joy.
Gotta say, I’m a privacy nazi. Yes i am. Hence why it took a few years to get my own blog going because i was insistant of software i use to sit on my own server (or at least one i pay rent on), not on a free server. Ensures my content is MINE.I love/hate Google. I have Google Analytics and read about Benchmarking, but did NOT opt into it Google crosses the line constantly with bait and hook. Information is power. It’s power for us , the users, but in the end MUCH MORE powerful for Google. I love information, but i’m a little against an information monopoly hog. Whenever i see the bait and hook, i run the other way.