Law Firms & Internet Scams
By Bob Schwartz, CRS, GRI ©2007 Promotions Unlimited All rights
reserved.
This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorized use,
copying or mirroring is prohibited.
Many still say the Internet is like the Wild West. When it comes to
the explosion of scams, this is certainly true! As webmaster for
over two dozen legal, real estate, and other business related
websites, we receive a lot of email and phone solicitations. Often
our clients ask our opinion on an Internet service or software
product. We have studied and found the majority of offers directed
toward law firms are what I call the half-truth variety.
It is interesting that these offers directed at small to mid-size
firms are like live Internet viruses, they seem to transform over
time. The core remains, but, the exterior packaging (a.k.a. sales
pitch) appears totally different.
One of the most large savings over the legitimate
legal directories.
The perpetrators of such scams provide impressive ‘traffic’ figures,
and in many cases, even show that their directory is listed on the
first page of a major directory.
Looking at one scam in detail displayed the following facts:
A. Traffic numbers can be manipulated. For about $50, anyone can
purchase ‘traffic’ directed to any site. The way this ‘traffic’ is
produced is the problem. The majority is machine generated overseas,
or carried through MLM /porn/music sites. In either case, your site
will register visits but no business will ever be generated.
B. For placements on the first page of large search engines, there
are two highly used methods. The first method, usually just makes
the statement that the site has page one placement. Inquire further
and it is usually the name of the directory that has page one
placement. The directory name might be
www.lawyers-intercontinental-directory1.com and a search for lawyers
international directory could appear on page one of many search
engines. However, how many potential legal clients in Houston,
Texas, will be likely to type in this precise directory name into
their search engine? What they may use will be phrases like: Houston
lawyers, Houston attorneys, Houston TX lawyers, Houston Texas
lawyers, etc. The other method used is bidding on popular legal
phrases on the major pay-for-click search engine programs. The
problem here is that these ‘sponsored’ ads have to be separated from
the real or ‘organic’ results. Once spending limits on the bids are
reached, or the bidding program is terminated, the standing
disappears. After all, these standings were only achieved by cash
payment, not a properly designed and optimized legal website.
Another factor to consider here is that current webmaster opinions
suggest 50 to 70% of searchers pass over such ‘sponsored’ listings
in favor of the ‘organic’ listings.
Almost any high school student can create a ‘legal directory’ with
an impressive sounding name like
www.professional-law-legal-advice-directory1.com, but do you really
want to be listed there? Believe it or not, many naive lawyers have
bought into it. I asked one such attorney what results his law firm
had achieved during almost a year with the listing. The reply was NO
BUSINESS, and he believed they never received any phone calls. I
then asked why he chose to advertise with this firm. The reply was
because they only charged $99 for a full page ad for one year.
The old adage of “You get what you pay for” really applies here. Be
careful out there, very careful!
Copyright 2007 Promotions Unlimited - search engine optimization -
All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bob Schwartz, is the founder of Promotions Unlimited, an Internet
legal directory (CA, TX & Las Vegas) publisher and search engine
placement technology analyst. You can contact Bob via e-mail at
seo711@gmail.com or visit his San Diego legal directory at: http://www.sandiegolawyerforyou.com/special.htm
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