|
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 oriented 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 outside 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 give 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 exhibited 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 generated is
the problem. The majority is machine generated overseas, or funneled
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 specific 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 differentiated from the real or
‘organic’ results. Once spending limits on the bids are reached, or the
bidding program is terminated, the standing is gone. 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 look over such
‘sponsored’ listings in favor of the ‘organic’ listings.
Almost any high school teen 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 taken the
bait. 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 saying 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
|
