Fraud SEO companies have made their appearance in the past few years, preaching their claims of "number one" rankings, only to disappear when the complaints for refunds start coming in. These scam artists then reappear under a new name, to start the process over again. How can you make an informed decision on what SEO company can really deliver the high rankings over the scammer?

No search engine optimization company that really produces results for their web site clients will ever telemarket you to attempt to gain your business; Any genuine SEO company who has been successful for their clients does not have to resort to telemarketing to get clients. Word of mouth travels at light speed in this business and most SEO companies who can actually prove real results have potential clients contacting them! Do yourself a favor and tell the caller you are to be put on their do not call list.

Overseas SEO Companies; Many so called SEO companies are now out of India, Russia and China. Many have a limited ability to speak or understand English. What are the chances they understand your marketplace if they can't speak your language?

Mass e-mailing their abilities; Hit the delete button as this is as annoying as telemarketing.

Scam SEO companies who guarantee you number 1 position: Prove it! Most company names are one of a kind, so being ranked number one under a unique name is easy as you are the only one there, getting ranked for the marketplace or product the client is selling is the only number one ranking that really matters. Your company sells "gloves" you want to be ranked highly for "gloves" not "pink and blue gloves". A high ranking is only valuable if it relates to your product line. Ask what client they have at the number one ranking and follow up to that company with a phone call or e-mail.

Scam SEO companies who send you to their web site or ask you to download a file: Never do either one! Some fraud SEO companies try to direct you to a web site where they can show you faked result pages which look very real, but actually exist on their servers, not on the actual search engine itself. The latest version of this scam involves a guaranteed banner display at the top of the major search engines. Trouble is, no-one other than you will ever see it.

Always check the SEO company's background. How long have they been in business? How many markets do they serve? Where are they physically located? Ask for a face-to-face meeting if in doubt. A reputable company will be glad to meet with you if possible within reasonable traveling distance. Check their domain name and see how long it has existed. Many scam SEO companies change their domain name and web site after a year in business, then start the scam with a new look and name.

Factual SEO Firms are willing to give you any information you need to make an informed decision. This normally will involve weekly traffic statistics and an in-depth informational briefing on changes to the web site and why it needs to be done. A professional SEO Firm values their clients and develops a working relationship with their clients. There is no magic involved and no quick fix guarantees. Web design software cannot duplicate the changes the search engines make to the ranking criteria, so the more you know how this really works, the better and your results will improve on a steady basis.