Reviews Sites ? The Ultimate Scammers? Mindshark Helps you get the Real Story

English: A set of online ads featuring fake news scams (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What should we make of Review Sites?

Often you will come across sites ranking the top SEO companies, and showing a list of firms.  Rarely are the listings ever consistent from one site to the next.   So how does one know if these sites are really unbiased?

*** CHECK OUT their policies for ratings.  Call them ,  test them out.   -->   Usually you will find that sites charge heavy "admin fees" to have a firm rated.   These fees can be as high as $2000 / month!!!   Really !? Admin fees?    These are essentially rankings for SALE.    A top example of this is   TOPSEOS.com   This site sells rankings for $1000 / month for most categories.   Beware!

A site which maybe charges a one time admin fee of $500 or less is reasonable and acceptable.  After all it does take time and energy for them to call clients, and investigate to find out if a firm is really successful in bringing results.    Ongoing fees, and very exorbitant high fees are a clear sign of a SCAM.

What about review sites that don't charge ANY fees?

Ahh now these are another breed of scam sites.   Typically these sites are run by "anonymous" operators and do not have any visible phone numbers of contact information.

You will notice typically that such sites are also adorned with BANNER ads on them.

Usually the sites are providing very negative reviews of companies.   They may sprinkle a few positive reviews here and there to make the site seem legitimate, but don't be fooled --->  these sites serve one purpose and one purpose only :  to Generate BANNER AD REVENUE by stealing traffic from other company's BRANDS and funneling that traffic to their sites.  

These sites owners know one thing:   GOOGLE loves review sites.   And they especially love NEGATIVE review sites like RipoffReport.     Therefore they prey on company brand equity and use it to generate TRAFFIC to their site.


What's a good trustworthy site for reviews of SEO companies?    We know of a few.   One of them is www.topreviewstoday.net   .   NOT because they have rated Mindshark very highly, but because they have done so independantly and without charging fees for it.

Make sure you know the context of what you read online.  The internet is still in early stages, and many unethical review sites are still making a huge profit by pumping out biased information to serve their own purposes.

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Google Updates: EMDs & Link Disavow Feature

Google 貼牌冰箱（Google Refrigerator） (Photo credit: Aray Chen)

Google's recent update targeted low quality exact match domain sites.   This means that Domains which were being used for the sole purpose of ranking higher , and which had poor quality content were penalized severely.

As part of an ongoing process of improving the quality of search results this was just one example of the many ongoing changes Google is implementing.

The solution to this is just to ensure that all sites have lots of high quality content and that they are being optimized for broad range of keywords and not just those exact match keywords which are in the domain name.  This should fix the rankings overtime, but it does required revision of the onsite optimization and resubmission to the search engines.

Recently Google also launched the Disavow Links feature within Webmaster tools.  This is an advanced feature which should not be used by most site owners.

There are several theories out on the purpose of the link disavow feature.  Many experts believe that this is part of Google's crowdsourcing strategy to help them leverage the public masses to identify what could be deemed as low quality sites or directories.   As such we do not advise ANY use of the disavow feature until a site owner has consulted with a credible SEO expert.   In many cases removal of links will result in dropped rankings.    Very rarely is it possible for links to cause a site to  be penalized, so this feature from Google is seen as a GAMING tactic whereby Google is tricking the public into giving them information which they can amalgamate into their algorithm for their own purposes.

In the end, the basic fundamentals never change.  As long as high quality ongoing content is being published and shared throughout social sites and article directories, along with other legitimate marketing activities, then there is potential for solid gains and ROI for a business.

The old adage CONTENT is KING has never been truer than today.    If you need help with your site content get in touch with an expert at Mindshark today.

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Mindshark.ca BBB Mindshark Marketing

Mindshark.ca BBB  Rating

So what really is a BBB rating and how does it compare to other ratings or reviews of companies on the internet?

BBB is a global organization that benefits millions of companies and clients looking for reliable and credible / trusted vendors. 

The Better Business Bureau in fact is one of the few organizations that actually verifies all complaints against a company to ensure they are coming from REAL valid clients who have suffered some negative experience with the company they are complaining about.

Why is this important?   It helps you to filter through the noise and the clutter of garbage on the internet.  Unfortunately in today's world it is possible for ANYONE to post ANYTHING about ANY person or company anonymously and publicly .......and here's the clincher .... whether that information is correct or incorrect!!!   As crazy as it sounds , this is the case.   Therefore BBB serves as an UNBIASED source of true information that you can rely to when trying to select a vendor, since they VERIFY the truth.

As an example have a look at the BBB Rating for Mindshark below

In the case above Mindshark has a rating of A which is amongst the highest rating possible.   This means that the company is extremely reliable and trusted.     Further investigation shows the actual details of any 

complaints filed against the company:

 

As seen above with 0 complaints filed we have a completely clean record which is reflective of our high level of service and customer satisfaction.   In fact we have  been notified of several Positive references which have been submitted to BBB about Mindshark, which are pending being posted on the BBB website.

For details on Mindshark's BBB rating see:  HERE

Where does malicious content come from? 

-competitors of the vendor looking to cause damage

-ex employees who may be disgruntled and looking to cause damage

-mentally disturbed individuals looking to defame persons/companies online as an outlet

As we are in the business of Reputation Management, we often see sad cases where our clients are being defamed and slammed online by malicious competitors who are hiding behind the veil of anonymity which the internet provides today.    These companies come to us to repair their reputation online by helping to promote more true positive aspects of the company and hide the false malicious content.

In more serious cases we also assist clients to connect with special law firms who assist in removal of the negative false information through the use of law suits against the author of the malicious content.  Although this can be a longer and costly process, in many cases our clients have opted to do take this action due to the higher cost of LOST business and reptutation.        

CONCLUSION:

If you are looking to hire a company, and you have come across some negative reviews which you are questioning ,  have a look at their BBB Rating.    If the BBB rating is stellar you can be rest assured that the company is reputable and credible. 

Another example of real positive verified reviews would be testimonials from clients on camera.   Typically a client is not willing to come on camera and put their name and face on the line unless they are extremely pleased with their results.    Examples are HERE

In summary , the combination of Video Testimonials and a stellar BBB rating are a  very solid reflection of the credibility of a company.   

Mindshark Enterprise Service Level

Mindshark.ca offers Enterprise Level Service for companies looking to leverage serious SEO.

A proper part of successful SEO which brings strong ROI, is not only the technical delivery of onsite and offsite optimization, but also the ongoing analysis and enhancement of campaigns to keep things on track.  Here is a short video that outlines our process:

The difference between a campaign with analysis and enhancements vs one without can be so dramatic that it can mean the difference between complete success and failure.    

Here is a simple example to illustrate for a  SAMPLE Client on a $1000 / month SEO program

(*simple numbers used for illustration purposes )

Without Analysis / Enhancement:

 -generates $1500 revenue per month after 12 months of SEO.

With Analysis / Enhancement

  -generates $7500 revenue per month after 12 months of SEO !!

This is a difference of  5 TIMES or 500% !!!  

What are the critical pieces that make this difference?

-detailed reporting of rankings

-detailed traffic analysis

-competitor tracking
-opportunity Keyword assessment
-keyword removal, update, and addition to maximize profit for client

-search volume analysis

-conversion analysis and tracking

-complete quarterly reviews with a qualified Analytics specialist

-consultation with an qualified Campaign Manager

-access to volumes of expert data and resources

At Mindshark we recognize this is such a critical part of a campaign that we ensure that every one of our clients receives these as part of their service from us.  With dedicated account coordinators, and campaign analysts, along with regular reviews we ensure that your campaign is on track and performing.   

One aspect of this is our client portal, which houses all the reports, resources and knowledge / support centre for our cilents.    Below is a small snapshot of the reporting portal / dashboard.   

If you are tired of getting minimal results with SEO,  you need to work with true professionals who understand the process and how to deliver ROI.     Call Mindshark and speak to one of our consultants today for a free analysis.   Call 1 877 674 2751 and get Relevant!    

Did you know that Mindshark.ca is Rated as the #1 SEO Company in North America?     Visit our profile at TopReviewsToday.net , the online authority on marketing vendors.

Mindshark.ca creates Powerful Results for Clients

Mindshark.ca has seen a wave of incredible results in the wake of the recent PANDA and PENGUIN updates from Google.

As we know Google has been cracking down on SPAM and low quality links.  As well Google is weeding out those low quality sites with Spun content, in favour of original and authentic content from credible sites.  This has been a needed update, cleaning up the SEO landscape and allowing those sites which are truly worthy of traffic to emerge at the top.

Mindshark Marketing clients have benefited from this tremendously due to a few key facts :  1) the links built by Mindshark have always been manually built and from quality sites  and 2) the content created is done so using high quality content writers who research the topics, and follow LSI methodology along with Keyword Silo Architecture.     The simple outcome of this is highly natural and relevant content which is shareable and useful for the readers.

The days of spinning content and using low quality spam links are gone.  Those sites which were employing the shortcut methods are now paying the price while companies which have had quality work done, like the clients of Mindshark, are seeing their website skyrocket to the top positions which have opened up.  An example of what one client experienced can be read here on our facebook page for Mindshark.ca

 For example let's take a look at an example of a global keyword like "forgings" with 5,100,000+ competitors online fighting for this keyword. 

Above our client lands on page #1 just a few spots below Wikipedia within a few weeks of Penguin.   Within short time we expect many more of their Newly targeted keywords to rise to the top.  And we are not talking about low competition keywords here......these are short tail HIGH competition words.

Below is another example of a competitive local keyword ranking in Google Local Maps in the Top spot on Page #1 and this time in position #1.

There are literally 1000s of examples across hundreds of our clients where we have seem these jumps on relatively NEW keywords which were not even ranking weeks prior.   What does this tell us?

---> There was a lot of low quality SEO and over-optimization done to a lot of sites over the last few years, and unfortunately many of those sites are now paying the price.   Fortunately for clients of Mindshark and other companies who have employed natural and quality white hat SEO methods, they are now reaping the benefits as their keywords move up faster and stay there longer.

"A lot of smaller players in the SEO marketplace have been shaken up by the changes Google has made recently" says  an executive of Mindshark.ca.   "We feel that this was a necessary change to allow for the searching user to be able to quickly access the most high quality sites without having to dig through a sea of low quality over optimized sites.  The current environment opens up an opportunity which is unprecedented.   High quality, well optimized white hat sites can gain a lot of ground while other scramble to fix problems with their sites and SEO." 

Mindshark.ca was recently awarded the title of #1 SEO Company in North America by TopReviewsToday, an industry authority on online marketing vendors.    Their evaluation covers over 10 categories and involves in depth assessment of  client success.

To find out how you can benefit from the current changes in Google or have your SEO repaired, call Mindshark for a free assessment.

Mindshark Marketing: Not a SCAM or Rippoff , Rather a Hidden Success Secret

What is it that makes an SEO firm successful and reliable?   What makes an SEO firm a SCAM and a Ripoff?   These are questions that one must ask when selecting an appropriate vendor.

Let's examine these questions

Reliable SEO Firms:

1. Have open transparent reports and case studies available upon request.
2. Have video testimonials of clients along with their site information, real analytics data etc
3. Have credible certifications and awards.  Examples would be Google Certification,  Top SEO Awards, and References from Partners and Clients
4. Easy to reach support staff, and account managers who are local and available daily by phone.
5. Have successfully optimized at least 1000 campaigns
6. Have highly educated and skilled technical staff who are up to date on latest methods.
7. Have at least one or many physical Office locations and places of business.
8. Have A ratings with the BBB Better Business Bureau.

SCAM & Rippoff SEO Firms

1. Typically small shops or shops which are hard to find information about
2. Some even do not have Phone numbers openly exposed.
3. Do not have certifications or Ratings
4. Minimal staff,    or one man shows.......with very few technical resources in house
5. Do no have a wide range of service offerings

Important Tips to Keep in Mind:

1. Many highly successful SEO firms also sometimes have some negative attacks against them online.   One must examine these for legitimacy.    These are usually written under Alias by NON clients,  by COMPETITORS, and also by others online DEFAMERS and EXTORTION COMPANIES who typically setup sites to list negative comments about several companies and gain TRAFFIC by using other companies BRAND exposure.   This is a highly unethical practice but in today's environment there is not enough legal enforcement to stop such criminal/ unethical activity.   This will change in the future, but clients should be aware and able to identify and ignore such banter.
2. Speak to Actual Clients or get References from Actual clients of the company you are considering.  Find out what they experienced in the start, and over time to get a true picture of the companies delivery and service.
3. What sort of process does the SEO company have in place to generate results?   A real established process is critical to ensure ongoing success.    Take a look at the process and system which Mindshark Deploys for all campaigns:

There you have some great tips to filter out the noise,   look at the real facts, and select a credible SEO vendor to ensure ongoing longterm success.

Here are some sample testimonials below:

MindShark.ca Mindshark Marketing Client Reviews, Not Scam Ripoff Reviews

Thank you all for the great reviews!
We will always look for new ways to improve your business.

Don Lavigne - Positive

I've worked with several SEO companies over the past few years and Mindshark was the only company that was able to put me on the first page of google within a few months of signing up with them. They are professional and have handled any issue that came up quickly and effectively. I would recommend them to anyone looking to improve their presence on the Internet without going broke!

Rebecca T - Positive

Since Mindshark starting helping me with my company’s online presence, my business has almost doubled. I get more calls on my products and am generating more revenue then ever before. I never realized how important online marketing was for a company until now. It is well worth the money and highly recommended it for companies looking to achieve that next level.


Haroon Mirza - Positive

After launching our site, we wanted to implement a multi dimensional online marketing strategy with SEO and Social Media, all while keeping within our budget. We met with several companies and finally decided to go with Mindshark. We felt the costs were very competitive, and within a few months we started to realize a tremendous return on our investment and our Client Consultant David was a pleasure to deal with.