“Hello may I speak to the owner?” a business owner’s re-occurring nightmare. A salesman with a shaky voice, reciting what seems to be an obituary for some bozo named SEO. The poor guy was probably hung up on, cursed off and worst of all, asked questions before they dialed again. It seems as though this door to door SEO pitch has dug it’s nails into the scripted chalkboard and the screeching won’t stop!

Although the screeching won’t stop and if you’re lucky enough to have a secretary, the screeching is in the next room, there is a way to decipher this madness. How do I know? Once upon a time I was rummaging through yellow pages, looking for you as well.

Below you will find the top 5 ways to decipher your next SEO sales call.

1. They don’t know your name, don’t bother:
   1. Honestly, with the transparent world we live in today, if they didn’t take the extra step to figure out your name, then they don’t deserve your business. The word Search is in Search Engine Optimization, tell them to take a hike!
2. Are you being interviewed?:
   1. If they start off with a bunch of questions like, “are you getting enough business?” or “can you find yourself on Google?” say yes and if they don’t have answer in 2 seconds, hang up. Next thing you know they’re going to ask you to sell for them.
3. Guarantees/Promises:
   1. I cannot stress how important this one truly is. The fact is there absolutely no guarantees in SEO! Ask if they can guarantee a return on your investment, if they say yes hang up…hard, but if they say no, this phone “might” be worth some interest.
4. SEO jargon:
   1. Don’t let technical words fool you into thinking there is credibility to the conversation. If the caller has already gotten your attention, take out a pad, pen and write down everything you don’t understand.
5. Bottom line:
   1. I know you’re eager to know the damage, but any good SEO won’t give you a set price. If you push them hard enough they might give you a starting price. If you’re not going to pay over the phone, don’t ask for it over the phone. Keep in mind that using an SEO service is a serious investment and can take thousands of dollars out of your wallet.

So there you have it, a blog finally worth reading. If there is any wisdom I can leave you with: SEO is an investment that can benefit you for years to come, treat it that way.