Selling SEO services by spamming people
“Dear Sir/Madam, I noticed your website isn’t ranking well…” Sound familiar? That kind of outreach says more about the sender than it says about your website.
If an SEO company cannot earn attention through search, referrals, reputation, or useful content, be careful before trusting it to build those channels for you.
The decision to make
What to do with SEO spam
Handle the email in a way that protects your attention, then use a better process if you actually need SEO help.
Delete or report it
Do not reply just to unsubscribe when the sender is clearly unsolicited spam. A reply can confirm that your address is active. Mark it as spam so your filters learn.
Evaluate real proof
If you need SEO help, look for agencies that rank for what they do, publish useful advice, have credible reviews, and can show relevant examples.
Talk to past clients
Ask what changed, what was measured, what communication was like, and whether the work matched the promise. Evidence beats urgency.
The irony nobody mentions
We get these emails constantly: “I noticed your website isn’t ranking well for its keywords. We can help.” Think about the contradiction before you reply.
The point is not that every introduction is automatically bad. The point is that spam is poor evidence for SEO competence.
What the outreach itself tells you
The good ones do not need to spam
A strong SEO provider is usually busy with clients who found them through search, referrals, reputation, or genuinely useful content.
No real inspection
No ranking context
No honest guarantee
They practice what they sell
Others can verify the work
Found us through search? That is the point. See how we can help you earn the same kind of qualified attention without spam tactics.
Red flags in SEO outreach
These phrases are familiar because they are scalable. They make the email cheap to send, not useful to receive.
Spam signals
- “Dear Sir/Madam”
- “I noticed your site isn’t ranking well”
- “Guaranteed first page results”
Credibility signals
- Search visibility
- Referrals and reputation
- Useful content and proof
How legitimate SEO companies get clients
Good agencies usually earn attention before they ask for it. That does not mean they never do outreach, but the outreach should be specific, respectful, and backed by proof.
The channel a provider uses to win your attention is part of the evidence you should judge.
Frequently asked questions
Is every cold SEO email a scam?
No. But generic, high-volume outreach is weak evidence. A credible message should be specific, relevant, and backed by proof the sender understands your market.
Can an SEO agency guarantee first page rankings?
No agency can honestly guarantee organic rankings for valuable searches. They can explain process, evidence, constraints, likely opportunities, and how progress will be measured.
How should I find a credible SEO provider?
Start with providers you can verify through search visibility, useful content, referrals, reviews, case studies, and direct client references. Ask how they earned your attention before trusting them with yours.
Use the outreach as evidence
The email in your inbox is not just a sales pitch. It is a sample of the provider’s own marketing judgment.
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Seen a strange SEO pitch lately? Use it as a reminder to judge the provider by the evidence, not the email template.
You’re right Bjørn. SEO people who are using spamming techniques just to get clients use spammy techniques that are often avoided by clients. Google search gives us more than 70% of our site visitors and this is through our marketing efforts.
Thanks for the share!