“An SEO Story Gone Bad”

In January 2004, I was expertly convinced that a company called "Traffic-Power.com" could guarantee me a minimum of 10 top 10 placements anywhere in the top search engines within 3 months at a cost of $2800 for 12 months.  I signed up and things were happening like they promised, I was quite impressed.  About 7 months after the contract started, I received an email from them saying that they would be doing the SEO work differently.  I thought okay, whatever, I don't know what they do exactly anyway, so I trusted them.

Around September of 2004 I get a call from  the salesman, David, that sold me on Traffic-Power, saying he no longer works for the company, as their SEO practices were breaking the "Google rules".  He said Traffic-Power had been banned from Google and that I could be as well.He had started his own company and wanted me to sign up with him, but at that point I felt I couldn't trust him.

In October, 2005, I get a call from a real sweet, very good salesman with a company called "Web Advertising Promotion" who convinced me that their company can do great things for me in the search engines.  (If my memory was any good, I would have recognized the same basic tactics of "Traffic-Power.com")  I signed up, paid $1500 which was half of it.

David now working for Internet Zing, called me again and I told him I had just signed with Web Advertising Promotion.  He said, “Oh My God, you didn't, that is Traffic-Power.com!”  Apparently, they had created several other companies and are selling their services under a few different names.  I did some research on the internet regarding Traffic-Power and Web Advertising Promotion and found another company called "First Place" or 1P.com.  During my search I found a whole web site dedicated to negative experiences with Traffic-Power.  The site formed a kind of support group for duped customers.  If you go to www.trafficpowersucks.com or type “traffic power” in any search engine, you will get an ear full.

After talking with David, I called Web Advertising Promotion, about 5 days after I signed the contract.  They couldn’t have started on the search engine promotion, as the first step is to gather a list of 20 keywords, which they had not done.

I am now in the process of refusing to pay the $1500 charge on my credit card.  They are saying that they already started the SEO work, but how could they without the 20 key words?  They had them from Traffic-Power.com, that’s how!  

I ended up going with David now working at I-Zing, who is affiliated with VKI Studios out of Canada.  We had hired VKI Studios when I was involved with Redoubt Mountain Lodge and they did a good job.  To make a long story short, to get to the point where Traffic-Power had my site it took a hell of a lot more that $3000.  I am paying $7500 for a 6 month program.  It has only been a month and I am already seeing my business go up and up in the search engines.

-Shannon