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Buy your keywords to appear in the browser's address search bars -
It seems that about two or three times a month we receive a phone call that extols a "safe" way of driving keyword-driven traffic to your law firm's website. At first glance, the tone sounds very attractive: you can buy keywords so that when someone writes that specific keyword in your Internet browser, it goes directly to your website.
Like many of these scams, more research is needed to get the real facts. There are several variations of these plans and they all sound like you're missing out on an excellent opportunity if you don't sign up immediately to "own" your important keywords.
After some in-depth questions, the true story can be summed up in the cliché “If it seems too good to be true, it often is. Like most scams, this is based on a core of truth, adorned by the omission of material facts.
This is what we discovered:
A plan only works if the keyword is written in the browser's address bar, not in a search bar. The address bar is where the name of your website appears as
http://www.your-site-here.com. Most people do not write search phrases in this bar. In addition, to work, the person must have downloaded a program that replaces or modifies their Internet browser. This is the real key to this plan. These program modifiers are generally downloaded without the full knowledge of the public. Many times they believe that they are installing an improvement that will add some minor functions to their browser at no cost.
In reality, they are being deceived as to the true purpose of the program.
The other version of these "buy your keywords" programs is similar to the previous plan, but it has the Internet browser search box modified to redirect the search engine to paid websites.
With both variations, the key to its operation is that they only work with a modified Internet browser. Many times, such software is known as spyware and is complemented by some freeware
program to deceive the public in the installation of the software.
This raises some important questions. Do you want to participate in such a deceptive program?
In addition, the key to the potential success of such plans is the installed base of modified browsers. This is where you will hear all kinds of complaints about the installed base. However, judging by the comments on various webmaster forums, it seems that this installed base is too small to be profitable.
Just for fun, in the last two request calls, I pretended to be interested. (One referred to a real estate site in San Diego and the other was a legal Houston website where we are webmasters).
I asked the caller about their installed base of manipulated browsers. Needless to say, I received extraordinarily high figures. They tried to register me immediately, because other people could buy at any time the keywords that I could get now. When I asked them to send verifiable information about the numbers by email or fax, I received assurances that the information would be sent shortly. Surprise, surprise, information was never sent! The same scenario doubled when I requested a list of some local lawyers who used the service for at least six months.
In addition, with many free programs designed to find and eliminate such spyware, updating systems and computers, it is debatable whether this installed base will increase or not.
decreasing. Will your investment generate a profitable return?
Again, according to webmaster forums, it seems to be the consensus that you will get more visitors to your website by sliding your business card under the windshield wipers of cars in a supermarket parking lot.
