Search engine optimization. If there could ever be a profession that was on par reputation-wise with selling snake oil, it would have to be anyone who sells SEO.

Don’t get me wrong – SEO can be an extremely important asset to your traffic numbers and good SEO firms are invaluable. My own company even sells SEO plans.

But this post isn’t about building up your site over months and years with original content that will no doubt get the Google rub.

This is about those annoying spam emails that promise things like:

“We’ll get your website submitted to all the search engines!”

…and the cold calls – don’t get me started on the cold calls.

If you don’t register your domain name privately, there is a 100% chance that you already know what I’m referring to. That’s right, your personal details are in a public database, basically the internet’s version of a phonebook. Free tip: Google domains give you free private registration. 

This public database is a sad loser’s paradise, where they can actively prey on hundreds of new domain name registrants per day, waiting to pounce when that one naive business owner takes the bait.

“We work directly with Google to submit your website!” – a very truth-bent statement.

The truth is, you don’t need to pay anyone to submit your website to search engines. It will happen organically, or you can sign up for Google’s (free) Search Console to give them a nudge to index your website even faster.

The idea that your website needs to be “submitted” by a third party is ludicrous and they’re preying on the fact that you don’t know any better.

The Bottom Line:

Paying for an ongoing reputable SEO service is a completely different topic, but you should never have to pay anyone to “submit” your website to search engines.