Why do most Local Directories turn around and lie and try to steal your clients?

[anjonr]

O Man I enjoyed this rant! I have encountered this problem many times and it really sucks. If a client is particularly curious I offer my services to three way call the rascals!! They never have much to add and have left me waiting for many "Experts", "Google Insiders", and the like

[RobertFisher]

Thanks Andrea

I understand that with the Nigerian scams, etc. The difference here is that people in business are good at the business they are in. They do not have time to go out and learn SEO/SEM. They trust the person who seems to know and they hope they have not misplaced the trust. 
My issue is two fold: One, that these directory people do not know what they are talking about re SEO (yes, IMO) and they are trying to sell it by bringing in Johnny phone rep to bang the phone.

The second issue is that if you have an agency that does what we do and insures that the local listings are there for the client, etc. and we make sure the client is on you directory, make sure you don't call the client.

Frankly, all of us on Moz say that these directories are important and we have a whole list of them with their ranking value. http://www.seomoz.org/directories/local

I have even referred others to this list. I do not think it is the fault of the business if they  are not highly funded and are trying to do the best they can and SEO takes longer than other things sometimes to produce a result. They then go ohhh, this person says they can rank me first in Google.

I have never lost a client to any of these clowns and that is not the issue. I just think the client deserves better and so do we as an agency.

[RobertFisher]

That is the beauty Rob, they cannot convert our clients. Good point.

[DougRoberts]

Hi Robert, hope the blood-pressure is under control! Totally understand your frustrations though. It's these kind of tactics that give the respectable/ethical businesses a bad name. I don't know how many times I've had to explain that SEO != SPAM!

What can we do about it? Well, the only thing we can do is educate out clients before it happens, so that they know and expect to get these types of advances once their sites are published in such directories.

Even if there was a directory for use by "ethical seos" it would still be publicly accessible and available to the less reputable end of the industry to scrape and abuse!

[josh-riley]

Shrug - if someone falls for bad advice, they fall for it. Call it a scam or a bad business decision but the outcome can be similar. You don't have to know everything about everything but if you don't know enough then you risk the outcome.

[RobertFisher]

I agree with your last sentence. My question would be: Is it then incumbent on those of us who are knowledgeable to teach as much as we can to business owners, etc. so that they at least have a better opportunity to make the right decision? 
Don't know if you saw the issues over the last couple of days with Bruce Clay and the PaidLocalInclusion.com, but because good SEO's scratched their heads and started posting info and questions, that site went down in less than 24 hours.
Hey, its like with kids, you have to realize they are going to skin their knees and get scammed from time to time, but if you give them enough info you may way mitigate some of the injuries.
Best to you,

[RobertFisher]

Yep, the good news for me is once i say it, its on to the next mountain to climb. So, climbing away. Thanks Doug,

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Robert, I hear you on this: "The difference here is that people in business are good at the business they are in. They do not have time to go out and learn SEO/SEM. They trust the person who seems to know and they hope they have not misplaced the trust." This is so true. I have been working with SMBs for about a decade now, and unfortunately, too many of them have come to me with a sad story of being rooked. The SMB is the busiest man or woman alive, and too often, they simply don't know what to look for to discern whether they are talking to someone who will help them or scam them. This has always been a facet of SEO and it has very much become part of Local. Hate to see this happen. Regarding all of the marketing being aimed at your clients by directories - I know just what you mean. This is what I do. At the time that I am setting up my clients' listings, I tell the client, in writing, that they are likely to be contacted by these companies offering additional paid services. I tell them that they are not obliged to purchase any of these services and that we do not recommend these services. I also tell them that they are welcome to forward any marketing offers to me. I am explicit about this at the time we are doing the work and if the client forgets, I simply keep repeating the same message over and over to them. It's just part of the job, I guess. Some clients eventually get it, others don't. One of our oldest clients still sends me emails from the most ridiculous sources offering to do the most ridiculous things for them. It's obnoxious, yes, but I'm glad the client is at least well-trained not to make a move without consulting me first. That's the kind of trust it takes time to build and of which one can be proud. I enjoyed reading your rant. Hang in there. You are not alone! Miriam

[RobertFisher]

Miriam, 
We do a lot in terms of communicating with our clients in writing (probably my nursing background coupled with being bitten by not doing it). You really said something I like here:

_This is what I do. At the time that I am setting up my clients' listings, I tell the client, in writing, that they are likely to be contacted by these companies offering additional paid services. I tell them that they are not obliged to purchase any of these services and that we do not recommend these services. I also tell them that they are welcome to forward any marketing offers to me. I am explicit about this at the time we are doing the work and if the client forgets, I simply keep repeating the same message over and over to them. It's just part of the job, I guess. Some clients eventually get it, others don't. _

I am going to put something in writing today regarding this.  We tell our clients everything about the processes we use for them and what we expect of them and they should expect of us. This is good on telling them what to expect from others.

Good Job.

[MiriamEllis]

Great, Robert! I'm glad my comment was useful in this way and I hope putting it in writing will at least give you the peace of mind that you are offering written guidance to the clients on this. Your care for their welfare is evident and I applaud that!