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hermanng
Community Member

Client scams

Just found this job offer" and it is not the first one I have seen

 

Search Engine Optimization

Posted 39 minutes ago

I am looking for Best full SEO Strategy to drive traffic on the website. 

 

  1. Need step by step SEO strategy and how it works in detailed.
  2. Before start work, we need to see your previous reports and strategy for other clients.
  3. Taye "USA"  on your proposal.

$200Fixed-price

$$$Expert levelI am willing to pay higher rates for the most experienced freelancers

 

 

See point 2 - they'll gather info but will not hire anyone - it's from the Middles East by the way

 

7 REPLIES 7
abinadab-agbo
Community Member

There's no big deal about this.

Simply scroll past such jobs.

If a freelancer feels comfortable giving away business critical info that will damage his business, that's his business, not yours.

That said, knowing my strategy is one thing, being able to execute it is another different world altogether.

Cheers 😉

says someone with a non public profile

petra_r
Community Member


Hermann M wrote:

says someone with a non public profile


What in the world does that have to do with anything?

 

I agree with Preston. There is no scam there. If you are uncomfortable with it, move on to the next job post.

 

joansands
Community Member

Maybe you should flag client posts like that as unacceptable.

@ Joan

Unfortunately, there is no option to "Flag because I'm just not comfortable with this job" or "because the client wants me to reveal my secret methodology".  FYI, that's not the same thing as phishing.

All the OP can do is to simply scroll past.

prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "Before start work, we need to see your previous reports and strategy for other clients."

 

Hermann:

There is no "scam" here.

 

And there is no basis for flagging the job as inappropriate, just because you are uncomfortable with it.

 

I am able to to provide potential clients with previous reports and strategies that I have used with other clients.

 

I have reports that I have permission to provide to clients, should they wish to see them. And I am able to tell potential clients - in writing or over the phone - what strategies I have used with previous clients. There are certain services that I provide and I use the same (or very similar) strategies with all clients who request those services.

 

The precise work that I do is going to be different for each client. But the strategies can be the same, and there is nothing wrong with discussing those strategies. And there is nothing wrong with a client asking to see examples of previous work. You SHOULD have examples of that kind of work ALREADY, within your portfolio, placed there with the permission of the client you did the work for, or created by you specifically to be included in your portfolio and shared with potential clients.

Let's thoughtfully consider what the client posted in her job posting:

 

I am looking for Best full SEO Strategy to drive traffic on the website.

1. Need step by step SEO strategy and how it works in detailed.
2. Before start work, we need to see your previous reports and strategy for other clients.

 

In the first item, she states that she needs an SEO strategy. That is what she is willing to hire somebody to provide to her and execute for her.

 

As a freelancer applying to a job, you should NOT do any free work for the client. Any work that needs to be done, including creating a step-by-step SEO strategy, should be done as part of the contract, after you are hired.

 

In item #2, she states that before you start work, she wants to see "previous reports and strategy for other clients."

 

I understand that the wording here made you feel uncomfortable. You may safely ignore this post and nothing bad will happen. Maybe this client is a REALLY BAD PERSON. But maybe she's just a very normal client whose wording was inelegant. I don't know. I can't flag a job posting because the client used inelegant wording.

 

She's just asking to see portfolio items.

 

If a client was hiring an artist, she would want to see past work done for other clients. She would want to see examples of the videos you made for clients, or the book covers you painted for other clients. But she's not hiring an artist, she is hiring an SEO expert, so she wants to see some files that demonstrate what kind of work you do. That's normal.

 

Now... if she wanted a complete list of all of your clients from the past year, and she wanted to see all of your reports for every one of those clients, etc., then of course that is inappropriate client behavior, and the right thing to do would be to decline such a request. But I'm not convinced that she is asking for that.

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