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SEO Myth-Busting: The Truth About Landing Pages

Last Updated: March 3, 2025

First things first: A landing page needs to be on your website’s domain. If it isn’t, then it’s not a landing page—it’s a completely separate website, even if it’s only a single page. This distinction is crucial because many business owners are being misled by marketers who claim otherwise. This myth can end up hurting your SEO and wasting your marketing efforts.

The False Promise: “Landing Pages on Other Domains Boost Traffic!”

Some marketers might try to convince you that placing landing pages on different domains is a clever way to boost traffic or “hack” Google’s system. They might claim that this tactic can somehow give you an edge in search rankings or drive more leads. But here’s the reality: creating landing pages on different domains does not give you an SEO advantage. In fact, it can do the opposite.

The Reality: What Landing Pages Are and Aren’t

A landing page is a tool designed to guide visitors toward a specific action, like signing up for a newsletter, requesting a quote, or making a purchase. However, to be an effective part of your marketing strategy, it must reside on your main domain. For example, if your website is www.yourwebsite.com, your landing page should look something like www.yourwebsite.com/landing-page. When it’s hosted on your main domain, it contributes to your site’s overall SEO health and authority.

If you create a page on a different domain (like www.someotherdomain.com), Google treats it as an entirely separate website. This means you’re splitting your SEO power between multiple sites instead of building authority on one, which can confuse search engines and weaken your online presence.

Why This Myth Hurts Your Business

Let’s break down why the myth of off-domain landing pages is harmful:

  • Diluted SEO Efforts: By placing landing pages on different domains, you’re fragmenting your SEO. Instead of building the authority of your main site, you’re spreading it thin across multiple domains. Google sees each domain as a separate entity, reducing your chances of ranking higher in search results.
  • Visitor Confusion: Sending visitors to a different domain can confuse them. If they expect to be on your website but are redirected elsewhere, this can break trust and reduce the likelihood of conversions.
  • Wasted Resources: Creating and maintaining multiple domains requires additional time and effort, without offering any real SEO benefit to your primary site.

The Honest Truth About Landing Pages

Landing pages are valuable, but they aren’t a loophole to exploit Google’s algorithms. Here’s what they actually do:

  1. Drive Specific Actions: A landing page is a focused tool designed to funnel visitors toward a specific action—whether that’s filling out a form, clicking a button, or making a purchase. But this focus should happen on your domain, reinforcing your website’s authority.
  2. Optimize for Relevancy: When properly used, landing pages can improve your website’s SEO by providing relevant, targeted content that aligns with user searches and marketing campaigns.
  3. Boost PPC Campaigns: Landing pages are incredibly effective for Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns. By directing highly-targeted traffic to a page specifically built around the ad’s message, you can improve relevancy scores, drive down costs, and increase conversions. But again, this only works if the landing page is part of your main domain.

The Real Power of Landing Pages: PPC Campaigns

Landing pages can be a game-changer for your PPC campaigns. When they’re hosted on your main domain and aligned with your ads, they can:

  1. Improve Relevancy Scores: PPC platforms like Google Ads value relevancy. When your landing page closely matches the content of your ad, Google sees this as a positive signal, improving your relevancy scores. Higher relevancy means lower costs per click and better ad placements.
  2. Increase Conversions: A landing page that’s tailored to the ad’s message creates a seamless user experience, making visitors more likely to convert. This is a win-win for both your PPC performance and your overall website goals.

Best Practices for Landing Pages

To avoid falling into the trap of off-domain landing pages, focus on the following best practices:

  1. Keep It on Your Domain: Always host your landing pages on your main website. This not only boosts your SEO but also ensures a cohesive experience for your visitors.
  2. Streamline the Experience: Use landing pages to create a focused, distraction-free environment. Minimize navigation options to keep visitors on the path toward your desired action.
  3. Align with Your PPC Strategy: Tailor your landing pages to match the message and intent of your PPC ads. This approach maximizes your ad spend’s effectiveness by increasing conversions and lowering costs.
  4. Provide Clear Value: Use compelling content and a strong call to action to guide visitors toward a specific goal. Remember, the purpose of a landing page is not to trick search engines but to provide a clear, valuable path for your audience.

Protecting Your Business from SEO Myths

If someone is telling you that landing pages on different domains are the secret to driving traffic and boosting SEO, they’re selling you a myth. Quality landing pages are a powerful tool, but they must live on your main domain to be effective. They’re not about gaming the system; they’re about offering targeted, valuable experiences that drive conversions and support your website’s overall goals.

Don’t let yourself be taken advantage of by misleading marketing tactics. A solid landing page strategy—rooted in best practices and honesty—will always serve your business better in the long run. In SEO and online marketing, there are no magic tricks—just smart strategies and consistent effort.

Repeated Charges From Facebook – Is It A Scam?

Last Updated: September 27, 2024

If you’ve just started running ads on Facebook (Meta) and are noticing multiple small charges on your credit card, you’ve probably got several alarm bells going off. We get it—seeing a string of transactions labeled “Facebook” with random codes screams fraud and will set off all the alarm bells. But before you panic, let’s break down what’s really happening with Facebook’s billing practices.

Why Am I Seeing So Many Facebook Charges?

If you’re new to Facebook Ads, the company’s billing practices will most certainly catch you off guard. You’re going to see multiple Facebook charges on your credit card and they’ll all be from something like “Facebook WHNS8298DI” which is very suspicious. The Meta ads billing schedule is…unusual…to be sure. These initial charges typically range from $2 to $5, and they seem to happen back-to-back, which is why you’ll likely be hearing from your credit card company’s fraud protection department.

Facebook isn’t trying to scam you, and your card wasn’t hacked. Unfortunately, Meta decided, for some reason, to charge people in a fashion similar to scam artists. In theory, this is because they’re trying to mitigate their risk of being left holding the bag on services rendered without payment received. They’re trying to ensure your payment method works and that you’ll actually pay for the traffic they’re sending you. At the start of your ad campaign, Facebook will bill your card in small increments in rapid succession. Over time, that interval will space out and the dollar amount per transaction will increase.

Here’s a couple real-world examples from some of our clients to illustrate the point.

Facebook ads transactions from sample client illustrating the repeated small charges to the credit card for ads

Facebook’s Billing Practices for New Ad Accounts

If you’re new to running ads, the process might feel overwhelming—and these charges only add to the confusion. Facebook’s billing practices for new accounts are designed to minimize risk (for them and for you). By making smaller charges more frequently, they’re verifying that your card is valid and that payments will go through.

This system can easily trigger fraud alerts on your credit card or bank account. We’ve seen it happen to business owners just starting out with Facebook Ads, and it’s completely understandable why you’d be concerned when you see this rapid succession of charges. But rest assured: it’s completely normal for Facebook’s billing schedule.

What Can You Expect as Your Campaign Progresses?

As you continue running ads and Facebook sees a consistent history of payments, the charges will start to change. Instead of seeing multiple small charges every day or every other day, Facebook will space out the transactions and start charging larger amounts less frequently. So, after a few weeks, instead of seeing $5 here and $7 there, you might see a single $50 or $100 charge once or twice a month.

It’s Facebook’s way of saying, “Okay, we trust this payment method now.” They’ll adjust their billing practices accordingly as your ad campaign gains more traction.

Why Do These Charges Look So Suspicious?

If you’ve been scrolling through your credit card statement and see transactions labeled as “Facebook” followed by a random alpha-numeric code, you’re not alone in thinking it looks shady. Many new advertisers freak out when they see this, but it’s completely legitimate. These codes are just how Facebook categorizes and processes their transactions—nothing to worry about.

What to Do if You’re Concerned About Fraud

It’s always best to log into your Meta Ads account directly, and verify the charges from that side. DO NOT click a link in an email to get to this account because there are many phishing schemed out there that look very legitimate but are 100% just stealing your login credentials. Instead, type the address in directly. If those charges match with what you’re seeing on your card statement, you’re OK. If not, then you have to keep digging because you might have some actual fraud taking place.

In Summary

If you’re new to Facebook Ads, the way Meta handles their ad billing schedule can be a bit jarring. Seeing multiple small Facebook charges back-to-back might seem like a red flag, but this is just their way of verifying that everything’s working properly before moving on to larger, less frequent transactions.

So, don’t worry if you’ve just started advertising on Facebook and your card statement looks strange—it’s all part of their billing practices for new ad accounts. If you’re still concerned or your bank flags the transactions, just confirm that these are legitimate charges and you’ll be good to go!

The Truth About Your PageSpeed Insight Scores

Last Updated: September 27, 2024

So, you’ve just run your website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool, and you’re staring at that performance score like it’s the end of the world. Maybe you got a 32 on mobile and are now convinced your business is doomed unless you hit that elusive 100. Hold on a second—before you start throwing money at your site like confetti at a parade, let’s take a deep breath and talk about what that number actually means.

The Google Doctor Is In—But You Might Be Misdiagnosing Your Website

Imagine this: You have a weird pain in your side, so you do what we all do (even though we know we shouldn’t)—you Google your symptoms. After a few clicks, you’re convinced that you have a rare tropical disease. You march into your doctor’s office and start telling them exactly what’s wrong with you. Now, unless your doctor is a saint with infinite patience, they might gently remind you that they have years of training and experience that Google simply can’t replace.
The same thing happens when people look at their PageSpeed Insights score. They see a number and think they know exactly what’s wrong with their site. But interpreting that number correctly takes expertise. Without it, you might end up chasing your tail—or worse, wasting a ton of money on something that won’t actually help your website perform better where it counts.

Spoiler Alert: Literally No One Gets a Perfect Score

Let’s get one thing straight: that perfect 100 on your PageSpeed score? It’s like trying to catch a rainbow—beautiful, but impossible to grab. In fact, even Google.com, the very company that created the tool, doesn’t score a 100. Their site sits at a “meh” 70. YouTube, another Google property, only gets a 35. Yep, you read that right—just 35! And guess what? YouTube is doing just fine, thank you very much.
Here are some other examples that might surprise you:
  • Google.com: 70
  • Amazon.com: 49
  • Hulu.com: 36
  • YouTube.com: 35
  • Yelp.com: 31
  • Walmart.com: 30





If Walmart is rocking a 30 and still getting millions of visitors a day, your score of 32 isn’t the disaster you think it is.

PageSpeed Scores: It’s Not a Race, It’s a Threshold

A lot of people come to us in a panic, demanding that their mobile performance score needs to improve because they’re convinced it’s hurting their search rankings. They think that the faster their page loads, the better their ranking will be. But here’s the deal: page load speed is more of a binary checkpoint for search engines. As long as your site loads quickly enough to meet the minimum requirements, you’re good to go. Whether you exceed those requirements by a little or a lot doesn’t make a difference to the algorithm.
Yes, faster load times can improve the experience for your human visitors, which is always a good thing. The faster your visitors can get the information they need, the happier they’ll be. But when it comes to how Google ranks your site, once you cross that speed threshold, you’re on level ground with everyone else.

The Takeaway: Don’t Obsess Over the Numbers

PageSpeed Insights can give you useful information, but without the background to interpret that data correctly, you might end up drawing some very wrong conclusions. Your website’s performance isn’t about chasing a perfect score—it’s about making sure your site meets the needs of both your visitors and search engines. And sometimes, that means letting go of the idea that a higher score is always better.
So, the next time you see that less-than-stellar PageSpeed score, remember: it’s not the end of the world. Trust the experts, focus on the user experience, and stop trying to chase that impossible 100. Your website—and your wallet—will thank you.

Scam Watch: Pricey Google Business Profile Scams

Last Updated: September 27, 2024

Welcome to the first installment of our new series, Scam Watch, where we expose the tricks and traps that shady marketers use to swindle small businesses. Today, we’re diving into a particularly sneaky scam that’s been making the rounds: dishonest marketers claiming that your Google Business Profile (GBP) isn’t free and charging exorbitant fees to set it up. Spoiler alert: they’re lying!

The Truth About Google Business Profiles

Let’s set the record straight: Google Business Profiles are 100% free to create and belong to you, the business owner. If someone is telling you otherwise, they’re either misinformed or outright trying to scam you.

Your Google Business Profile is your digital storefront on Google. It’s one of the key ways customers find you when they search for the services you offer, and it provides essential information like your business hours, location, and reviews. But here’s the kicker—you do not need to pay anyone to claim or create your profile.

Following the Rules Is Key—And There’s a Lot of Them

While creating a GBP is free, Google imposes many rules you’ll need to follow. Ignoring these rules can result in your profile being suspended or even removed. Here are a few common pitfalls:

  • Keyword Usage: Adding unnecessary keywords in your business name, description, or elsewhere in an attempt to rank higher.
  • Address Type Selection: Choosing the wrong location setting. Not all businesses are eligible for GBPs, and those that are still have to ensure they pick either the location-based or service-area-based address options.
  • Category Selection: Selecting categories that don’t accurately represent your business can mislead customers and negatively impact your visibility.
  • Disallowed Claims: Making disallowed claims about your products or services can get you flagged by Google.

The Legitimate Service of GBP Setup

Now, just because you can create your GBP for free doesn’t mean everyone has the time or expertise to do it right. If you get it wrong and have to appeal the decision (possibly multiple times), you’ll find that this seemingly simple task is taking up hours of your time. That’s where legitimate marketing services come into play. There’s definitely an art to setting up a GBP that ranks well in search results and converts casual browsers into paying customers. This involves careful category selection, thoughtful content optimization, and the strategic application of marketing principles.

So, it’s reasonable to pay someone to handle this for you. But—and this is a big but—you shouldn’t be paying an arm and a leg for it.

What Should You Really Be Paying?

To give you some perspective, setting up and optimizing a GBP typically takes a competent marketer about an hour. This includes filling out the profile, optimizing content, ensuring everything complies with Google’s guidelines, and communicating with you, the client, throughout the process.

For this service, a fair price range is $200 to $300. For example, here at Prospect Genius, we charge $199 for this service—very reasonable considering the expertise and time involved. Paying $1,000 or more, though? That’s just someone trying to rip you off.

Bottom Line

Your Google Business Profile is a powerful tool for reaching customers, and it’s completely free to set up. While there’s value in paying a professional to optimize it for you, be wary of anyone who tries to convince you that you need to pay Google for the privilege or charges you outrageous fees to get it done. Stick to the facts, know the fair price, and keep your money in your pocket—not in the hands of a scammer.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Scam Watch, where we’ll continue to shine a light on the dark corners of the marketing world!

The Half of SEO You Don’t See, But Still Really Matters

Last Updated: September 27, 2024

Backlinks are essential for winning in search engines. While good content is crucial (on-page SEO), the less obvious but equally important part of the equation is backlinks (off-page SEO.)

What Is A “Backlink?”

A backlink is just a link to your site from another site. Search engines treat each one like a “vote” in your favor. You can think of search results as a popularity contest where the site with the most “votes” wins. That’s why you NEED backlinks. Over time, websites will naturally accumulate these, but unless you want to wait several years, you need to expedite the process by actively pursuing these links.

OK, How Do I Do That?

The quickest and easiest way to get backlinks (without being naughty and breaking any of Google’s rules) is to use directory sites. It used to be possible to manually create these, but most directory sites now get their data from the major data aggregators, rather than crowdsourcing, which means you need to use a service.

Directory Services

There are many directory services to choose from and their quality and efficacy varies. Ours happens to be called Directory Dominator. Directory Dominator puts you into ALL of the major data aggregators (not just one or two) AND into a cluster of key, important directories to get quick results. This gives you both the widest-possible coverage (volume) and targeted, high-quality backlinks as well.

How Important Is It Really?

How important is Directory Dominator? It’s literally the third step for every business our founder has started:

  1. Put up a website
    1. This allows it to start “aging” and gets into the search engines right away.
    2. As a bonus, this process also forces you to think about the services/products you’re going to offer, and therefore refine your business plan, which is a valuable exercise.
  2. Incorporate
    1. So you can get a bank account, register with the state, etc.
  3. Use something like Directory Dominator to get a pile of backlinks
    1. This speeds up indexing and improves rankings quickly.

With this plan, your site and it’s backlinks start working while you are running around getting all the millions of real-world tasks done.

There’s No Magic Beans

Much of SEO is just grunt work. Yes, there’s a need for an overall marketing strategy, but once that’s formulated, much of it comes down to time in front of the computer, typing information into forms. Services like Directory Dominator are a massive shortcut and well worth every penny.

If you’re ready to get started, you can even sign up for Directory Dominator online at your convenience.

 

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