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SEO CONTRACT FRAUD? search engine optimization company fraud?

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OCBIZ

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? We are in CA; the seo company is in NH.

Hello, thank you for your time.

Details:
Our California-based company has an ongoing contract for SEO and web services with a company in New Hampshire that has failed to produce acceptable results in nearly 9 months. Our contract specifies we would get a website, with over 25 keywords on top of google, etc. within approximately 9 months. Our contract is due to be evaluated at the 12 month point.
The website they designed had broken links, improper grammar, etc. The website is receiving only about 200 hits per month, mostly from our Angie’s list referrals. Organic searchers account for only 25% of visitors.
None of our keywords currently appear as desired, and only two keywords have appeared in top ten over the last 9 months.
The account manager makes excuses, uses fear tactics, and tells us to be patient, yet has nothing to support any real efforts to achieve the goals in our contract.

My key questions are:
1. How do we prove fraud and recoup some of our money? At this point we have paid almost $18,000.
2. What legal steps can we take /how do we prosecute without being in the same state?
3. Is there a lawyer/firm we could pay a percentage of the judgement without paying out of pocket at this point?
 


tranquility

Senior Member
1. It's not "fraud", but may be a breach of contract.

2. You sue them in a state that has jurisdiction over them.

3. Maybe. Shop it around. I think it unlikely on your facts; but, you never know.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Then if you wish to pursue a breach of contract claim, I suggest you get thee to New Hampshire and hire yourself an attorney to do so.
Without a choice of venue clause, it's still possible to sue in CA ;)

Frankly, I don't think the OP has much of a case. Without seeing the contract, there's no way to say for sure, but that's the feeling I get. I suspect that the "promised" results were heavily couched in terms to show that they were estimates only.
 

OCBIZ

Junior Member
There is some ambiguity in the wording, but it is pretty clear that NONE of the 25+ keywords has reached page one on google, and it seems VERY little has been done to make that happen over the last 9 months...

Can anyone recommend someone who would work on a percentage that I should contact? ...Otherwise I guess it's google time : )
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
We don't provide referrals.

You can go to the home page at www.freeadvice.com and click on the Ask a Lawyer link (or, simply go to www.freeadvice.com/law-questions which is a direct link)
 

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