Keep your login credentials as if they were the keys to Fort Knox A potential problem when dealing with people who want to send you “no obligation” audits is that they may ask for your login and password information for various assets on your website. Never give your login information to anyone you don't know. Once you've given someone access to your website, your website host, or Google Analytics, it's very easy for that person to do a number of nefarious actions, including: preventing

you from logging in by removing you and anyone in your company as an administrator from your website. use your website for illegal or spamming purposes. removing you as the owner/administrator of your Google Analytics account. If an SEO agency jewelry retouching service or consultant needs access, most apps like WordPress and Search Console allow you to grant restricted access to others using their login , rather than your own. Conclusion As a small business owner, it can be difficult to determine whether a “free website audit” email is legitimate or not.

You're busy, and an email telling you that your website is having problems can send you into panic mode. But before you respond to an unsolicited offer like this, take a minute or two to view the sender's email address, read how the email is composed, and determine if the sender includes any information verifiable contacts. If something raises red flags, delete the email and continue with the important task of running your business. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily of Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.