Google Preferred Agency???

[stevefidelity]

I just stumbled upon an SEO company's website that says they are a 'Google Preferred Agency'. This isn't just a line of copy on the site, it's featured prominently on the site, and they use the Google logo as well.

I've never heard of a 'Google Preferred Agency'. One would think that even if there was such a thing, that it would involve a link back to a profile page on Google like they do with AdWords/Analytics partners...

Am I missing something, or is this company doing something a little shady?

I don't want to toss the name of the company out there because I don't want to publicly bash them.

[RobertFisher]

This could also be that they have some app that Google shows for them through the reseller program:

https://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/categoryHome?categoryId=2

I am not aware of a preferred SEO or SEM agency. The only instance I know of around Google and Preferred is the preferred API pricing of Adwords Certified Agencies.

Best.

I think your discretion as to the name is well thought out: I would send a screen shot to Google if it were me.

[RobertFisher]

Alice nails the badge piece here. Always check this when I see it on any site.

[Motrd]

It could be that they receive Preferred API Pricing for Adwords, but I do not believe there is a Google Preferred Agency. They'd be breaking the rules that they made:

http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=35291

Google doesn't recommend anyone, neither publicly nor under the table.

[gcdtechnologies]

Hi there, it sounds a bit shifty to me... I don't believe that there's any such thing as a Google Preferred Agency. They might be referring to the certification programme that you mention (http://www.google.com/adwords/partnerprograms/), but then they should be using one of those badges rather than the Google logo.

As you say, these badges link back to a verifiable profile page on Google Partner Search. If the logo isn't verifiable, it's probably not authentic.