If you know anything about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you are probably familiar with Neil Patel. Many people describe Patel as an “analytics experts” while other say he is a “digital marketer extraordinaire.” Everyone involved with SEO has come across Patel’s works at some point in time. Whether you believe Patel is who he claims to be is another story.

Patel’s Claims

Neil Patel was born in London, England and raised in the small California city of La Palma. After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School, Neil enrolled in Yale University. At a young age, Patel began to desire more than his middle-class lifestyle provided. After trying his hand at selling illegal items, such as burned CDs and black boxes, Patel knew it was time to move on to bigger and better things. At 15, he started a “legal” business selling discount car parts. He also worked as a door-to-door salesman for Kirby Vacuum Cleaners.

Any job you could think of for a child, Patel claims to have done it at some point.

Public Recognition Claims

Patel’s most notable invention “The Daily Egg” is geared toward SEO tactics – Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and Landing Page Optimization (LPO). He claims to be an expert in SEO, working with some of the most notable Fortune 500 Companies, such as Amazon, Hewlett-Packard, General Motors, and Viacom. He can also help you for a hefty fee.

He claims to be highly recognized by Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and former President Barack Obama.

The Real Truth

Patel’s avid followers believe he is the Messiah of SEO. But, in fact, he is nothing more than a mere blackhat snake oil salesman. While the digital marketer had success with his companies, The Crazy Egg and KISSmetrics, he was caught up in a fraud scheme where he and 16 others allegedly unlawfully tracked online users’ activities on some of the most notable websites.

The scheme utilized features similar to Etags to track visitors on sites like Spotify and Hulu. These features allowed KISSmetrics to track visitors even though they had previously cleared their cookies. The techniques utilized by KISSmetrics were described as being much more comprehensive than Google Analytics.

While digital marketers like Patel prey on unaware Internet users, some are following by example. What exactly does this mean? Well, it basically means they are utilizing his brand to earn extra cash online.

Patel continues to peddle his snake oil with the help of affiliate websites. For $1495, you receive Patel’s hidden secrets to a successful website. In this case, you get what you pay for, a massive bottle of snake oil.

Affiliates are promised a portion of each sale, which is guaranteed to be few and far between.

Patel’s promises always fall short. Just ask his thousands of victims.