It seems to be like a trend that every SEO company website must have one of those beautiful “100% Guarantee” seals prominently displayed on their website; otherwise, the site somehow seems to be incomplete to them. It must be that way, or why would almost every SEO company have those “100% SEO Guarantee” seals on their website? The more I look around, the more I am convinced of this. But the fact remains, can anyone really guarantee top placement in Google?
No One Can Guarantee #1 ranking on Google
I was going through this post on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in Google Webmaster Tools and towards the middle of the page it is clearly mentioned, “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.” It then goes on to say that, “Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “priority submit” to Google. So it is evident that no company can guarantee #1 ranking on Google. It is also not possible to guarantee any top 10 ranking on any keyword for that matter.
Why Is It Not Possible To Guarantee a Particular Ranking On Google?
The search algorithm Google uses to place websites higher in search results in not fully known. To be precise, Google has not made the algorithm public and therefore, a lot is left to speculation and also on tested and tried methods which are known to yield results. Google has also hinted on a few factors that help in securing higher rankings. However, it is a combination of many factors, not just one or two, which determines your rankings in Google. Adding to the uncertainty are changes that Google keeps making to its algorithm to factor in the changes that takes place over time, like introduction of social media like Facebook and Twitter. This is just one example of course. Google is constantly making changes or updates so that the search results stay relevant or improve in relevancy over time. So in such a scenario, how could a company offer 100% SEO guarantee when they are not even 100% sure of all the factors that are working to rank your website?
Difference Between Search Results & Sponsored Listing
It may be well worth mentioning as it may not be evident to a layman the difference between the two. Sponsored listing is where you can buy your listing and can control the position of the listing by bidding a higher price than your competitor. Google has made it very clear that you cannot buy the listing in regular search results. Clients must be careful that the amount they are paying for organic SEO should not go towards sponsored listing as sponsored listing is temporary and would stop the moment you stop advertising. It also does not influence regular search results in any way. So even if you advertise a lot in the sponsored section it will not help you in organic search placement.
What Can SEO Companies Do?
SEO companies can be honest with the client by educating them as to how SEO works. The SEO Company should also explain the tasks the company would perform and the benefits that the client can expect within a specified time frame. The tasks involved should also be defined as accurately as possible to avoid conflicts later on between the client and the company. The SEO packages offered by the company should be clear and precise. For example, it may be better to fix the number of articles to be written or press releases to be made, rather than just say that the company will write articles and press releases. The amount of work to be done or the amount of hours to be spent needs to be clearly mentioned so it can be measured at the end of the month. No company owns search engines and therefore cannot guarantee results, but they can definitely guarantee the amount of work that they will do thus ensuring that the client’s website does better in search rankings.