Guaranteed Number 1 Spot in Google, Bing, and Yahoo!

Ever come across Internet marketing or web design companies that claim they can guarantee a number 1 spot for your business website in Google, Bing, or Yahoo? 

I will say this about companies that make these claims: either they don't know what they're talking about, or they're just big, fat liars.

Let me explain why. Once you understand a few simple truths, you won't fall for these unscrupulous tactics.

First of all, you can't make a guarantee off of something you have no control over, not to mention something that changes so often without warning. This sums up how search engines work.

In 2010, Google made more than 500 algorithm changes based off of over 13,000 evaluations. 

So, claims about rank guarantees from SEO or web companies should be met with extreme skepticism. 

Here is a quote straight from Google about the topic:

No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google.

Yet, I see claims being made online that are in complete opposition to this statement.

Then there are others who get a little crafty with their guarantees.

This guarantee, for instance, has little to no value.

 (Source: Search Monsters Inc.)

The local optimization part I'm okay with. I can even allow the "Up to 500 Keywords" claim to slide; altough I question the emphasis on volume over effectiveness and relevancy etc.

The guarantee, however, is a problem. First of all, it's a guarantee on front page rankings. Second of all, when you have a website up, chances are you are going to rank well for a certain number of phrases anyway. It doesn't mean they are highly searched or targeted terms that will lead to any sales.

It stands to reason that if someone attempts to rank your site for up to 500 keywords and phrases, you will rank well for some of them. And ranking on the first page for 10 out of 500 words is a good way to take something that is most likely going to happen anway, and make it look like it is directly correlated to a service's actions. 

Here's a simple analogy: Suppose I promise you that I can make you a world class fighter in 2 hours. I guarantee that I will find you up to 500 opponents, and that you will be able to beat 10 of them easily. That's a 2% success rate.

Off I go, and I find people who are trained, untrained, twice as big as you, and half as big as you. I find elderly people, children, sickly individuals etc. The point is that, out of all of those people, it's likely that you will beat a certain number of them (maybe even more than 2%). Yet, that fact says nothing about my expertise in making you a fighter in a mere 2 hours. 

In the end, it's not the number of words you rank well for, or the amount of traffic you get to your site from those words. After all, what are site visits without sales? What's the point of ranking #1 for words which don't hold much relevancy for your business, or don't bring in the right traffic? It's about getting the right traffic to your site, and getting them to perform the next steps which bring value to them and to your business.

So, what's the point of paying someone if they can't guarantee a #1 ranking in the search engines?

That's a great question. Quite simply, it's the expertise. A reputable company will do research, find out and narrow down a list of high-payoff words to rank for. They will do the work (trust me, there's a lot to be done) which will put you in the best possible position to rank well in the search engines. They will analyze the strength of your competition and be able to know how much work needs to go in to your site.

This is not a no-pill remedy or miracle cure. It involves real work. Make sure the professionals you hire do the right work. Although they should not guarantee any top rankings, they should have an idea of what it takes to get there, as well as, advanced knowledge of how to increase conversions on your business website. Anything less would be shooting in the dark.

Do you know if people can find your business online when they search for your products or services? If you don't know, or you do and would like to improve the situation, let us know.

Photo Credit: bonkedproducer