Website and blog owners want to be at the top of the search engines for their targeted keywords.
We know that…and so do some of the internet marketers who promote Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services.
So as a website / blog owner you’ll be bombarded with emails and ads stating their Search Engine Service will guarantee to get you to the top of the rankings.
The thing is…they can!
What?
Really?
Yes, honestly they can.
The Search Engine Optimization Lie
The problem is…it will be for a keyword phrase that brings no traffic.
Let’s say you are a Time Management expert and would like to get to the top of the rankings for the keyword phrase ‘Time Management’.
Do you really think the Search Engine Optimization service companies that promise top spot could get you to the top of the rankings for such a phrase?
Of course not!
They could not get you on page one of the rankings.
Why?
Because, today, there are 1.24 billion websites targeting that keyword phrase.
So the SEO companies guarantee they will get you to the top of the rankings for a keyword phrase that very few people use to search for, like:
“Time management for shepherds who own 2-headed sheep”
OK, OK…no-one uses that phrase to search on but the point I am making is they get your site to the top of the rankings for a phrase that no-one searches for and that’s just…well useless!
Google have around 200 factors that influence your search engine ranking and no-one knows what they all are except Mr. Google from design to content to page load speed.
No SEO company knows what they all are and cannot control them.
Any SEO ad that guarantees top of the rankings position…treat them cautiously.
What a good Search Engine Optimization Company does…
A good SEO service company will set realistic expectations and change your website and content accordingly rather than promise the Earth!
You the website / blog owner may not want to hear that…but it’s the truth…no one person or company can guarantee top ranking spot for a good competitive keyword phrase.
What’s your experience of SEO?
Used any SEO companies with good results?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
I get a lot of emails about this. Companies promise the earth and tell me that they know why my sites aren’t ranking etc., etc. I never pay any attention because I know that no one REALLY knows how Google ranks sites and it’s hard to guess because they change it so often. You just have to make sure you have great content, a site that loads quickly, and good SEO practises.
Anne
…and if you reply to some of these companies, they build spammy backlinks for you. Then Google comes along and penalizes your site and the company is long gone!
Content and speed – very important points.
Andrew
You are right about SEO companies promising the moon. I have found that what I have learned from you in finding those RIGHT key words helps and give you a better chance of getting better rankings.
To me when anyone is over promising you need to be careful. You are just hearing a sales job. As they say, ‘desperate people will tell you anything.’
Thanks again Andrew,
Debbie
Debbie
It’s a shame most website owners don’t think like you. Most are after the quick win and and buy these spammy type services…then end up regretting it.
Andrew
I get a hell of a lot of comments sent to me via my web design blog from so called SEOs and you can tell by their terrible English to just avoid them.
I think with proper keyword research and onsite search engine optimization implementation you can get pretty close to the top of Google, just by analyzing your competitors, in bound links and where there is a niche to slide in.
Even in the most competitive sectors such as web design there is cracks in your competitors strategy
Andy
What you say is very true. Problem is most website owners don’t know how to do SEO and know who to trust…and end up with a spammy service.
Andrew
I too, get bombarded with sales calls and emails promising top Google ranking. But common sense says that not everyone can have the No.1 spot – as there is only 1 number one spot! All we can do is work at getting near the top.
Thanks for the reminder, Andrew
Wendy
You are not alone with the bombardment!
Keep working at it…it does take time but can be worth the extra effort required.
Andrew
this has usually happens with more than anything else usually these companies create links that are spamm full so Google finally ruined the site visibility great post by you
Sarah
Very true – they just build spammy backlinks and eventually the website owners end up regretting it.
Andrew
Hey i agree with You in 100% ! Every one who told that he can brings Your site to the top for keyword phrase – shoes, lies You in the face.. be carefull with people offering that kind of services… my experience with seo is quite simple im doing all dirty work by my own hands.. its better to outsource quality article than to get person who will get thousand of bad backlinks for You site… Its how it looks in my country.. cheers.
Outsourcing the article writing is a great approach if you can find a great writer and can afford it.
The best content you can publish is the way to go to improve your ranking.
Andrew
Great advice Andrew! I get contacted every week by people who have hired these companies in the past and they’ve left backlink comments on one of my sites and now want them removed as though the comment was genuine the name used was a spammy “SEO” one.
There’s no easy route to great SEO but it is a simple route you can do a lot of it yourself.
Joel
I get a lot of those requests as well!
Shame so many website / blog owners have tried the quick win route and end up regretting it.
Andrew
I agree totally, and it’s comforting to have my view of SEO confirmed by one who knows!
Your post reminds me of horse racing at Longchamp [which I visited on my first visit to Paris in the 70’s]. Between the train station and the race track we encountered a number of people peddling “Guaranteed to win” betting systems. We wondered – if their system is success guaranteed, why would they not rather spend Sunday celebrating with family and friends?
Ditto for SEO. If you’re so clever, how come you’re not rich?
I think step one is to check how the solution works for the solution provider – always. If your doctor’s health is worse than his patients’ … you get the drift.
Totally, Beat.
Some with Doctors. If I see a fat Doctor and he says – “you need to lose weight” is anyone going to listen?
And yes, most people try and trick you into buying their stuff on-line by claming certain guarantees and you think…”why are you selling me this $27 e-guide and promising me I’ll make $20k by next week. Why don’t you just make $10k next week using the principles you are trying to sell to me!”
Andrew
ANdrew,
Good point. If any SEO firm guarantees they can give you a top Google ranking for a highly competitive keyword phrase, it’s a good indication you should look elsewhere. The best they can do, especially in light of the new Hummingbird algorithm update, is to promise they’ll optimize your site, make it faster, and get you some high quality natural backlinks from authoritative sources.
Look to expand your online presence through guest posting, interviews, and articles on authority sites in your niche. Why? Well, there will be some SEO benefit, but it’s incidental. The real benefit to your organization s the expanded audience it puts you in front of. That’s where your new traffic comes from, and how SEO is going to work going forward. It’s the anti-SEO, so to speak.
Steve
You share brilliant advice in your comment. Very simple but so, so true but it can take a little bit of work. And that’s what people shy away from. They want the ‘silver bullet’.
Andrew
Helllo Andrew,
I feel like I keep my eye on SEO — meaning I have something that reminds me to take all the steps to maximize the SEO for each of my blog posts. But then, I forget about it.
With my second blog, I’ve kept a narrow focus on one word — respect. It allows me to touch on different subjects as long as respect is a common theme.
As you said, with “200 different indicators”, how can I hope to hit the mark perfectly? Best just to write great content that people are interested in searching for online.
By the way, I’m stealing “Please help others by sharing.” I have “please share with your world”. Yours is better. Much better 🙂
Cheryl,
Sharing and publishing great content is the way to go.
Andrew
P.S. No worries about the ‘stealing’. Guess what…I stole from another site!
Hi Andrew
This is such a relevant article for me right now.
I’m receiving so many enquiries from people asking me to guarantee a first page ranking.
I tell them I’m confident I can get them there but can’t provide a guarantee. They don’t like it and end up going with the other guys who let them down.
People just don’t seem to understand that SEO’s don’t control Google or their competitors.
Mark
I get the same approach from some of my prospective clients.
I tell then up front what I can do for them with my prices. I’m open and honest about SEO and some, then go with the cheaper service…only to come back a few months later…to sort the mess out!
Andrew
Great read and to the point. I get calls and e-mails daily from companies saying how they can get me to page one. -_-
I know my stuff and call them out asking how can they do that then and they give me a bunch of stuff that I can do myself. I am sure they get someone! lol.
Leon,
Always nice to have a bit of fun with such calls!
Andrew
I too come across people who say they will make your site in top in just months and they charge heavy. But i think only hard work on your blog or site and a passionate and honest approach can make your site top in SEO. Anyway a good post. Thanks for posting 🙂
Ravi,
“Hard work” – very true but so many bloggers don’t want to work hard and they end up believing the hype!
Andrew
Corinne
I will be…I’m making changes to all my services shortly.
Watch this space!
Andrew
You are right about SEO companies promising the moon. I have found that what I have learned from you in finding those RIGHT key words helps and give you a better chance of getting better rankings. me too
I just want to say that
It’s a shame most website owners don’t think like you. Most are after the quick win and and buy these spammy type services…then end up regretting it.
Very true. There is no quick win when working on-line…takes months of hard work.
Andrew
Yeah you are right ,
Recently I hired a SEO consultancy services and got robbed. They used some bots and so one of my blog was black listed. So from then on have thought not to trust any SEO consultancy instead learn myself and work on that.
Tushar
You are not alone!
Many people have made the same mistake.
Glad you have learned to move on.
Andrew
Thanks for the advice! I have tried a couple of SEO’s and now know what to watch out for!
SEO is dead, well what we used to consider SEO. The main thing to concentrate on is providing a good user experience and that is through good quality content – that isn’t stuffed with keywords and having a site that loads fast and looks good. This will keep readers coming back and I think it will also make Google happy too.
Exactly Erin. Do that and you are onto a winner.
Some blogges are still keywrod stuffing etc…thery are looking fo rthe quick win!
Andrew
This type of hype is just that; ignore it. The only way to move up is to work really hard at good and plentiful content over many years and to network and expand your contacts in cyberspace. This thing takes time and hard work, nothing more, nothing less. Run from these promotions as they are not worth anything and could actually do harm.
Steven
I agree…they can do more harm than good. Excellent point you made.
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
I recently read a forum post by a very distressed small business owner explaining he had spend thousands with a website designer company. They created his site and promised to get his website on Google’s first page. Which hasn’t happened unfortunately.
Many people aren’t aware that most of these companies who promise these kind of guarantees operate in countries just outside UK or US Law. But the client never knows and never see their money again.
My advise is to look of customer recommendations and testimaonals
Naomi
Naomi
That’s the problem…people are unaware of the reality. We cannot blame them. They don’t know any different. It’s down to us to share the truth.
And they won’t be the last to lose a lot of money.
Andrew
Hey Andrew,
nice post and I am totally agree with you that no company can guarantee top spot in search engine for good keyword. We all gets lot of emails from SEO companies but I don’t trust them. For getting top spot requires lots of hardwork, consistency and patience.