Search blogs  
Browse by category
Author:Jayesh Khandor
Director at The brand Saloon Inc.
Why SEO guarantees can not be given ?
Tuesday 02nd, September 2008

WARNING: If you are looking for a SEO company giving ranking guarantees, please stay and read -this could save you from being duped.And that will serve the purpose for this Knol

The word SEO(Search Engine Optimization) is very commonly used and understood word in internet marketing.Today everyone wants to promote their website and business on internet and there for wants their sites to rank higher in search engines like Google,Yahoo and MSN.Now to help these people there are plenty of seo firms,in which some are genuine and some are not.In this blog we will target those seo firms who guarantees their client about rankings.

Why clients seek SEO guarantees ?
 
It is simple to understand why SEO buyers are looking for guarantees:
 
1. Affirmed return on investment

2. Security

Buyers who ask for SEO Guarantees are either new to the concept or have dealt with a SEO firm that gave no results at all.

What SEO Guarantees Clients Seek ?

There are two kinds of guarantees that we often come across; one kind focus on Number One ranking and the other kinds focus on rankings in top 5 across ALL search engines. ALL here is an important word. Here is a glimpse of the guarantee list:

1. Number one in Google for REAL ESTATE

2. Get my website in atleast in top 5 or no deal

3. I have three websites, all about XYZ. I want three of them ranked in top 5 in Google, Yahoo and MSN

4. I do not want rankings for 50 keywords, I just want rankings for these 10 keywords, can you do it? I want a guarantee that my site would be in top 5 across all search engines

What was interesting was that none of these demands for guarantees actually asked for a timeframe, until this one:

I want a guarantee that my site would rank for TRAVEL in Google in top 10. I also want the contract to include by when you would get my site to rank.

The following demand was from a client who had been fooled before by a company guaranteeing rankings:

I know what SEO is. Just tell me if you guarantee that the site would rank in top 5, ok top 10, in at least Google and Yahoo. I also want to know how long would it take. I also want a guarantee that the rankings would stay for at least 2 months.

Why these SEO guarantees can not be given ?
 
SEO firms do not own search engines or search engine algorithms and do not have control over how the results are displayed and how long the rankings would last for any site.

The SEO firms can not realistically give the following guarantees:

1. The website would be indexed by all search engines its submitted to

a. All sites do get indexed though. They get indexed because search engines which allow free listings want to increase their database and give useful and new information to its users at all times. Paid search engines obviously index sites because they are paid for it. Why SEO firms can not guarantee it because free search engines may take 2 to 3 weeks for indexing and also may not index a website if it has been previously banned.

b. Interestingly, no one even asks for a guarantee for getting indexed  it seems to be so because everyone is aware of the process. Also, most of the times the site is already listed with search engines due to their large database sharing model.

2. The website would rank for the keywords it is optimized for

a. Let alone top rankings, SEO firms can not guarantee that sites would rank in top hundred either. SEO firms do not have access to the search engine algorithms nor does any SEO firm we know of has any kind of partnership with any search engine that allows them to rank their clients websites high in organic rankings.

b. If any firm is giving you such a guarantee, read the fine print.

c. Again, this is not to say that rankings do not come. Rankings are achieved but purely on the basis of the Experts own understanding of the algorithm and research.

Hopefully, this blog will save at least some people from SEO marketing froud.

 
Comments
Comment 1: By Vicky Rockstar on 04th Sep 2008
So can you suggest some ways to get it right???

Post your valuable comment here
Email:      Password:  
Don't have SiliconIndia ID? Sign up      Forgot your Password?  Retrieve

 Latest postings

Email Marketing – 5 Tips To Get It Right
As the recession takes charge of world economy, many small business owners are worried about keeping their business alive. Lots of people are won... more >>
Master Key To Success In Internet Marketing
Do you have a business?  Good   Do you have enough marketing budget  Great   Do you have patience to persist with it?  Be... more >>
Are You Tired Of Not Getting Results? – Try This.
In today\'s competitive market, you have to be on your toes to grab any opportunity you get to expand your business. No matter how big or small your b... more >>
Do you have a website no one can find?
One must have enough knowledge of his own market if he wants to compete  with others. If you have your own website and want to make money online,... more >>
Internet Marketing - An Extreme Sport
Sometimes we get nothing after studying and searching for hours after hours. Another time we can just casually find a source of inspiration to reach o... more >>
More postings 1  2    next >>

Business

How to Manage a Deadbeat Employee
A deadbeat employee is an employer's nightmare. You know the emp... more >>
By
Soumya Adhikary
4 Ways Social Media Could Save The Arts
Last week I had the fortune to be part of an event that we s... more >>
By
Rohit Bhargava
FOR REAL GROWTH
These are not easy times for home buyers. Despite the festive off... more >>
By
deepak tiwari
UNIFIED REDRESSAL SYSTEM NEEDED IN REALTY SECTOR
Time and again, consumer organizations have warned against purcha... more >>
By
deepak tiwari
Women prefer male bosses to female ones
More than seventy percent of British women say they would rather ... more >>
By
Padma Kapadia

Guest contributors

Arun Subramony
Arun Subramony
Vice President - Global Delivery, UST Global.
Neelam Dhawan
Neelam Dhawan
Managing Director, HP India
Narayana Murthy
Narayana Murthy
Chairman & Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies.
Kanwar Chadha
Kanwar Chadha
Founder & Vice President of Marketing, SiRF Technology
Vikram Shah
Vikram Shah
President - India Operations, NetApp.
 Our sponsors