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Why Reputable SEO Firms Don't Guarantee Rankings

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by MattUK, Sep 3, 2008.

  1. #1
    A really good post here on SEOMoz again

    http://www.seomoz.org/blog/why-reputable-seo-firms-dont-promise-guaranteed-search-engine-rankings

    I seem to see this happening a lot recently, usually followed a few months later by complaints that people are surprised that they don't have what they were promised.

     
    MattUK, Sep 3, 2008 IP
    wisdomtool and sabian1982 like this.
  2. Resident79

    Resident79 Peon

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    #2
    You can never guarantee a certain position in zhe SERPs. But what is the problem with agreeing on a bonus for certain goals?
     
    Resident79, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  3. wisdomtool

    wisdomtool Moderator Staff

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    #3
    It is extremely difficult to guarantee something that you have totally no control of. Search engine like Google is a third party, they can change and they certainly change algorithms frequently. Guaranteeing something that is beyond your control is suicide of your company reputation.
     
    wisdomtool, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  4. Sam 735

    Sam 735 Well-Known Member

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    #4
    So we can pay money for just promises...
     
    Sam 735, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  5. MattUK

    MattUK Notable Member

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    #5
    There's no problem with a bonus scheme. I've worked to one in the past and it can work well if thought out properly.

    Personally I prefer (and it makes more sense) to have a bonus scheme based on traffic/sales/conversions rather than rankings though. Rankings don't make money, sales do.
     
    MattUK, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  6. sprabhu

    sprabhu Peon

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    #6
    we can ask them what they have done for our website.
    If we are doing something we will definitely get the results.
    your ranking will definitely increase to some extent in SERP. :cool:
     
    sprabhu, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  7. MattUK

    MattUK Notable Member

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    #7
    Can you explain that, I'm not sure I understand what you mean?
     
    MattUK, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  8. catanich

    catanich Peon

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    #8
    Any good SEOer should be considered a Salesman and get a 6% commission on % of Increased Sales.
     
    catanich, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  9. MattUK

    MattUK Notable Member

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    #9
    I won't even start with whay that's a bad idea :rolleyes:
     
    MattUK, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  10. Lever

    Lever Deep Thought

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    #10
    I actually prefer a world where you have "SEO people" that "guarantee" rankings and those that don't... at least you can write off the majority of the muppets by seeing who promises a load of old cr@p and then sift through the remainder; it gives "proper" SEO consultants the opportunity to prove themselves.
     
    Lever, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  11. MattUK

    MattUK Notable Member

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    #11
    LOL, maybe true. The problem is the typical SEO customer isn't a very informed buyer. I meet with marketing managers/directors at a board level who have years of experience in marketing/digital marketing and am constantly surprised at a lack of SEO knowledge. Thanksfully that's changing. slowly ;)
     
    MattUK, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  12. mintoj

    mintoj Peon

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    #12
    I've never known an SEO company deliver results as they claim. I have tried a few and none got the rankings they claimed. I don't think that many even know how to get a good page rank ;)

    That's based on experience! and so now I do my own with good results :)
     
    mintoj, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  13. Lever

    Lever Deep Thought

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    #13
    Yes, unfortunately these are the poor suckers who get stung and they often walk away with an aversion to SEO thereafter, giving everybody else a bad name.

    I know exactly where you're coming from; in my own experience it has only taken 7 years and being seen to be able to talk on the same level with a top-notch, well-respected and very expensive SEO company for the board to finally accept that, despite keeping relatively good rankings for an array of key phrases, people actually know their onions...

    Mind you, I did meet with a rep from one SEO company the other month who reckoned he could guarantee high rankings by making one site an "authority site"... I half expected him to get out his magic wand and make the site in question equal to wikipedia on the spot. I haven't heard from him since, I expected he's still dreaming...
     
    Lever, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  14. RankSurge

    RankSurge Banned

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    #14
    Sorry to hear that, but there are MANY reputable seo firms out there that wouldn't have earned that if they didn't get results. Also, like the old saying goes: "You get what you pay for". SEO/SEM isn't cheap for a reason - when you hire a good seo firm, you are also paying for their expertise - all the mistakes they made in the past so that your site won't suffer through them. Plus, they keep up with the industry news and know about what's coming, and what's getting useless in regards to optimization.
     
    RankSurge, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  15. iain123

    iain123 Well-Known Member

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    #15
    everyone has a different idea what matters seo is not an exact science as no one knows exactly what combinations google use to place your site.
    One thing you can rely on is onsite optimization for your keywords easy to do and very effective when you combine with other things like backlinking (non reciprical)
    i would advise everyone not to pay a fortune just to get your site ranked thats crazy best doing most of it yourself and building links that are relevent to your site it takes time but it is worth it in the long run i have done seo work for some time now and came across some real cowboys who use black hat techniques which endangers your site being banned from google. Something you cannot overcome is the age of your site another thing is your actual domain name and when it expires the longer the better,Of course there is a lot more than i have stated here and it is allways a good idea to have the latest news at your disposal to help you acheive your goal.
    i have a thread in freebies that might interest some and be helpfull,not trying to hijack this thread as this is relevent to this topic :)
    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=959072
     
    iain123, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  16. MattUK

    MattUK Notable Member

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    #16
    Yes thay do, SEO is an exact science, and it's not exactly difficult. However, it's not the knowledge of what works that makes it's difficul, but the ability to put that knowledge into practice.

    To simplify things, SEO is about,

    Page optimisation + aged domain + links from trusted authorititive sites + quality unique content = rankings

    The problem for the novice is being able to address the problems of an aged domain and getting links from good quality sites.

    Any idiot can optimise a page, where a true SEO comes into play is using knowledge and contacts to gain links, develop content and leverage social networks.

    Of course it's possible to learn this stuff - I'm self taught over the past 10 years. If you've got the time then go for it, you'll be learning a valauble skill. Most companies are happy to pay for short cuts though.
     
    MattUK, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  17. juliensimon

    juliensimon Peon

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    #17
    That's the problem. Most companies want to pay for shortcuts, hire a cheap company and want fast results and then they say: SEO doesn't work. It's a big scam. Big liars.


    By the way, the company I work for provides guarantee of 20 new top ten listings from a list of keywords that we set up with the client.

    It's impossible to tell which keywords is going to rank where. But it's possible to make up a list and expect keywords from that list to rank. You can't tell which ones for sure, but you know some of them will.
     
    juliensimon, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  18. Varsys Inc.

    Varsys Inc. Peon

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    #18
    Optimization for different keywords takes different efforts. Some keywords have a very tough competition nowadays and 1st page ranking for this keywords will cost much more than "basic SEO package".
     
    Varsys Inc., Sep 3, 2008 IP
  19. tacoX

    tacoX Peon

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    #19
    My SEO firm operates this way: I get a monthly service charge for my work, and get paid monthly bonuses based on rankings.

    Google in totally unpredictable. I have a pretty good grasp now of how it works, but even sites in my own network baffle me. Some get ranked too high (not a bad thing), some too low, some drop ranks for no reason!
     
    tacoX, Sep 3, 2008 IP
  20. sabian1982

    sabian1982 Notable Member

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    #20
    Yer a good read, was reading through it at lunch before i saw your post. Still interesting to see examples of business still marking that statement though... some with a very professional and established appearance.
     
    sabian1982, Sep 3, 2008 IP