Guaranteed Top Search Engine Listing
You have probably seen those ads from search engine optimisation (SEO) firms – “Guaranteed Top Ranking” or “Guaranteed #1 in Google”. Are they always truthful? We suspect that such claims range from wishful thinking through to “probably true”; the problem is that there is usually at least one catch and some of these catches can be dangerous for your website’s health.
Here’s some advice on how to evaluate a search engine marketing offer.
What?
If someone promises you a number one (#1) ranking within Google or any other major search engine, you should try to find out more and be a little sceptical. Only Google can really give you such a guarantee; anyone else is, at best, playing with luck. The operator might get you a top ranking for a certain key phrase, but the first thing you need to assess is whether the key phrase is relevant for your business and/or product type. Remember, you need to rank for the terms that customers are more likely to search for!
How?
Some companies could get you a top search ranking by using “black hat” techniques. As the name suggests, black hat techniques try to “cheat” the search engines and you risk being manually removed from the index. Your website needs to be ranked on merit in order to sustain high rankings for a long period of time. Make sure the techniques used by your Search Engine Marketing provider are based on sound SEM principles.
Where?
Ask if the promised number one (#1) ranking refers to organic search results or paid/sponsored listings. The higher you are prepared to pay, the higher you will appear in the paid/sponsored listings, so you should really ensure there are no hidden extras in your contract.
Which Position Is Best?
In general, the higher positions are better than the lower ones, but being first isn’t always ideal. Some customers report they get more clicks when the listings are in the second or third position. Generally being in page one in Google, Yahoo or ninemsn will give you maximum visibility.
To summarise, there can’t be a certain guarantee that your web site will be ranked #1 in Google, or any other major search engine. So it is important to assess the operator based on their success record with clients, their reputation and their understanding of your business.