Finding a good SEO company to develop, consult you on, and implement your search engine optimization tactics is essential to succeeding in the world of e-commerce. In a world where snake-oil salesmen run rampant and shady tactics abound it is even more important to make sure you find a reputable one.
We often get asked why results aren’t guaranteed. The reasons why a reputable SEO company will never guarantee results are complex, but on the surface it is because that just isn’t good sales. Here are the main reasons it shouldn’t happen.
1. The industry has a bad history with it
The old way of doing things, the age of the hard sale as it is known, was rife with companies guaranteeing results immediately. Look at any magazine and you will see dozens of ads that say “lose weight in two weeks guaranteed!”.
SEO was no different. Black hat tactics, shady salesmen, and loosely affiliated companies would guarantee results and work to provide keyword-stuffed duplicate content, haphazardly built sites, and poor-quality links. Since the business’ inception, the snake-oil salesmen of our trade have tried to take the money and run, luring in customers with false promises.
Today, the business is much different but many blackhat companies still remain. Anyone who has to guarantee results so vehemently is usually compensating for a lack of skills. We aren’t selling used cars, gym memberships, or snake oil here.
2. The rankings aren’t stable
The world of search engine optimization is as volatile as it gets. The standard of one day can be gone the next with a tweak of the search algorithm. Not only that, but social media, blogs, and other forms of content marketing fluctuate so much that different companies can take over rankings in the blink of an eye.
That being said, a good SEO agencies won’t make any bold claims on what they can do for you. They won’t promise page one rankings in a week, neither will they guarantee an X amount of leads in any given month.
Although tried and true methods won’t be going away completely any time soon, reputable companies need to be ready to adapt their games. This means that your ranking in the engine is unstable and will require constant monitoring and work. We are all at the mercy of Google.
3. Google doesn’t like it
Just like the rest of the reputable companies out there, Google itself has seen its fair share of shady business people making the hard sell and tricking anxious companies into parting ways with their hard-earned money. The search engine giant expressly warns people to beware of schemes that sound too good to be true.
When a company tells you that you can lose 25 lbs. just by sitting on your couch and using their machine, you know that it’s a scam. Same goes in this business, too.
Google warns everyone that “no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google”.
We tend to listen to what they say.
4. It’s unethical
People like to hear promises. When we tell one another that we will absolutely get things done, then it gives that certain peace of mind that we all strive for.
When a politician tells a struggling city that he promises to bring jobs to all of the people, the residents go crazy and vote for him. Truth is, that is a promise that can’t possibly delivered on.
If Dominoes tells you that they will deliver your pizza in 30 minutes, that’s different. They make it, box it, and drive it out to you, so that means they control everything.
Job creation is something far more complex, and not something that can be controlled by enacting some laws. It is unethical to make promises that you can’t keep just to get business. That is lying to someone just to get their money. The very definition of unethical, if you ask us. That’s why anyone who is reputable in the industry won’t do it.
5. Failure ruins a reputation
Compare these two reviews:
1. “ABC SEO company worked so hard for us and really tried their best. We got high in the ranking but couldn’t beat out the more solidified names up top. All in all, we are satisfied with the result.”
2. “We saw our rankings increase, but nowhere near what was promised. These guys told us we’d be top 5, and we didn’t even get close. Shady, double-talking salesmen told us we could dominate the rankings easily after a few months. Yeah, we did OK, but we thought we were paying for a front page spot.”
Which customer was guaranteed results here?
Whether or not you work hard, are reliable and honest, and do your best for the client, if you promise results and don’t deliver, it ruins your reputation.
Why do you think it’s in such bad taste for athletes to guarantee wins before the game? If you win, nothing has changed. If you lose, you look like a complete idiot.
Same with SEO. It doesn’t matter how hard you work if you make a promise and don’t deliver. If you had simply done your best, people would have appreciated that.
Properly optimizing your website and running an off-site campaign is absolutely essential to succeeding in the online world. If you rely on the web for profit, you need a good SEO company to help get you to the top. Beware of ones that ensure success, though. These are the reasons that a reputable SEO company will never guarantee results. Don’t fall into the trap!