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Guaranteed SEO Services: The Scam Of Promised Search Engine Rankings

Guaranteed SEO Services

Why can’t SEO service guarantees be made?

This is because we, or any other SEO company, cannot control how Google ranks websites. As Google makes changes to their algorithm SEO companies do their best to understand what changes were made and modify your website to give Google what they want. At OuterBox we use very intelligent guesses as to what strategies to use, but we still do not know for sure and cannot control Google.

Any SEO company that guarantees high Google rankings based on their SEO services, without any upfront fee, is probably doing something they shouldn’t be or is making a guarantee for something different than what you believe they are. Always be sure an SEO company you’re looking to hire has examples of their work, case studies you can review, and client testimonials.

You can read Google’s official statement on hiring an SEO company in which they state, “Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings“.


What does Google say about hiring an SEO company?

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SEO Companies Offering Guaranteed SEO Services Typically Include The Following:

  • Guaranteed ranking for very easy keywords
  • Bait and switch using paid search
  • Outsourced SEO services
  • Poor copywriting
  • Dangerous link building techniques
  • Great sales team with poor execution
  • Low-quality link development
  • Automated SEO packages / same services for everyone
  • & more deceptive tactics

Let’s dig a little deeper. If you Google something, the results will be both organic and paid search results, which will look like this:

SEO Ranking Positions

Google Ads (Paid Listings) - In the Red Boxes

PPC ads are ads that businesses buy through Google Ads to promote or sell their products and services. Every time a user clicks on one of these ads, they are taken to that business website. Businesses pay Google each time a user clicks on their ad (hence Pay Per Click). This can cost anywhere from $0.20 to $50 and beyond per click. It is all dependent on how competitive that particular industry is.

A Google algorithm determines the order of ads in the paid section. This algorithm is based on the amount a business is willing to pay for their ad and the ‘quality score’ of their website.


Organic Search Listings - In the Blue Box

These are the organic search results (non-paid), and what your long-term focus should be. Google uses complex algorithms that take into account over 200 different factors in order to determine the ranking of a website for a given search result. The higher your website quality ranking is, the higher your organic search positions will be. Of course, the more competitive an industry and keywords of focus are, the more difficult it is to achieve top rankings.


How does Google decide top ranking websites?

In order to get a high ranking in the natural listings, Google must deem you an authority on your targeted phrase. The more generalized the search term is, the more difficult it will be to rank. For example, ‘Akron pet grooming’ is much easier to rank for than simply ‘pet grooming’. Google does not give out exact details on how its algorithm works, however with research, testing, and experience, industry professionals all agree that the following are all extremely important factors:

  • The number and quality of inbound links (websites linking to yours)
  • Website title, headings & keyword usage in content
  • Amount of content on your website (and how fresh it is)
  • Site speed and usability
  • Online reviews and business reputation
  • Social media mentions
  • and other items such as site structure, code configuration, etc.

At OuterBox we offer Google SEO services, so give us a call and talk with us about improving your organic search positions.


Sorry - No Guaranteed SEO Services, Rankings or Results

In conclusion, reputable SEO companies absolutely cannot and should not guarantee Google rankings of any kind. Be sure to choose the best SEO company based on your research and due diligence. Unfortunately, there is no magic “SEO Button” that we press to attain high rankings. However, what we can do is pay attention to the ranking algorithm, and its updates and constantly be working on ways to improve a website’s ranking. This in turn will help build your website into something that has the best chance for SEO success.

Guaranteed SEO FAQs

Why don't reputable SEO firms guarantee results?

Since Google’s organic search results are controlled by a sophisticated algorithm, guaranteeing SEO results is impractical and unethical. When optimizing a website, it’s impossible to determine the position you’ll end up in. With that being said, an experienced SEO company will have the best chance of providing the results you’re looking to achieve.

What should my SEO company guarantee me?

Your SEO company should guarantee that they will provide professional, high-quality services as part of an intelligent SEO strategy that aligns with the best-known practices of the SEO industry. They should work with your team to establish deadlines and deliver assets in a timely fashion. A reputable SEO agency should guarantee that they will do everything in their power to improve your search engine ranking based on the resources available. But, they SHOULD NOT guarantee specific keyword rankings in Google.

How do I evaluate the effectiveness of my existing SEO efforts?

There are several leading indicators and stats that can help gauge the effectiveness of any previous or ongoing SEO efforts. These include organic keyword ranking reports, organic traffic, organic conversions, and organic revenue. Discuss your project with an SEO expert today, and we’ll evaluate your website’s organic visibility together.

What is an SEO Audit?

An SEO audit analyzes a website to identify issues that affect its ability to rank organically in search engines. At OuterBox, we’re a leader in providing detailed, actionable SEO audits. An audit can be a great first step to first understanding the SEO opportunities available without signing a larger contract for an ongoing campaign.

How much should I pay for effective, professional SEO services?

Reputable SEO agencies range from $100/hour to $500/hour and beyond. Learn more about SEO pricing and how to choose an SEO company through our expert guides.

I've been burned by other SEO agencies before; what makes OuterBox different?

OuterBox is a results-driven SEO agency with nearly two decades of SEO experience. We’ve leveraged this experience to identify SEO strategies and tactics that have been proven effective. Each month, we provide transparent reporting to gauge the effectiveness of our SEO campaign and detail our accomplishments.


Article By

Justin Smith

Justin Smith is the Founder & CEO at OuterBox. He’s has more than 20 years of experience in SEO, paid search, eCommerce and digital marketing. His accomplishments have been referenced by many well-known publications and industry experts such as Forbes, Neil Patel, Clutch, CNBC, USA Today and more.

LinkedIn

Justin Smith - CEO at OuerBox
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