I strongly believe no SEO consultant or company can guarantee you a number one position, or top rankings in Google, Bing or Yahoo. Neither should any SEO company guarantee you an influx of visitors to your website. Furthermore they should not guarantee that SEO will increase your sales. However, what they should be saying to you is, it is always possible to achieve good rankings if your SEO strategy is professionally done. When clean practices are followed throughout the SEO journey, your campaign will help increase your visitor rate and achieve better conversions.
As part of an SEO team I prefer to pay attention to increasing our clients business, rather than any particular aspect of the process like keyword rankings, page rank and visitor numbers. Not to say we don’t track keyword rankings and visitors, as this is certainly important in knowing where they are positioned on Google, which we use as a benchmark in their campaign.
Most of our clients understand there is no guarantee with ranking unless we intentionally select an obscure phrase with little, or no, competition. The real value comes from better conversion rates from the overall quality of the keywords and phrases. This is achieved with good keyword research right from the outset of the campaign, by the inclusion of long-tail phrases and keywords that hold commercial intent. Conversions are further impacted by good quality content, good site design and great overall user experience on the website.
The Google algorithm is ever changing, making guarantees nigh on impossible
Google constantly updates its algorithm, sometimes referred to as ranking criteria. A frustrating fact for anyone working on SEO - as what worked last year may get you a ranking penalty this year!
Nobody outside of Google fully understands the algorithm except the Google team of developers and IT experts. A great example being the latest algorithm updates which have plainly publicised how big changes, which come at unpredicted times, make it near impossible for SEO consultants and companies to offer any guarantee. Not if you are practicing within the guidelines of quality SEO that is!
What does a good SEO company understand?
1. The increase in value traffic
We understand you want a good ranking so that more people visit your website. Meaning to follow,there is a greater chance to convert those visits into sales or leads. On the flip side, the problem with getting more visits to your site, is that there is no guarantee they will be the right kind of visitors.
It is highly possible to increase the value of business to your website without getting a single extra visitor. How? Targeted traffic through quality keywords relevant to your business – people looking for your product or service because you offer them the solution to their problem!
So instead of concentrating purely on what your rank is doing, look at what your website is doing for your visitor and analyse your end result. Stop counting positions on Google with worthless phrases. Stop looking for a ‘quick fix’ or guaranteed results, the fact of the matter is they do not exist.
If you want to get your phone ringing and your bank balance rising you need to harness the power of SEO, but do it right!
A reputable SEO company will never guarantee results, what they will do is talk to you about your goals and ambitions and work out a long term strategy to help you achieve the success that you are after online.
2. Long-tail keywords show improved rankings
The emphasis of being optimised for search engines is to drive traffic to your website. However, there is a difference between increasing your traffic and actually getting business. One way to do this is going for the long-tail phrases – a string of three to four words. There is less competition on the long-tail phrases so your website is more likely to see a visit turn into a sale or lead. Emphasis on low-volume long-tail phrases is a great way to have movement in search engine rank results without the long agonising haul of climbing the popular term search results, as such an attempt can actually take years, and likely to be unsuccessful.
(See How To Choose The Right Keywords For SEO)
3. Guarantee the site will not be banned out of Google
Using quick fix black hat tactics will only result in a penalty from Google – not good news! Google is very good at recognising companies that use these techniques and the big G takes quick action. Yes, there are certain limitations to the white hat approach in the beginning, but you can be sure that your reputation within Google stays stable for the long term and visitors to your site will refer to your company more as a reliable source of products, services and information. End result is quality user experience and better conversion rates! A good SEO company will help you get to your target market without having to resort to unacceptable means.
In conclusion, a reputable SEO company or consultant will guarantee you a good website that serves both your needs and the needs of your visitors. They will advise you about your content – which should be clear in writing and in design as you want to attract visitors. They will ensure you have the best keyword and optimisation strategy based on proper, professional and ethical tactics meaning you get the best traffic to your site with the optimal conversion for your business. A good company will explain to you that achieving better listings in the organic results will take time and resources.
Article by Natalie Eastaugh
photo credit: Sean MacEntee via photopin cc