Why You Should Avoid the Top 10 Guarantee in SEO

[thejenn]

Authored by: Karri Flatla

Full Text: http://www.searchengineguide.com/fla...ou_should.html

A Snippet:

While top ten rankings are a worthy goal, shelling out money to an SEO that makes such pie-in-sky claims will leave you frustrated and probably wishing you had spent your cash on something more useful, like snake oil.

[RegDCP]

Hi thejenn.
Good article.
I can really appreciate the following. (My Bold)

SEO is about alerting the search engines to content, content your target market is likely to be searching for when seeking information regarding the products or services you have to offer. There are numerous ways to do this, but a good SEO will work in an ethical fashion with no intent to "trick" the search engines into thinking your pages are something other than what they really are.

You are so right.
Content is king.
I am just starting my SEO log, which you will see supports your view.

[Jim2Macs]

I can't agree more! I can't tell you the horror stories we've heard from companies that "guarantee" any type of results. Seems like there's way to many people trying to either trick the spiders or their clients out of a lot of money. I read someone else on here said to many people think their pros at SEO because they bought a couple ebooks. I would have to agree.
My advice to anyone, if a company guarantees you a top ten listing - RUN! You can get there with a lot of work and in due time, but not just by paying someone hundreds (or much more) of dollars. Sorry, doesn't work that way.

[BKCB]

"A top notch SEO consultant will be the behind the scenes partner that works to drive more qualified traffic to your site than what it is currently seeing. And therein lies the catch: qualified traffic."

The above quote is SO TRUE! But how is a SEO prospective buyer to know WHO and HOW to partner with? What concrete, tangible evidence/proof does he have to take that "partnering" financial risk with for 6 months to a year?

If "qualified traffic" is increased, shouldn't there be some sort of proof in the form of increased "actions" taken by visitors that can be tracked by good web analytics?

Let's toast to the SEO's who don't guarantee anything except "Best Effort", but truly PARTNER with their clients .

[thejenn]

To note, I didn't write the article. Karri Flatla did. I just post them.

Now, on to the good stuff...

If "qualified traffic" is increased, shouldn't there be some sort of proof in the form of increased "actions" taken by visitors that can be tracked by good web analytics?

See, this is where things start to get tricky and why I think SEO really need to be able to work with usability teams and marketing teams. Qualified traffic means absolutely nothing if your site isn't capable of converting that traffic.

There are sites out there that you could increase traffic ten times over for...and I mean increase it with good, qualified visitors that typed highly qualified keyword phrases into the engines. But...that traffic won't matter becuase the site is unusable, the copy isn't compelling and the prices are unreasonable.

This is why any SEO that isn't going to have an ability to offer up input on those types of issues needs to think through what site they are going to take on and what their measurements can be for success.

I'd be very hesitant to sign on with a site that had a horrid conversion rate and no interest in doing anything about it.

[BKCB]

Hi Jenn. We are in complete agreement as I used to sell online "Preview Ads", and some of the B2B advertisers couldn't care less about the quality of the ad design, content, or useability (custom landing page links for specific ad locations).

I think the SEO not only needs to "have an ability to offer up input" on site useability, compelling copy, and value pricing, they need contractural assurances that major recommendations will be adopted. The "stick out like a sore thumb" things can be discussed, upfront, to see if cooperation on the part of the client is even possible. "Pricing" should be at least competitively justified with quality thrown in to get "value pricing" (if pricing is given on the web site). Site useability & compelling copy, theoretically, should be "no brainer's", but I'm sure corporate staff shortages, branding and "corporate rules" can get in the way.

My point was on Karri's use of the word "partner". It is a term that I've heard used many ways in business for many years. I agree with her entire article except for this sentence: "Attempting to quantify and guarantee results is a dangerous gamble for both parties." I think major attempts to quantify "conversion actions" vs. SERP ranking results should be in the "Partnership Agreement" = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partnership_agreement. As those "conversion actions" increase, the SEO's compensation should increase somehow.

However, both partners need to be "cooperators" (associates "who work together for a common goal") = http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cooperator

I hope things are going good for your charitable cause of:
http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/200...eocontest.html

[thejenn]

BKCB,

Thanks for the well-wishes, it's actually going quite well. Just from the SEO contest I've seen an extra $400 come in. I'm actually heading down there sometime in the next week or so with a check for $1000! That's how much money has been raised through the project so far! Amazing, isn't it? SEG readers are owed a big thanks for that!

You are right on your point about partnerships. Just as site owners need to protect themselves from unscrupulous or flat-out bad SEO firms, SEO companies need to be aware of the clients that they are selecting to work with.

[KevinW]

It's always important to know the scope of the services the "partner" will provide as well.

It's well noted above that a site that coverts 1% of it's visitors to buyers will remain a site that converts 1% of its visitors to buyers, regardless of how many visitors that is.

So, business owners should note that if the firm just does SEO, they will still have issues and more than likely be unsatisfied with the results.
A better plan would be get the site to convert, then work on increasing traffic.

If the firm you are looking at can do both, all the better...