In the sprawling landscape of online business, navigating Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services can feel like traversing a labyrinth. Most online businesses use search engine optimization (SEO) services to optimize the website content to rank better on search engine results pages. However, selecting an SEO agency can be challenging since many choices exist. Each one of them provides a unique justification for choosing them.
Some SEO firms offer SEO guarantees, such as a first-page ranking guarantee or your money back. While an SEO guarantee is a compelling offer, any guarantee is a red flag that you should seek other SEO services. Read on to learn why you should avoid SEO companies that guarantee first-page ranking results and what to look for instead.
What Are Guaranteed SEO Services?
At first glance, guaranteed SEO services seem like a lifeline in the turbulent seas of digital. Who wouldn’t be enticed by the promise of skyrocketing to the top of search engine results? They often promise first-page rankings for particular keywords, an exact timeline for when you will see results and even a money-back guarantee.
Remembering that such first-page SEO guarantees come with several additional risks would be best. For instance, in most cases, any guaranteed SEO services use unethical SEO techniques to improve rankings. These techniques may include black hat strategies instead of acceptable SEO strategies like white hat link building.
In that case, aggressively using black hat SEO techniques to guarantee first-page results will be more detrimental to your company than beneficial.
Why Are First-Page SEO Guarantee Services Unreliable?
As we’ve already discussed, an SEO guarantee is reasonable. Businesses would be tempted to cooperate with SEO firms that guarantee first-page SEO.
However, selecting an SEO firm that advertises guaranteed SEO services carries many risks. It frequently results in subpar results over the long term or even significant harm to your rankings and business permanently.
Let’s talk about why such services are unreliable.
1. The First-Page SEO Guarantee Is Impossible
Simply put, you can’t guarantee what you can’t control. Although aggressive SEO techniques may raise your rankings, it is hard to say how much a specific strategy will boost your rankings and how high. This is mainly because SEO demands producing relevant and quality content and engaging with Google algorithms.
This first-page SEO guarantee is also unattainable because various factors outside the SEO agency’s control affect search engine results. These factors may include your brand’s online reputation, the intense rivalry with other companies, the time factor, and the ever-changing search engines’ ranking algorithms.
2. A First-Page SEO Guarantee Firm Will Use Black-Hat SEO Techniques
Guaranteed SEO services employ black-hat strategies. Black-hat tactics are essentially a set of actions that violate Google’s policies. These unethical SEO techniques deceive Google’s ranking algorithms into giving your website a higher rating.
Because it is intended entirely to target search engines rather than consumers, this SEO technique is against Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Some famous black hat SEO tactics include:
- Engaging in link exchange schemes
- Concealing keywords
- Producing redundant content
- Leaving spammy comments on other blogs
Black-hat tactics are used by agencies that guarantee results because they are quick. They may get away with it for a few weeks, just long enough to meet their SEO KPIs and get paid, but your website will eventually be exposed.
If Google discovers that you are utilizing these SEO techniques, your website may be penalized or banned from Google. Imagine spending all that time and money to have it vanish into thin air.
3. Your Website Will Appear in Search Results for Irrelevant Keywords
If you’re collaborating with an agency that offers outcome assurances, they will likely choose the keywords they want to help you rank for. It doesn’t matter to them whether the keywords they help you rank for are relevant to your business, provided they think it will be an easy win quickly.
Imagine placing on page one for over 10 keywords with zero search volume. Or that they’ve assisted you in ranking for terms unrelated to your industry so the traffic you get results in zero conversions.
4. A First-Page SEO Guarantee Firm Endangers Your Business
Most first-page guaranteed SEO services might cost you a lot of time and money. Not just that, though. They will do more harm than good as well. Even if you choose to work with a different SEO agency later, you will still have to deal with the penalties and poor rankings you accrued while working with the guaranteed SEO services.
Authority is crucial to rank higher in search engine results. It will take some time for your site to recover if you used first-page guaranteed SEO services and they interfered with the authority you had gotten before. The best and only option is to avoid these first-page SEO guarantee companies from the start.
5. Limited Services
The fact that these organizations frequently offer very few services is another factor to consider. They often have contract clauses that allow them to avoid responsibility if they don’t deliver results or if your website rankings decline rather than rise.
Again, these companies frequently emphasize quick rankings and neglect other aspects of the SEO process, like great content, high-quality backlinks and niche edits, and technical SEO factors, among other things.
6. A First-Page SEO Guarantee Service Offers a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
Good SEO is particularly customized and tailored to your company and your niche. Therefore, it would be wise to be cautious of any company offering you an SEO approach employed on numerous other businesses they’ve worked with.
A good SEO agency will take the time to research your brand, dive deep into it, do an SEO audit, and develop a cutting-edge SEO plan to win the game.
7. A First-Page SEO Guarantee Firm Provides Low ROI
Any efficient SEO technique aims to gain more relevant traffic to your website. You have a better chance of generating leads and closing sales when you drive qualified traffic to your website. As a result, you will notice an increase in your SEO return on investment (ROI).
Read Also: Crucial Metrics for Measuring Your Content Marketing ROI
The opposite occurs with guaranteed SEO services. The emphasis moves from quality to quantity.
For instance, if you pay an SEO service $6,000 to grow your traffic by a predetermined number, let’s say 100% in 30 days, even if your traffic doubles, it will only matter once you also experience an increase in leads and sales.
Instead, you’re merely spending money on vanity metrics that don’t affect your financial situation. You get the traffic but not sales or leads of any kind.
How to Choose a Good SEO Agency
Now that we understand why you should avoid first-page SEO guarantees let’s look at the criteria for selecting a reputable SEO agency.
1. Experience
The first and most crucial factor to consider is an agency’s experience. A modest amount of experience will say a lot about the company’s methods of operation and principles. Furthermore, if a company has an established track record in its field, it is easier to trust it.
It would be best if you were alert to whether or not they have experience in your specific field of expertise. This does not, however, indicate that you should not have faith in a newly founded company. Of course, you can, but you must be sure they can deliver results.
2. Approach
Trustworthy agencies also offer a unique content strategy specific to your target market, business objectives, and industry. A competent agency will pay close attention to your demands and want to know exactly what you’re having trouble with. Avoid companies that provide generic solutions to your site’s problems and are cookie-cutter in their approach.
3. White Hat Techniques
Any reliable SEO agency knows that using white hat techniques is the best approach to ranking a website. These include creating unique, high-quality content, adjusting your website’s SEO, and using social networking platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to disseminate material.
Given that they know they can neither control nor circumvent search engine algorithms, white-hat SEO businesses will never provide first-page SEO guarantees. They prefer to adopt natural and legitimate methods to increase your website’s authority; rankings will come from this type of effort.
Google’s E-A-T provides a detailed understanding of this methodology.
4. Transparent
Furthermore, you want an SEO agency that is open and honest about its interactions with previous clients, their achievements, and their statistics. Trustworthy agencies support their promises with facts and previous client experiences. Ensure they can provide evidence to support their claims of expertise that they are willing to share. Avoid the agency if they are unable to do this.
Again, good agencies should also give regular updates on their progress and provide data on the effectiveness of their campaigns. Ensure the agency you select keeps you informed and explains the information it sends you. SEO is a long game, so weekly to monthly updates are good for knowing that the SEO agency is still working on your campaigns.
5. Reviews and References
Reviews and testimonials show a company’s dedication and effort. If you need help deciding between multiple businesses, check out their web reviews and client endorsements first.
Additionally, you can contact previous customers and inquire specifically about their interactions with the agency. Any honor or recognition the agency receives for its work is an extra feather in its cap.
6. Are They Willing to Teach You?
An SEO agency is likely reliable if it is eager to share its expertise and assist you in becoming familiar with SEO tactics. They demonstrate their knowledge and good intentions by being forthright, open-minded, and willing to respond to inquiries regarding their procedure.
Before partnering with any firm, you can ask them questions about SEO in general and how they approach it. It is a scam if they appear distant or unwilling to provide information.
What Can You Expect From a Reliable SEO Company?
What will a professional SEO provider deliver if they don’t guarantee you results?
Any reliable SEO agency should assist you in achieving a few goals as part of your continuing SEO campaigns. Here are a few things to expect:
1. Attract Qualified Leads
A competent SEO agency should raise your page rankings for keywords related to your industry. This results in more qualified traffic visiting your website over time. Additionally, more qualified traffic translates into high-quality leads subscribing to your email and expressing interest in your goods or services.
2. Long-Term Results
Any long-term SEO strategy aims to get you on top and keep you there. While getting page-one rankings within 30 days sounds impressive, it’s a far-fetched dream in most cases. It can take between 3 and 12 months to see benefits from a top-notch SEO campaign.
On the other hand, white-hat SEO strategies increase the likelihood that you’ll remain at the top, where you’ll receive targeted visitors and make money for years to come.
3. Quantify Results
Every step of the SEO process should be data-driven, from creating results to measuring them and leveraging these metrics to produce additional results. The most powerful SEO tools are used to make SEO and content decisions. This allows for setting realistic, reachable goals and real-time progress tracking.
Reputable services often analyze your customers’ site navigation, pinpoint your precise problem areas, and determine how much of your income improvements are directly linked to SEO using a range of indicators, such as rankings, traffic, and average session time.
4. Credibility and Authority
With an excellent, personalized approach, you earn more than just high rankings. You will increase your authority and trustworthiness with your target audience. Consequently, you gain many high-quality backlinks and boost your Google rankings.
If you consistently show up when clients are looking for information about your product or service, eventually, they will come to view you as the authoritative source in your field.
5. Quality Backlinks
Building backlinks is a crucial component of SEO and digital marketing in general. Quality contextual backlinks prevail over quantity.
Using strategies like blogger outreach, a trustworthy service provider will promote links to your website on high-quality, pertinent websites, like media websites or websites with high authority. These types of backlinks benefit your website in two ways:
- They raise your website’s authority and online exposure.
- They also bring in targeted internet visitors relevant to your business.
Conclusion: First Page SEO Guarantee
Guaranteed SEO is something that ought to be avoided at all costs. Even the best SEO companies cannot guarantee traffic growth or results for a specific number of keywords. They will be focused on what is essential: utilizing white hat SEO tactics to assist you in exceeding your business objectives and fostering commercial success.
Remember, if your website is experiencing a drop in traffic or rankings, or you have done everything you can to increase traffic and nothing works, our team at Kontely will be happy to help. We run a detailed SEO auditing service with the help of the best SEO audit tools to find out why your website’s rankings are not taking off and help you fix them. You can reach out to us at any time.