I enjoy articles like this because, so many customers fall for this pitch, and they are normally some of the hardest clients to get on board. Over coming the “victim of a scorched earth” syndrome is very difficult. I think that the more you can educate yourself before making a purchase like this, gives the customer the power to not get burnt, and avoid the syndrome completely.
I received an email this week from a customer that was considering using an online SEO (search engine optimization) agency that guaranteed first page Google results.
For those of you who aren’t web savvy, search engine optimization is the work you do as a company to be found on the left-hand side of Google search results (also called organic or natural results). These are the areas that Google feels are most relevant to the person’s search results. Any of the shaded results you see at the very top or to the right are paid by vendors (like advertising).
Before I go into the idea of guaranteeing online results, let me take you back about 20 years. In high school, I used to sell glasses at an eyeglass replacement store at our local mall. After selling a child, woman or man glasses, I would offer them our special “scratch proof resistant” package for $29.97. This special package enabled us to put a coating on each lens that would protect the glasses from scratching.
Little did the shoppers know that the coating was already on every pair of lenses we sold. It came standard. The whole “package” was a sham.
Guaranteeing Google Rankings Is a Sham
Any business owner wants the easiest and most effective route to online marketing success. The only problem is this: Success with search engine rankings and social media is hard, and it takes dedication and time to see results. There are no easy fixes.