Working with an SEO service provider that offers guaranteed SEO services may seem like the answer to all your prayers. Just like a no-win, no-fee lawyer, you get all the upside of an SEO team working on your website, without any of the risk – right?
Wrong. Guaranteed SEO services are a complete load of b/s and we are going to run through why you need to avoid them if you have any hope of succeeding online in 2023 and beyond.
On your search for an SEO Agency or SEO services provider, you may have come across some agencies professing ‘guaranteed SEO results or your money back’. Before you get suckered in by their slick talking sales associate and stunning open plan office, we need to explain why you need to avoid guaranteed services and what you need to be looking out for instead.
What are Guaranteed SEO Results?
As the name would suggest, guaranteed SEO services are services which are delivered with a guarantee or assurance of a predetermined result. In most cases, this will be an increase of X% of traffic or a predetermined number of keywords ranking on page one of Google.
Typically, most guaranteed SEO service providers will promise that you will see a certain number of keywords on page one of Google by a certain date. Whether that is 30-days 60-days, or 90-days, the promise remains the same – to get your website on page one of Google.
“But that’s what I want!” I hear you saying.
You’re not wrong, that’s what we all want! Page one rankings are the best result from an SEO campaign, aren’t they? Not quite. Here’s the thing; getting to the first page of Google is not difficult. Getting to the first page of Google for keywords that are relevant, and revenue-generating is a completely different story.
Here is an example. If a Sydney based Roofing Company were to approach Safari Digital tomorrow, we can confidently say that we can put them on page one of Google within 60-days. But not for the keywords that are going to generate money for your business. Instead of selecting keywords that drive conversion like ‘Sydney Roofing Service’, we would select low competition keywords such as ‘Penrith Gutter Service’. Sure, we could get you to page one pretty quickly for the second example, but it’s not going to drive high-quality leads for your business.
Whether you are providing SEO marketing for lawyers or roofers, biggest issue with guaranteed SEO providers is that they cannot guarantee the keywords that you will rank for or traffic quality that you will receive. Instead of choosing keywords that are going to propel your business forward, they are going to choose low competition keywords that ensure they hit their KPIs and get paid.
If you want to skyrocket your traffic, start blogging. It may not drive your business goals in the same way that a service, product, or category page might, but it will definitely increase your website traffic. If you are working with an SEO provider that guarantees more traffic, we can tell you with confidence that they will simply start blogging. You will rank for a whole host of keywords (many of which will drive irrelevant traffic), and your overall organic website visits will grow, nonetheless.
The key to delivering effective SEO services is relevancy and quality. When you work with a company that is in a race against the clock to get paid, relevancy and quality goes out the window. You end up with a team of SEO professionals who are fighting tooth and nail to hit arbitrary deadlines just so that they can put food on the table.
Why Are Guaranteed SEO Results So Bad?
Google explicitly warns against SEO service providers that guarantee SEO results for their clients. In Google search central, Google states the following:
“Your prospective SEO should be able to give you realistic estimates of improvement, and an estimate of the work involved. If they guarantee you that their changes will give you first place in search results, find someone else.”
And we completely agree.
It is completely reasonable to ask your SEO provider what kind of results you can expect. However, it is completely unreasonable to ask your SEO service provider to promise an X% increase in traffic by X date. An SEO provider is tasked with optimising all of the on-site and off-site elements that impact how your website ranks in Google search. Essentially, they are putting together webpages that are in-line with user data, Google guidelines, and industry best practices. What happens once these pages are indexed is in the hands of Google (and other search engines).
While your SEO agency may know and understand what search engines want. They do not control how your website will rank.
Guaranteed SEO Rankings Are Risky
Guaranteed SEO services are risky for your business. To put it slightly less eloquently, pay for performance SEO is damaging.
Just like pay for performance SEO, guaranteed SEO services are a race against the clock to deliver results by a predetermined date. Just like a spouse that makes an ultimatum to get engaged or married by a predetermined date or risk a breakup, you are putting an inordinate amount of pressure on an SEO provider to deliver results by an arbitrary date.
Working with a guaranteed SEO agency could result in a Google penalty.
Anytime you work with an SEO provider in a race against the clock, you are risking the long-term success of your website. If Blackhat SEO tactics are used to expedite the ranking process, your website could be penalised. A Google penalty could mean a lengthy (and costly) process to recover your rankings to their pre-penalty position. In some cases, it can take years to fully recover from the effects of a penalty.
Google Doesn’t Know Your Timeline
Google doesn’t know that you have set a 90-day results deadline for your SEO agency. As such, they are not going to give your website priority treatment amongst other websites that are vying for Google rankings.
What Can You Expect from A Reputable SEO Agency?
So then, what is the difference between an SEO guarantee agency and a reputable SEO Agency like Safari Digital? Well, here are a few of the hall marks of a reputable SEO service provider:
• Realistic SEO timelines – months not years
• SEO strategies that drive your business KPIs – not just some arbitrary KPIs
• A considered SEO strategy that prioritises long term growth
• A team of SEO professionals working on your website
• A long-term SEO strategy
• Clear and upfront communication
• Access to 24/7 reporting and keyword insight tools
• Transparent SEO reports that show real, revenue driving growth
• A locally based team working collaboratively on your website
• Case studies and proof of concept in different industries
• A long list of satisfied clients across different industries
What Now?
Ready to look at your SEO options with a reputable SEO provider? Safari Digital is here to help.
Working with Safari Digital means working with a team of SEO professionals that prioritises your long-term success above all else.
We aren’t interested in putting you on page one of the search results for hundreds of irrelevant keywords. We will create a customised SEO strategy that aligns with your key performance indicators for growth. Get in touch with the team to discuss how our SEO services can be tailored towards your unique goals.
