Beware of SEO's who guarantee results!!

[James]

Ok so I am seeing this sales tactic more and more in Australia, I have decided to speak out -

http://jamesnorquay.com/australian-seo-companies-guaranteeing-results/

Your thoughts on this matter?

 

[FirstPageResults]

Definately a dodgy tactic, and one that makes the whole industry look bad. You get these greedy companies trying to make a quick buck by praying on SMEs who don't know the online game.

The thing about good SEO results is you can charge an ongoing fee and clients don't mind paying as it's a win/win situation.

I guess another relevant point is, it's not all about achieving #1 rankings for generic terms - a bucket load of long tail phrases is good too.

 

[DavidL]

I guess another relevant point is, it's not all about achieving #1 rankings for generic terms - a bucket load of long tail phrases is good too.

Very true but most uneducated clients just want to target the big phrases as it's easier to understand and too easy to underestimate long tail.

Like in Adwords, the top spot is generally not the most cost efficient place to be because you're then comperting with companies paying big bucks for the 'ego terms'

 

[payattention]

Nothing wrong with guaranteeing results if you know you can deliver.

 

[sp@rky13]

What I don't understand is when there appears to be no clause in terms of the keyword types. I mean, effectively many of the ads say this: "Be number 1 in SEO in 3 months for 2 keywords". Ok, how about google and facebook as my keyword. I don't understand how you can guarantee it without seeing the site and the keyword

 

[FirstPageResults]

Most likely they would refuse to take you on as a client

 

[payattention]

sp@rky13, show me a client who wants to rank for those terms? You are being facetious (just watched Rounders for the 1000th time).

If Bob Jones the plumber from Hawthorn wants to rank for Hawthorn plumber, you're telling me you won't make a guarantee? That shit is easy to rank for. He only needs to pick up a handful of customers to make it worthwhile.

You can always just manage the client's expectations too

 

[djuqa]

If Bob Jones the plumber from Hawthorn wants to rank for Hawthorn plumber, you're telling me you won't make a guarantee? That shit is easy to rank for. He only needs to pick up a handful of customers to make it worthwhile.

You can always just manage the client's expectations too

19 Plumbers listed on yellowpages.com.au for "Hawthorn, Victoria" , at least 9 of which have existing websites. So how is it easy to guarantee top rankings. If 19 supposed SEO experts took on 1 Plumber each and "Guaranteed" top place, 18 would be either lying and/or couldn't deliver on their Promise.

 

[DavidL]

19 Plumbers listed on yellowpages.com.au for "Hawthorn, Victoria" , at least 9 of which have existing websites. So how is it easy to guarantee top rankings. If 19 supposed SEO experts took on 1 Plumber each and "Guaranteed" top place, 18 would be either lying and/or couldn't deliver on their Promise.

But there aren't? I'd agree with Jonathan that such a claim could be delivered especially if the seo uses 'our' secret and regs a purpose domain. Plumbersinhawthorn.com.au. Who couldn't get that to number 1?

 

[djuqa]

But there aren't? I'd agree with Jonathan that such a claim could be delivered especially if the seo uses 'our' secret and regs a purpose domain. Plumbersinhawthorn.com.au. Who couldn't get that to number 1?

Yes but what if there was Plumbersinhawthorn.com.au and PlumbersHawthorn.com.au HawthornPlumbers.com.au all competing for number 1?
Or plumbersinHawthorn.com and PlumbersinHawthorn.com.au competing.

My point is Yes if only 1 site trying for top spot than no problems, but the internet is never that simple.

 

[payattention]

Thanks for doing the research for me.. only 19 huh.. of which 9 have websites. Sounds TOUGH! I'd make that guarantee for sure! Maybe you better stick with making duplicate content mini sites because it gets much tougher than that son. There is not going to be an SEO company working for each one, your 1 in a million examples are just stupid. We could argue about it all day but it'd be pointless because that just doesn't happen in the real world (the one where people don't just make duplicate content mini sites).

 

[James]

Geo local terms are easy to rank for, I agree hence most people can rank for those terms with little knowledge as they do not yield much ROI.

I don't deal in those markets, only do if I have a family friend who needs help. Day to day I deal in high level competitive markets i.e:

Insurance, Banking, Telco

My point and the original basis of my whole post (if you took the time to even read it) been you can never guarantee results in these HIGH COMPETITION markets hence if you read my original article it is in reference into high competition markets and not super low competition markets.

Look what Google's stance on this is:

 

[payattention]

James, you are the biggest poser I have ever come across and there are many when it comes to SEO. I doubt you actually own the sites in the niches you described but work on them as part of an SEO company which you don't even fucking own. I know it's in vogue for one seo company to attack the tactics employed by another company but c'mon..

Also, if you think those terms yield little ROI, you are "totally wrong".

Nice blog BTW.. what's the saying.. those that can, do; those that can't, teach. You don't (or can't) even use proper title tags or meta descriptions for your own site and you're going to give an opinion on whether other companies can make a guarantee? That's fucking rich!


Side note.. I think calling him on his bullshit is justified because he started the thread and linked to his blog. He isn't really interested in discussing the topic, it's just self promotion which "social media experts" can't help but do. There is nothing wrong with that (being promotional) but there is far to much hyperbole thrown around by social media experts and others who just regurgitate shit they read on seobook or seomoz.

 

[James]

James, you are the biggest poser I have ever come across and there are many when it comes to SEO. I doubt you actually own the sites in the niches you described but work on them as part of an SEO company which you don't even fucking own. I know it's in vogue for one seo company to attack the tactics employed by another company but c'mon..

Also, if you think those terms yield little ROI, you are "totally wrong".

Nice blog BTW.. what's the saying.. those that can, do; those that can't, teach. You don't (or can't) even use proper title tags or meta descriptions for your own site and you're going to give an opinion on whether other companies can make a guarantee? That's fucking rich!


Side note.. I think calling him on his bullshit is justified because he started the thread and linked to his blog. He isn't really interested in discussing the topic, it's just self promotion which "social media experts" can't help but do. There is nothing wrong with that (being promotional) but there is far to much hyperbole thrown around by social media experts and others who just regurgitate shit they read on seobook or seomoz.

It is quite obvious I do not own a Bank or an Insurance company.

How can you compare "Plumbers Hawthorn" with the Likes of "Car Insurance" I merely stated the difference in ROI for the two different different markets.

My original post is based on high competition niches, not low competition.

What do you mean the meta description/ title tag is not optimized??

http://www.google.com/search?q=jame...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Seems to be fine for me?

This is just meant to be a nice argument, you don't need to get personal.

 

[payattention]

site:jamesnorquay.com enough said really.

It gets personal when you state I didn't read your post as if you are the authority on the topic and it's a foregone conclusion just because you "work" on a bank site or any other high competition niches where you don't actually own the sites and they were already established well before you got your dirty paws on them.

You know why you think it has no ROI? Because people like you and the companies you work for attempt to charge thousands of dollars for such campaigns. I can tell you from personal experience that an extra 5 customers a week has major ROI for someone like a plumber - provided you don't try to charge excessive prices and them write them off as stupid business owners when they won't pay.

I'm sure you would probably try to sell him on the idea of Facebook fans and a couple thousand twitter followers and explain the value and the ROI on that..

Here's some insight for you.. you are the very problem you write about and champion on your blog.

 

[James]

site:jamesnorquay.com enough said really.

It gets personal when you state I didn't read your post as if you are the authority on the topic and it's a foregone conclusion just because you "work" on a bank site or any other high competition niches where you don't actually own the sites and they were already established well before you got your dirty paws on them.

You know why you think it has no ROI? Because people like you and the companies you work for attempt to charge thousands of dollars for such campaigns. I can tell you from personal experience that an extra 5 customers a week has major ROI for someone like a plumber - provided you don't try to charge excessive prices and them write them off as stupid business owners when they won't pay.

I'm sure you would probably try to sell him on the idea of Facebook fans and a couple thousand twitter followers and explain the value and the ROI on that..

Here's some insight for you.. you are the very problem you write about and champion on your blog.

Yeah fair call I agree their is good value for every one with SEO, I have been doing SEO for 5-6 years. I should not have made the ROI comment, but I don't think you should go totally off track and start quoting something that is based of a Wordpress CMS.

My main argument here is people guaranteeing results in high competition niches.

thanks for the comments.

 

[payattention]

5-6 years in SEO and yet.. you can't even write title tags or meta descriptions. Keep in mind, these sites are part of your portfolio on your own site. Anyone who hired you would be shooting themselves in the head.

Yeah.. I'm sure that's the fault of Wordpress because you obviously can't use title tags or meta descriptions with Wordpress.. LOL

 

[James]

5-6 years in SEO and yet.. you can't even write title tags or meta descriptions. Keep in mind, these sites are part of your portfolio on your own site. Anyone who hired you would be shooting themselves in the head.

Yeah.. I'm sure that's the fault of Wordpress because you obviously can't use title tags or meta descriptions with Wordpress.. LOL

I own over 100 sites sure the quality of some needs work at time, I will admit.

Some of these sites I have not touched in 4 years, some of these sites I do not own any more.

I don't understand why you are trying to get personal, I have done nothing to you.

 

[payattention]

Ironic that you don't like being called on your bullshit when your original post and article had the same intent (criticising other SEO companies/people).

 

[James]

Ironic that you don't like being called on your bullshit when your original post and article had the same intent (criticising other SEO companies/people).

Come on man you have a few sites which are not 100% optimized...

Example:

site:http://www.gymidiots.com/

http://www.google.com/search?q=site...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

has "Epic Videos Of Gym Fails!" in every title tag...

thanks