In Search Engine Optimization, There Are No Guarantees

“Do you guarantee a top ranking?”

I hear this a lot.

The answer is “If I did, I’d be lying to you.”

Google today published revised guidelines for hiring a search engine optimization firm.

I think the single most valuable quote is:

“No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.

Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a ‘special relationship’ with Google, or advertise a ‘priority submit’ to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or by submitting a Sitemap and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever.”

We can’t guarantee you a ranking. A good SEO consultant can guarantee ethical practices, effort, experience and the ability to build measurable traffic over time.

Keep that in mind as you search for your next SEO firm...

[ Read about Portent’s search engine optimization services here ]