Jeffrey Stilwell

Why Can’t SEO Companies Guarantee Results?

Here at Fireside, one of our most frequently asked questions from clients is: “Why can’t SEO companies guarantee results??”

If you’re paying for SEO services from a reputable company, why shouldn’t you be able to get guaranteed results? This can be a frustrating thing for companies that are new to incorporating SEO into their marketing plan. And it’s a legitimate concern.

To answer this question, let’s look at a little bit of SEO history:

SEO Is No Longer Simple

We’ve been in the business of SEO for many years. There was a time, around 6 or more years ago when SEO companies regularly guaranteed results. “Your website will increase in ranking or your money back!” But these airtight methods were in place before Google had updated and intricate algorithms. Those were simpler times when basic SEO terms had more influence on ranking in search results.

In those days, a few “secretive” changes to your website’s SEO practices, and some wisely chosen keywords, could rank your website fairly quickly. These are now considered “Black Hat” because Google realized that unfair manipulation was getting low-quality websites ranked. Not only do they no longer work, but they can also get your website penalized. One of these tactics involved filling a website’s background with words, matching the color to the background, and building a large network of links that led to your website. Many of the sites that SEO services would link from were spammy and off-topic from your website.

Google Changes Algorithm

Google has led the way for all search engines and has undergone a huge amount of changes in the past several years. Google will no longer tolerate spammy, manipulative tactics. As a result, SEO marketing agencies began removing these services. Even companies that have used these “guaranteed” tactics in the past are still getting penalized as a result.

The changes that Google has undergone have been great for general internet users. It’s much easier to find quality answers to any question. But folks in the SEO industry are having to work harder for their clients in order to get results. We must be able to get results for our client websites, and we’re doing so by creating natural and authentic SEO campaigns, with no manipulation involved.

Results May Vary by Industry and Budget

In a previous blog post, we discussed how it can take 6 months or longer to begin seeing results from your SEO campaign. How long it takes for you to begin seeing results depends on several factors, including the industry you’re in and what your competition is. Some industries make it much easier and quicker to see results, while in other industries it takes much more time and consistency to beat out the competition.

The success and SEO practices of your competition are also a factor. For example, a local co-op in Chicago that would like to rank for “grocery store” will have a difficult time if there are two big box stores nearby with several locations throughout the state. While this business may be able to easily make it into front page search results, ranking above those two big box stores is very unlikely. A small company will always find this type of ranking difficult.

We Guarantee Quality Work

For all of the reasons stated above, we cannot guarantee specific rankings or instant results. What we can guarantee is great work from a knowledgeable, experienced team. When you choose Fireside, you will be paired with an SEO specialist whose sole job is to make sure you are getting the quality work that you are paying for. Your specialist will ask you questions, get to know you, your website, and your industry, and then make sure our team is delivering the best results possible. We will always do our best work for you and your website.