It’s been said over and over again — a promise by multiple different marketing and Search Engine Optimization agencies throughout the years:

“We guarantee we can get you on the first page of search results.”

The audacity! The lies! The blatant disrespect!

So we know we are being a little dramatic (maybe more than a little), but this lie has been told over and over again and it is simply not true! This promise that a marketing or search engine optimization (SEO) firm can get you to the top of the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) is just a blatant lie and something that no one can guarantee. We have stayed silent about this for a while but figured now is the time to put it out there for people to know the truth.

Let us break down what really happens when it comes to search engines and search results. For starters, we will just take a few moments to explain basic SEO. SEO is how you are found through the various search engines (i.e. Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, etc.). There are a series of factors that play into being found. Some of these factors include, but are most definitely not limited to:

• Keywords
• Engaging/Effective Content
• Photos
• Linking (both on and off-page)
• Page Structure
• Page Titles

While these factors play a role in being found, none of them is a guarantee that you will be at the top of the SERPs. What it does mean, is that there is a potential for you to rise on the list. These factors help with the foundation of a good website that is SEO-friendly, which is where you want to start. From there, there are different tactics that you or a marketing/SEO agency can do to help put you in a better position. Depending on your industry, this will help your ranking but doesn’t provide any guarantees.

Here is the thing about search engines, especially Google (the King or Queen of all search engines)—the rules never stay the same. All search engines are in the business of making money, so they will never create a way for you to cheat the system. Their algorithms are constantly changing and showcasing new information or new recommendations.

For example, a few years ago, having a mobile-friendly website was huge. Now, that has become more of an expectation for any website that is launched. A website that is mobile-friendly won’t do a lot to help you rank higher, but if your site isn’t mobile accessible, it could hurt you.

As an agency that works with many clients to help improve their organic SEO, we follow an assortment of blogs and SEO outlets to ensure that we keep up with the latest trends and expectations. Doing so has helped us to realize how unrealistic it is for anyone to try to guarantee a certain placement. It’s nearly impossible to do. The only way to guarantee a top-of-the-page placement is to look at doing pay-per-click/digital advertisements. We go into a more detailed background of the two different types of SEO strategy HERE.

Now let’s get back to this lie that has dominated the Search Engine industry for quite some time (we promise we are almost done). If you ever hear a company say that they can guarantee you a top placement, you should run as fast as possible. There is nothing worse than dishonesty when dealing with a marketing firm that you should be paying to give you real service and honest results.

If you are looking for a real company that can help get you in the right direction with your SEO, why not give us a call? We are a local, small agency in Lynchburg, Virginia that is here to help your business grow. We are honest about what can and can’t be done and will work with you to not only assess your website but also to improve it, ultimately making it more search-engine friendly.