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Guarantees in the field of SEO promotion are one of the most common, but also the most controversial aspects in the Internet services market. Very often, it is the promises of clear results that become the basis for choosing a company, and then the reason for disappointment and switching to a new contractor.
Why is this happening? In this article, we will analyze the manipulations hidden behind the promises of guarantees and tell you what to consider when choosing an SEO partner to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Despite much discussion about how search algorithms can change, many clients still demand absolute guarantees from SEO professionals. The psychology of the customer is the desire to get an accurate idea of what he is paying for and what he will get in return.
When a customer insists on guarantees, companies begin to offer various schemes, creating offers tailored to the most ambitious expectations.
In addition, an important point is that the weight of each of these factors in search engine algorithms can change. Search algorithms are based on artificial intelligence, which is constantly being improved, and are a trade secret. Therefore, even specialists from SEO companies cannot accurately predict all changes.
Thus, companies that promise a 100% guarantee of bringing a site to the TOP probably do not have complete information about how search algorithms work, and most likely use schemes that have hidden risks.
SEO companies often offer various guarantee schemes based on one of the following metrics: search rankings, site visibility, traffic, conversions, sales or volume of work completed. Pay is often contingent on achieving these goals.
All existing schemes can be divided into three categories:
Let's take a closer look at the hidden points in each of these schemes.
This is the type of guarantee that most often attracts clients, because it promises a clear result. This category may contain the following offers:
Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
What's really going on? In the initial stages, the client usually continues to pay a fixed subscription fee. The important point is that the means of achieving the promised results can vary greatly, and this directly affects the quality and success of the guarantee.
One of the most common cases is “moving to the TOP”. It all starts with compiling a semantic core, consisting of, for example, 100 key phrases. After this, the company promises to bring the site to the TOP for 70-80% of these queries. However, in practice, search engines first display a site for less competitive queries. And this does not always lead to a significant increase in sales.
Pitfalls:
What to do: choose an SEO company that builds a promotion strategy based on the real potential of queries for the business. Professionals create a semantic core based on real conversion and the needs of your market.
It is important to track the dynamics of traffic and conversions, and not just positions in the TOP.
One of the popular schemes is when the client pays for the number of new visits to the site. We are talking about attracting traffic from search engines (organic traffic).
What is important to consider: the correct drafting of the contract, which fixes the initial traffic indicators, and also excludes “brand requests”, the traffic for which is not taken into account when paying.
Pitfalls:
What to do: Don't just focus on the number of visits, but track how many of them turn into actual sales and leads.
Some companies offer a financial guarantee - money back or free work until results are achieved if goals are not met on time. This model is available mainly to large agencies that can afford such risks.
Pitfalls: high cost of services to cover possible losses, as well as the ability to offer a minimum amount of work for the client.
What to do: Be prepared for significant costs and consider alternative schemes if you do not want to overpay for a “guaranteed” result.
Similar to the scheme with a financial guarantee, but with an addition: the SEO agency receives a percentage of the profits received from attracted clients.
Pitfalls: The SEO process takes time, and there is a significant amount of work that needs to be done before the site begins to generate revenue, which no one would want to work for free.
What to do: Be prepared for SEO specialists to demand a share of the profits, or choose a subscription fee to get started.
This is a more honest scheme, where the customer pays only for a certain amount of work. Responsibility for completing the work lies entirely with the contractor.
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