This year, more than ever, it will be absolutely necessary to take SEO (Search Engine Optimization) seriously into account to obtain traffic and results on your website.
- Have you received one of these numerous calls or emails offering to put your site at the top, GUARANTEED !?
- Are you looking for an expert to improve your website SEO?
You have to watch out for some false promises about SEO.
No SEO expert can predict the future
One of the golden rules is to promise only things that we can control. For example, when a pizzeria guarantees delivery in less than 30 minutes, it's something they can somewhat control, apart from incidents.
Yet, claiming to be able to place yourself in the first results by natural organic referencing on a search engine poses ethical problems.
No one can control such results:
- Only the search engine software has control over its algorithm. A well-kept secret. Some SEO experts know a lot through successful research in order to discover what favors, or not, a better ranking.
- We cannot foresee the changes that will take place in this algorithm, which could consequently undermine certain techniques used before.
- The competition ALSO works on positioning, and changes their content all the time, incoming links and their other seductive efforts for the same place as you.
So, it seems obvious that an honest agency cannot make promises on SEO. The only thing an agency can promise is to put energy into keeping your website up to the recommendations of the search engine, and to work on an effective content strategy to best meet expectations. of your visitors to increase in the esteem of search engines.
Google warns us about SEO promises
As Google mentions in its guide for beginners in SEO:
"No one can guarantee first place in Google search results"
Of course, an expert can help you achieve very good results in a collaboration, but he will never come to you with such promises.
Some people promising mountains and wonders will actually sell you so-called "Black Hat" methods, methods that go against Google's rules of use and that will do your website more harm than anything else. Some of these methods could even, through these offenses, remove your site from the Google indexes.
A true SEO expert will remain on the "honest" side of the optimization methods, which will certainly not have a big immediate impact, but could on the other hand help your website to get more visits over the long term... and consolidate your positioning.
Search results are not always the same for everyone
As mentionned above, no one knows all of the ingredients that make up Google’s algorithm.
However, any self-respecting SEO expert knows that a certain degree of customization is possible to optimize the display in search results.
For example, someone searching for "Website Design" in Montreal will certainly not have the same results as someone searching for the same query in Paris! Requests are not made everywhere in the same way.
The same goes for Google accounts! Indeed a person also has a personal history on Google, and for the same request, the new algorithms of Google will not present the same result as for another person.
A serious SEO expert will never guarantee results
An expert knows that he can help you improve the SEO of your website, and can explain all the techniques he intends to use to help you improve your results on the net.
It will therefore have no guarantee to provide, but may however give you a margin of results which it will seem achievable following an audit of your website.
Besides, if a someone approaches you and tells you that he intends to use secret techniques that he cannot reveal to you, it is a sign that you must at all costs avoid working with this person.
Some exemples of false promises
« I guarantee you will reach first place in the search results »
Probably the most common, this phrase is a lie.
No one can claim to be able to get you to the top spot in search results.
And even if that person does, there is no guarantee that you will stay there since the search engine algorithm changes all the time, and a competing site can quickly overtake you, or worse, get kicked out of the index because of black hat practices.
« I know the Google algorithm »
As seen earlier, no one can pretend to know the algorithm, and even if they have special intimate relationships with an high level senior employee at Google. ;)
All this is kept secret and fragmented, systematically put in place to avoid any form of abuse by ill-intentioned people.
« Only SEO counts »
Oh yes, SEO is VERY important.
However, this is not the only thing that needs to be given importance in order to get a good presence on the internet.
Using the different channels available such as social media, content marketing and your website visitor experience are the best ways to reach, engage and maintain an audience over the long term. And this is recognized as a clue to Google that you are worth something, for which it will index you accordingly on its engine.
« Use as many keywords as possible to get the best results »
Uh, this is another mistake to absolutely avoid. Is this person applying 1990s tactics?
Using keywords within content available on their website is obviously important, but overuse is a serious mistake that could result in a penalty from Google.
The key word today is: Value quality rather than quantity.
The keywords should thus appear naturally in your text, and must also be related to the topic addressed to be able to reach the right people.
Working on the structure of the pages on your site also helps to keep the focus and focus the indexing energies in the right place.
But what results can you expect in SEO ?
Although "guarantees of results" cannot be given by SEO experts, some may however help you to improve the optimization of your site:
- They can give you an idea of the result they hope to achieve after a certain time with your site: an expert can for example tell you that he intends to increase the traffic of your site by at least 10, 20 or 30 % while improving the quality of content. This results in an increase in conversion and therefore in sales. But the expert will never tell you that it will help you reach the top spot in the results because it is not an end in itself.
- He can also give you advice on technical optimization of your site or even on the keywords you should focus on to increase your traffic.
Truth be told, it depends on your needs, but any real SEO expert can help you improve your site's SEO to get better results.
Have you thought about 8P Design for your SEO? We promise you the top ranking tomorrow morning! Of course NOT!! :) But we promise to work hard to move you forward in your positioning, and attract the right customers to your site, try to keep them on your site for the right reasons, for you to reap the benefits!
Do you want more immediate solutions ?
Google offers a pay per click advertising platform allowing you to position yourself above so-called organic results, by targeting keywords. Contact our team if this type of strategy best fits your immediate needs.