Search engine optimisation is a sector which is ever changing and there is a lot of competition between SEO agencies to stay at the forefront of the sector. Because there is this need to constantly stay ahead of the rest, some agencies try a type of advertising which offers people results which are very ambitious and that they are unlikely to actually produce. Many of these companies offer guaranteed SEO results or guaranteed first place in Google's search results and while this is where everyone would like their site to be, it is unlikely to happen in a short space of time.
The simple answer is no, they can't. Most of the companies which are offering guaranteed SEO results or levels of traffic are aiming their advert at individuals and organisations who haven't had any SEO work done previously and aren't aware of the ins and outs of the SEO process. Most of these companies will also be based online and are likely to become very difficult to contact once they have been paid.
In reality it is easy to see that these companies can't be trusted with a very simple example. If one organisation pays one of these companies a certain amount to get them to the top of the search results, what happens when another company comes along and pays more for the same thing to a better SEO company? While it is unlikely that this will happen, there is always the possibility and this brings the guarantee immediately into question.
Google is also aware of companies making such promises to people and tackles the problem in its SEO guidelines. Google clearly states that no one can guarantee to get a website to number one in its search results and so for these companies to make such guarantees is contradicting the Google.
In very niche markets, there is a possibility that one of these companies might produce the results which they guarantee though. The way they do it however is not the way it should be done and can have significant adverse effects in the long term. Many of these agencies are suspected of using methods which are black-hat which means they break search engine rules and are unethical. Once they have their money and are long gone, it is likely that these methods will be discovered by search engines and the website will be severely penalised or even emitted from search engine results.
The simple answer is no, they can't. Most of the companies which are offering guaranteed SEO results or levels of traffic are aiming their advert at individuals and organisations who haven't had any SEO work done previously and aren't aware of the ins and outs of the SEO process. Most of these companies will also be based online and are likely to become very difficult to contact once they have been paid.
In reality it is easy to see that these companies can't be trusted with a very simple example. If one organisation pays one of these companies a certain amount to get them to the top of the search results, what happens when another company comes along and pays more for the same thing to a better SEO company? While it is unlikely that this will happen, there is always the possibility and this brings the guarantee immediately into question.
Google is also aware of companies making such promises to people and tackles the problem in its SEO guidelines. Google clearly states that no one can guarantee to get a website to number one in its search results and so for these companies to make such guarantees is contradicting the Google.
In very niche markets, there is a possibility that one of these companies might produce the results which they guarantee though. The way they do it however is not the way it should be done and can have significant adverse effects in the long term. Many of these agencies are suspected of using methods which are black-hat which means they break search engine rules and are unethical. Once they have their money and are long gone, it is likely that these methods will be discovered by search engines and the website will be severely penalised or even emitted from search engine results.
