What Guarantee can You Afford to Convince Your SEO Client?

Franky
Of course we never guarantee rankings, but is there ANY type of guarantee that any good Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can include AT ALL?
Doesn't necessarily have to be about position ranking.
Thoughts?
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Harris
I don’t like to guarantee anything because you never know what was done terribly to the site before you but if you really needed something to hang your hat on site traffic? We at least got that in our back pocket.

Franky ✍️ » Harris
I totally understand. Thanks for your answer

Daniel
Lay it out in a project magement tool, do a check list audit that identifies a strategy, work the tasks, guarantee the actions that you will take.
Something that is client facing or collaborative, and has an app or sends reports. This could be keeping track of content, the activities of link building, technical or onpage work. You can set benchmarks, but they should be based on your actions, which you outline in the beginning.

Franky ✍️
Love this thanks

Kafka
Guarantee deliverables.
We guarantee we'll write content, build some great links and run a weekly ranking report. We have a different way of wording that, but you guarantee what you're going to do/ deliver, not the targeted effect of said actions.
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Harris
^this is a really good answer. I like it.
Franky ✍️
Love this answer, thank you so much

Sheppard
People guarantee all the time. I got caught early in my agency when I was desperate for clients to agreeing to a guarantee without understanding the trickery behind how big agencies claim it. Dont do it. Big agencies advertise guarantees and its all bs. They firstly don't guarantee first position but first page so word trickery which is deceiving. First page isn't shit. Secondly, its a percentage of their keywords not the ones the clients want or a combination. So if the deal is 80% onto first page what they do is get the clients list and they will say like 5 of the clients really hard keywords then they add as many longtail and easy to rank for keywords as they can to where 80% doesn't even include their terms anymore. So all they need to do is rank first page for a bunch of long tail easy no competitor terms. This is also typically locked into a 6 or 12 month contract.
Its all trickery. The problem a consumer sees in this and a common rebuttal we use to fight off this when someone comes to us saying this agency guarantees is. What happens once your rankings are first page… if you are locked into 12 months and they archive their contractual terms within 3. What happens for the other 9 months? Nothing they are finished. They dont need to do anything as they have completed their 12 months of work early. And you're locked in. Whereas, we will continue working as there isn't a lockin term we need to prove ourselves monthly, going for keywords relevant to you and have buyer intent.
Once told this customers rarely don't go with us and go with them. So if you are the agency guaranteeing its easy for another agency to make you look like a crook.

Kafka » Sheppard
i identify crooks daily, because i got taken for this ride 17 years ago. I wouldn't call it trickery as much as, being totally full of shit. Lol.
Sheppard » Kafka
yeah. Its not nice.

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Denny
Nope. Just offer monthly reports on what was done and any change in rankings. If they want guarantees, offer to go with a Lead Gen model, with the understanding that you'll make a lot more money that way.
Tomaino
I always guarantee top 5 and I always get it
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Daniel » Tomaino
Great, can you get me top 5 for the keyword "SEO". jk
Tomaino » Daniel
if you paid me enough I would for sure!
Sheppard » Tomaino
we can do this as well. That's not the point. If we are paid the right amount we can rank anything confidently. That's not the question though. Guaranteeing it as a business is suicide because the client never wants to spend enough or their time frames are unreasonable for their budgets. Its not something any business should guarantee
Tomaino
Sheppard maybe you feel that way, and that's fine, but I know the amount of work it is going to take and I get paid for it. Also I rank in less than a month. If someone wanted something crazy competitive of course it would take longer but that would be the exception.
Sheppard
You rank top 5 in less than a month for any term you recon? Not the proper way. That's a guarantee i can make 🤣😂😅 with my experience and data analysis all the stats and data I have says if you can do that it won't last.
Tomaino » Sheppard
it does though. That's interesting that you think that.
Sheppard » Tomaino
i have the data i have everything to say in a month its not possible. Without manual submissions in search console right now there is a 7 to 14 day delay on registering on page and technical changes so unless you're absolutely perfect first attempt which you're not its not possible as variables need to be tested. I have data showing Google dont register or credit newly acquired links for well over 4 weeks which rules out link building. All you have left is ctr and dwell time manipulation which isn't it either because although this works it won't hold without a strong foundation of onpage and technical and links. Its a short hack fix for quick results whilst you do the other things.
There is nothing you can do in 1 month that will work this fast with current Google restrictions. Let alone new domain names which just isn't possible unless its extremely long-tailed terms which you said any keyword so not even this.
🤷‍♂️ you are arguing with someone who knows way too much to collects analyses and has built software to analyze any factor or variation of factors and hold a database larger than hard drive space you have on all your computers and external hard drives combined to work with.
1 month isn't possible. Not long term. 3 to 6 months absolutely you can build up and maintain strong results if they invested enough. But a million dollars couldn't get lasting results in 1. 🤷‍♂️
Tomaino
I'm not arguing anything. Just stating facts. You disagree with my facts and that's fine. But it isn't an argument for me. I am used to competing for my own projects at an international level so local SEO especially is easy for me to get results.
Sheppard
😅😂🤣 I have statistical and analytical data to say your "facts" are nothing but a fat ego and you're not an SEO but a sales person. The type who is bad for our industry.
Tomaino » Sheppard
it's really interesting that you seem so personally offended over something that really shouldn't be offensive.
I encourage you to open your mind to the possibility that you don't know everything. In my opinion having a fixed or closed mindset where you think you know everything is one of the easiest ways to be wrong and stop your growth.
Conversely, I think the reason I've been so successful across so many different fields – Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Game Design, Writing, Teaching, Coaching, Etc is because I never remotely assume that I know everything. Just the opposite, I hunger for as much information as I can, and try to improve a bit each day.
Wishing you the best.

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Kevin
No one can guarantee anything in business. We simply don’t know the future and have little control.
However deliverables and ROI are critical commitments that agencies and freelancers need to make. Just like employee SEO users

Franky ✍️
Kevin Not true, In Paid Traffic you for sure can guarantee leads no problem if you have your systems and approach already tested and working and that's what I do and it works incredible well. However, I ask my question to see if there is something similar that can be included for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Nonetheless, thanks for your input.
Kevin » Franky
wrong. Can you guarantee a precise number of leads with 100% certainty in 6 months’ time?
Franky ✍️ » Kevin
For SEO or Paid Ads? I guarantee 30 customer opportunities or your money back (volume number depends on the niches I'm in) when it comes to paid ads. (I usually get them way more. leads = form fills in a spreadsheet or crm) but it's much easier because I already have everything tested and built I just plug in the client, change the location and turn the ads on but for SEO, you can't do that same type of approach, so I'm looking for other things that maybe I'm missing that can fall under a guarantee and maybe in SEO there isn't, and that's fine too but that's why I'm asking
Kevin » Franky
you didn’t answer my question. Can you guarantee all that with 100% certainty in 6 months time, not now but in 6 months?
Franky ✍️
You didn’t answer mines? If it’s paid ads yes I guarantee a # of Leads (not signed closed deals, just leads) if it’s SEO no that’s why I’m asking this question to begin with. Can you?
Kevin » Franky
I answered yours’. It’s the first thing I did.
I said in business no one can guarantee but they work to deliverables and targets. This is SEO and everything else. You cannot guarantee 100% precise sales in 6 months time because you don’t know the future. You are simply working towards goals hit and miss like everyone else. So let’s get the facts straight!
Franky ✍️ » Kevin
Gotcha, yeah no one can predict sales. What I was referring to with my paid traffic example was leads not sales but yeah I agree with what you are saying. I love SEO don't get me wrong, that's why I was just looking to expand perspective by asking some smart minded folks opinions on the subject matter. Thanks so much for your feedback 🙂

Sandoval
Absolutely! You can guarantee increase in site visits and traffic. I wouldn’t guarantee rankings, but I would definitely guarantee interaction with the online platforms of that company.
Prendergast
I have an indexing guarantee. Not necessarily page one, but I can guarantee ranking on Google for a longtail keyword
Scott
Yes I guarantee first page for most clients, obviously we have to draw out a realistic keyword list, and won't charge if I don't get it. I'm strictly performance based in my pay.

Franky ✍️
Interesting approach, how can I learn more?

Mike
I don't guarantee rankings, but I tell them in the first 30-45 days they will be able to tell we are moving in the right direction.
Nancy
I always tell my prospects that ultimately I work for Google, and my job is to outsmart them, which I have a good track record of doing. I explain SEO is like a chess game. I make a move, Google makes a move… etc. I tell them I can't guarantee results, but I would not recommend the campaign if I did not think I could be successful. (I do preliminary research before deciding if I will take the job.)
Since RR… for new campaigns that are inbound calls to me: I am now charging a $1500 set up fee… $400 monthly, telling them it will take some time, and when we do start ranking, getting calls, we can re-evaluate their monthly fee.
This is because in my biz people occasionally reach out to me, and I don't want to turn down the opportunity.

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This may satisfy you: How Often do You Provide Free Consulting as an SEO Pro?

This may satisfy you: SEO Guarantees Versus Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

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