Let the Uninitiated Beware

Last year my son forwarded an email to me that rocked me back on my heels.  It had originated with a web design firm in a large city.  The thrust of their message was that for a fee of only $699 they guaranteed to get anyone top 20 placement for their website on at least 2 from a list of of about 8 search engines, AND do it all within 2 months. 

Top 20 placement means that the client will appear within the first 20 search engine results for a given keyword. The search engine list included sites such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, Iwon, Kanoodle, Looksmart, Overture, etc.

The part that really shook me up was that this is something that I do for clients, and there was NO way that I could positively guarantee any kind of ranking for only $699 -  especially in only 2 months.  My fear came from the a realization that if they could really achieve their promise, then I was as obsolete as a dinosaur.

Until I could find out how it was done.

It took me quite a while to figure out how I could do it myself.  I was restricted in my searching, because I initially considered only the standard SEO techniques that I use to build lasting and solid first page ranking for my clients.  The standard techniques which are in general approved by the big search engines, Google, Yahoo, and MSN are time consuming, and are generally not quickly reflected by the big three.

For example, if I made a change today on a website that was ranked in Google, it might take 2 to 4 months to see any change in ranking in Google searches.  The other search engines operate on a similar timescale.  Yahoo seems a little slower than Google, while MSN seems to be the quickest.

The good news is that solid SEO work tends to last quite a long time.  Although, to be honest, it is getting harder and harder to stay at the top of rankings because so many firms are now aware that a website without good ranking for popular search terms is as invisible as a billboard in a forest.

It wasn't until I considered all possible ways of improving ranking on any search engine even if only temporarily that I discovered how they could do it.  The secret is in the pay-per-click search engines like Iwon, Kanoodle, Overture, etc.

Pay-per-click search engines operate differently than the majors like Google, Yahoo, and MSN.  With a pay-per-click outfit like Kanoodle, you can bid yourself into the #1 (or any other position), if you're willing to bid more than others for that privilege.

Say the search phrase was "brantford real estate".  Also assume that the number one position on the engine for this phrase cost its holder $1.00  every time someone clicked on the holders advertisement.  By bidding $1.05 for this search phrase, your website could be #1 almost instantly.  At least until someone else outbid you.

Remember, the ad didn't specify on which search engines the top 20 ranking would appear.  Basically they are counting on the reader's lack of familiarity with some of the names of the list, and that many readers would assume that all the listed search engines are on a par.

The next step is to use some of the $699.00 fee to bid on the agreed search phrase in positions #19 or  #20 on the two cheapest pay-per-click search engines in the list.  They only have to do this long enough to take a screen shot, claim that they have achieved the agreed goal, and collect their fee.

Technically they have fulfilled the letter of their guarantee.  Practically, they have done no lasting or meaningful good for their client.  I consider this type of practice highly unethical.  On a par with selling swampland in Florida. 

I have found it almost impossible to predict how much it will cost to achieve top ranking for search phrases.  Only when the goal has been achieved can the cost be reckoned.  To keep the costs as low as possible, it is usually necessary to make changes in a stepped or scheduled manner.  Otherwise, more changes might be made than were really necessary, with costs that were also higher than really necessary.

By the way, top 20 ranking is usually useless.  Studies of search engines users have found that less than 0.5% of users will visit the website that is in 20th position.  SEO means Search Engine Optimization.