Many search engine optimization firms still tout guarantees of top ten rankings. A specific ranking or position guarantee on organic search engine listings is not practical for a couple of reasons:

1. Search Engines are in Control – SEO firms do not have control over how search engines algorithmically rank pages. They can identify the strong influencers and use what has worked in the past to achieve top rankings, but if a Search Engine decides to change the way it ranks pages, goes out of business, gets acquired, or adds/changes their source of search results data, there is really not much a SEO firm can do about that. However, a good SEO will proactively monitor industry trends, and ranking performance of its clients and so preemptive tactics can be applied to minimize traffic and ranking effects, if any, to the client site should a major search engine change occur.

2. it’s about conversion, not ranking – The guarantee of top ten listings is really an attempt at a guarantee of results, or satisfaction with the service. Being listed in the top ten for an unpopular keyword will mean nothing to the bottom line for a web site/business. What is more meaningful from a return on investment standpoint is a satisfaction guarantee. That is, there is more to profitable online marketing than specific rankings. Expert SEO firms implement a variety of tactics to help clients reach the true objectives, like increased inquiries and sales, rather than a particular ranking.

The only way to legitimately guarantee a specific ranking is on a pay per click program where the primary determining factor for ranking is based on something the advertiser is in complete control over – the cost per click bidding price.

3. Practical SEO guarantee – Rankings are best used as a basic metric to document overall visibility trends. But rankings are just the start. It’s also very important to report the increased number of unique visitors brought to the client as well as tracking conversions whenever possible. Effective conversion tracking documents the number of times a search engine ranking or a pay per click listing results in an inquiry.

Here is an example SEO guarantee that is not tied to specific rankings:

"Client satisfaction is guaranteed. We work closely with our clients to identify realistic goals and timelines and employ the appropriate mix of tactics to achieve them. If objectives are not met within the agreed upon timeline, we will offer to make it right within 30 days or offer to terminate our agreement and refund any unused portion of the contract."

4. Focus on what’s important – Above and beyond a guarantee, other evaluation items of a search engine marketing company, SEO firm or consultant should emphasize:

Full disclosure of tactics. Nothing ambiguous

Proposal and project plan outlining deliverables and timelines

Ranking examples on phrases similar to yours or at least difficult phrases

Clients that you can talk to for reference

Experience and industry recognition/involvement

Setting clear expectations early on is critical both for the client and the SEO firm. Search engine optimization firm claims that appear "too good to be true" are usually not worth the risk for the client. Demands for high rankings quickly on extremely competitive and non-relevant phrases are not practical either. Site owners should provide clear objectives for the site and understand the metrics most valuable in determining success. SEO firms should consult with the client on a strategy that uses the most appropriate mix of tactics and provide clear expectations on timeframes and results.

What is Search engine submission?
Search engine submission is the act of submitting a by hand Web site’s URL and keyword information in order to have it indexed by a search engine.

What is comprehensive search engine submission?
Just submitting your URL will only work if your code is properly optimized for search engine placement. If it is not optimized first it will have an extremely low probability of placing.

What is "Optimization"?
Optimization is the process involved in rearranging your site’s source code in order to achieve maximum placement within the search engines. This can include but not limited too:

* Bolding keywords
* Adding Alt Tags
* Embedding text links
* Adding static text links
* Adding sitemaps
* Adding Google xml sitemap
* Adding proper Title and Description Tags for each page
* Adding keyword rich content

How does your optimization differ from what my webmaster can do?

* Experienced understanding of search engines, and how they work.
* Around the clock effort devoted solely toward getting your site seen.
* Constant innovation into new methods of increasing your sites visibility.
* On The Avenues only business is to achieve desired placement of web sites for maximum search visibility.

What are Content Rich Pages?
Content is king as far as the search engines are concerned. However, your site may contain more graphics than content, it may be database driven, or it might have code that will not allow a search engine to read your content properly. We have found a way to deal with this problem, by finding highly targeted keyword rich articles and adding them to static seo ready pages. We also provide you with assistance on how to add new keyword rich content to your current site body text

Why is search engine ranking necessary for my success on the Internet ?
Up to 90% of the Internet’s users go to a search engine before reaching a web site. When someone types your product or services key words into a search engine, chances are that they are looking to buy. If your web site is listed at the top of these results, you can definitely expect to increase your web site’s revenue.

Can I achieve top search engine rankings on my own?
Effective search engine submission is a full time job. It has taken us years to gain the proper understanding of search engines and how they work. If you have a lot of extra time on your hands and you are technically oriented, than it is possible to achieve high rankings. However, it is a time consuming and tedious task and the process changes all the time as the search engines change their algorithms

Why do you stand out from it’s competition?
We just do not submit your site… we actually work with you to analyze your current site, assist you in making it search engine ready. We are real people here to take your calls, answer your emails, provide you with technical information in layman terms.

Will your search engine tactics alter the appearance of my web site ?
It may. Dynamic sites, sites using JavaScript or Frames, Flash Design, lack of body text, alt tags and so on may mean making some changes so that the site can be ‘read’ and indexed by the search engines. We will provide you with information on how to make your site search engine ready. We can also build you ‘mini’ sites that are artistic and search engine ready.

How long does it take for the search engines to rank my web site ?
Each search engine has a different timeline, It can range from 48 hour to 3-6 months. Some engines call for paid inclusion. this means that they will spider and index your site but does not promise placement in the top 20. That comes from site optimization and search engine readiness.