I never thought I would be writing a blog about the promise of #1 Google rankings in 2014. It’s kind of like Vanilla Ice discussing his best rap techniques in 2014. One would think the past few years of regular Google algorithm updates (and the associated penalties on companies trying to cheat the system) would have educated folks.
Yet the other day this ad popped up in my Facebook feed: “#1 Google rankings in under 14 days! Try Out the MOST ADVANCED SEO SOFTWARE on the planet.”
The optimist in me wants to believe there is no way that companies seeking better organic search rankings would still fall for this BS.
Yet I still see a lot of companies with obvious black hat links or methods that show up in their Google Webmaster Tools accounts. If there is one thing I have told companies over and over again for the last 7 years it is that no one, and I mean NO ONE can promise you #1 rankings on Google. If they do, RUN away really, really fast!
Let’s be honest, if you have worked on SEO projects for more than 5 years then you probably engaged in some link building.
Link building is just what worked at the time. Before 2010, Google might have said that they were not keen on link building, yet their algorithm still rewarded links. Companies that hired SEO firms expected quick ranking results, many times with ridiculously low budgets. In the ‘olden days,’ I would have companies not understand why they did not outrank their competitor who had a 6 figure yearly marketing budget with their lowly $500 a month budget.
Since 2010, Google has sent clear signals that these sort of tactics are not rewarded and that they might even result in a search penalty.
There are no short cuts. There is no quick and cheap magic pixie dust that will get you #1 rankings. If you don’t believe that and fall for the sales pitch, then you will more then likely get a penalty. After which, you’ll have to pay a company 10 times what you paid for the links to try and fix the damage that your low cost SEO methods caused.
Like anything else in the world that is worth doing and gets results, SEO and online marketing takes time, dedication, and hard work. Don’t believe the hype.
