• Will this strategy actually work?
• Will the results outpace the costs involved?
• Can I trust the offer?

It is a good thing to ask plenty of questions and do the necessary research before committing to a traffic-enhancing plan.

But Let’s Be Frank.
 
Guaranteed search engine results are just not realistic.  So no… they’re not possible either unless you believe you will be one is some statistical anomaly that actually gets REAL value for the money you’ve just spent.

Why Not?
 
Here are just a few reasons guaranteed search engine results are just “to good to be true”:

• The standards change every day.
• Internal and external components of a website or blog can affect ranking.
• For reasons only know within the secretive search engine industry, some sites are almost always given preference over others, regardless of the algorithms.
• If someone could achieve guaranteed results for valuable keywords, why on gods earth are they selling them to you; and chances are, selling them “Pretty Darn Cheap”.

And the list could go on and on…

For Best Results
 
So no, when it comes down to it, guarantee search engine results are not possible, nor reasonable to expect.  But the good news is that by using reputable, highly-experienced SEO professionals to handle the project, guaranteed improvement in search results is probable and profitable.

Search optimization companies with experience can rely on their track records of success with projects similar to yours to closely predict what kind of results should be expected through all of the hard work that goes into the campaign.  Some SEO companies are even willing to take a chance and actually tie these results to a percentage of their earnings, even though there is really no way to be certain of the exact ranking.

In and of itself, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing if a SEO company follows this practice.  However, it is really important to fully understand the fine print and tactics used to deliver on the promise.  For example, just because there’s a guarantee of a number one ranking on a certain search engine, is that ranking for a realistic, high-traffic producing keyword for your site, or is it some obscure keyword phrase that will easily soar to the top of the rankings, but deliver essentially zero traffic at all?

There’s nothing wrong with the concept of a guarantee – it’s just important for an unsuspecting web consumer to beware that not every guarantee is actually worth its weight in gold.  Are you familiar with the old quote, “Statistics don’t lie, but liars use statistics?”

For our purposes, let’s rephrase that to, “Guarantees don’t always lie, but liars love to use guarantees.”  It’s one thing to promise improved results and enhanced site functionality.  It’s another thing altogether to guarantee a specific search ranking.

As a savvy consumer, it always pays to be on the lookout for the unscrupulous schemers that give ethical, white-hat SEO practitioners a bad name.

Reason One:  The term “Google” has become a verb.
 
Google as a brand has become incredibly effective.  In fact, they’ve become so well known that their name has even become its own verb.  For example, you “Google” something all the time, but how often do you “Yahoo” something, or “MSN” a search term?  It’s clear that delivering a consistent product and accurate results has helped Google become the standard as they continue to dominate search.

Reason Two:  Google has maintained their focus on delivering accurate results.
 
Even though there are a handful of fanatics out there that question Google’s motives and intentions, it’s generally fair to say that Google has done an excellent job when it comes to preventing search engine spammers (those that use black hat SEO techniques) from taking their search results hostage.  Google likes to encourage sites that provide real value for their customers – the searchers – and ultimately make them your customers.

Reason Three:  Google understands integration.
 
Need proof?  Just take a look at all the platforms and services Google has a hand in.  From their Maps service to Blogger, to Gmail and beyond, they cover literally everything when it comes to communicating and sharing information online and seamlessly integrate relevant search results within.  Integrating with other popular devices like the iPhone and the much hoped for Google phone only help spread the search giant’s reach even further.

Reason Four:  Google is clean and efficient.
 
How many other search engines have kept such a simple, uncluttered, and downright easy to use interface like Google’s?  There are no more than 25 words on Google’s main page.  This makes conducting a traditional search incredibly simple and efficient for all levels of searchers – from internet savvy technophiles looking to escape the chaos to grandma and grandpa just discovering the world of the web for the first time.  People love Google’s clean look and easy to use features.

Reason Five:  Google rapidly indexes a massive portion of the web.
 
It’s not unheard of for Google to index and list a web or blog page that’s only minutes old.  Combine this with the fact that Google regularly reviews and indexes millions and millions of web properties (so many, in fact, that they actually recently stopped publishing the exact number) and it becomes clear just how huge Google is.  It’s difficult for the other search engines to even begin to compete with this dominance.  Ultimately, Google helps searchers find exactly what they’re looking for faster than the rest of the pack.

A Look Back At PageRank And Backlinks
 
Just a few years ago, having high PageRank was extremely important.  It meant that a website was popular, thanks in part to incoming links (commonly referred to as backlinks) and a variety of other algorithm calculations and probabilities.  The thing is, webmasters and online marketers became so obsessed with building their PageRank, that they began to resort to unnatural and unethical means to trick their way to a higher score.  Because the trickery more or less defeated the purpose of the PageRank score, the model quickly adapted.

Actual PageRank Versus PageRank Displayed
 
While the precise details are proprietary information, Google’s internal PageRank system is now reputed to be completely separate from the displayed indicator available as part of the Google Toolbar or via other browser plug-ins and add-ons.  This means that Google likely uses a totally unique internal page ranking system as part of its search ranking algorithm.  The PageRank indicator available to the public is not even nearly as accurate or robust as the actual ranking algorithm.

Is PageRank Still Important?
 
The answer in one word – yes.  While it’s difficult to determine how exactly the PageRank system is used to factor a site’s search rankings, the publicly available PageRank indicator still reflects a site’s popularity and reputation in many ways.  A large portion of web savvy visitors rely on the PageRank score for a certain site as a way to gauge the site’s trustworthiness.  They assume that because Google has placed confidence in a site through a good PageRank, that they can confide their own personal confidence in the site as well.  People have become conditioned to the system.

How Can A Site’s PageRank Be Improved?
 
Simple – by providing value to visitors and building relevant, quality incoming links.  In other words, the best way to improve PageRank is to be a good steward on the web and attract natural links and traffic.  Buying high PageRank external backlinks from other sites for the purpose of improving a site’s own PageRank might have been popular in the past, but today the same tactic is very frowned upon.  This is considered to be tricking the PageRank process by playing unfairly.

In a nutshell, it’s still a great idea to keep a close eye on the PageRank indicator for a site.  After all, it can help reveal is something has gone awry, and many visitors certainly place their trust in higher ranked websites.  That said, trying to trick or manipulate the process is just a really bad idea.  Win in the long run by always being ethical and playing fairly.