Yes, they can offer it, but they can't deliver on it. When I get these calls, I am usually laughing so hard, I never get to ask them for how long they guarantee #1 or what they will compensate me for getting my domains banned for life.

All the courier companies offer guaranteed next-day delivery. This doesn't mean that they will always deliver your parcel next-day - they can make exclusions to the rules, they can narrow the definition of "guaranteed", of "next-day" or even of "delivery", and then can offer monetary compensation (insurance) when they don't hit the target.

Search engine rankings are obviously more complex than parcel delivery, not least due to the fact that the ranking obtained my be unrelated to or despite the actions of the consultant. But I don't see why a consultant can't say "top ten in Google for the phrase green widgets, or your money back" - just that, like for the courier firms, the fine print is the key. ;)

Another question entirely is whether a reputable consultant should offer "guaranteed rankings" to their clients. It can be legitimate marketing (although experience indicates it usually isn't legitimate), but it is almost always bad marketing.

They promise all you will ask them before taking the project but when it comes to performance in the organic results they are limited to nothing... even nobody can commit this especially in organic results. We also commit the same but after doing all the efforts, we hardly reaches 55 to 60% organic rankings which seems to be fine in organic.."based on the keywords"

My favorite part of the guarantee is that they guarantee you will be listed at the top or they will continue to work for free until you are. Nothing is stated that you will get your money back. This is a trap that works in the SEO company's behalf. Most will get fed up and fire the SEO firm because they can't take the empty promises anymore.

I have never seen an SEO company give a guarantee and state they will refund the fees if the rankings are not obtained.

No its beyond their control to promise you will rank at X position impossible, ignore them.

just stumbled across this thread, and was tickled to discover the question

Can an SEO company and/or consultant offer guaranteed organic search engine rankings?

was asked by none other than PAGE ONE RESULTS

Now, I've read enough of P1R to know that the name is a name, not a claim, but made me laugh nonetheless!

I had someone call me yesterday (client referred him to me because the client trusts me) who promised top ranking for any keyword. After digging for awhile I found out he was going to purchase Sponsored Results for my client. I told him no thanks, and told the client he could do that himself without having to pay for that guys "service". If there truly was a way to get top ranking without much effort these people wouldn't have to be working as telemarketers.

No they would have people beating their way to his door. Slightly off topic I had a guy call me today offered me $500 (five hundred) to get his mrotgage loan site ranked in the top ten for highly competitive phrases in the next two weeks. Site isnt even listed in Google yet.

Its been done before he told me.

[edited by: Essex_boy at 9:30 pm (utc) on Dec. 14, 2008]

Results 1 - 10 of about 298,000 for Guaranteed Organic Search Engine Rankings. (0.19 seconds)

You just did....

P1R you obviously know the answer, what are you getting at?

In my experience, the 'guarantee' means either page 1 rankings for "left handed elbonian screwdrivers" (ie the longest of the long tail) or is actually proposing a PPC campaign.

Can an SEO company and/or consultant offer guaranteed organic search engine rankings?

If they can manipulate rankings, do you think they would share that knowlwdge with others? Or for a one-time fee? No! They would be making sites instead and taking all the wealth for themselves.

nah, its easier to get paid for what your good at than use your skills to generate cash in a non-direct way.

I could be the best SEO on the planet, but with zero business acumen, where would my number 1 spot get me?

Ah, I'm performing a resurrection. ;)

Guaranteed Top Ten / Pay After Results

Now that is an offer you surely can't refuse. I'm starting to wonder if I've missed the boat.

Do you offer guarantees like that?

What a shameless bump!

What, for a keyword (or KW phrase) that you nominate? Or that they 'identify' for you?

Are you group testing a new (or resurected old) marketing technique on us?

Now that is an offer you surely can't refuse - Yeah I did, incredible eh ? (after I stopped laughing)

I want double my money back instead...