Ranking on the first page of Google’s SERP is the ultimate goal for many in SEO. There are SEO marketing companies out there that promise they’ll get you onto the first SERP page, but that’s not actually possible to guarantee. Even Google warns you to beware of any SEO company that promises a guaranteed ranking.

Is Guaranteed Page 1 SERP Rankings a Scam?

Any company that absolutely guarantees ranking on the first page of the search results might be a scam. Legitimate SEO marketing companies recognize that there’s a lot we just don’t know about Google’s algorithm because Google itself keeps that information obscured. There is a lot that we do know, but there’s enough that SEO experts can’t control that it’s impossible to actually guarantee top rankings.

How Do Companies Guarantee First Page Rankings?

The companies that do guarantee first-page rankings may not be lying. However, the way they go about delivering on that promise may not actually help you very much. For example, these companies might get you to rank #1 for an obscure keyword that no one is actually using. They’ve delivered on their guarantee of a first-page ranking, but it’s not helpful and it’s a low return on your investment.

Alternatively, they might be using black hat SEO tactics or other unhelpful strategies to boost your rankings like artificially inflating your rankings with bots.

Why Are These Strategies Bad?

These strategies are ultimately not good for your business’s marketing strategy even though they might get you on the first page of Google’s SERP. This is because getting on the first page shouldn’t be the end goal. Ranking well is a means to an end, rather than the end itself, and all of the black hat tactics used by scammers treat the ranking as the actual end goal. There’s no point in ranking highly if it’s not actually going to boost your business or convert visitors to customers.

For example, if no one’s searching for the keywords that you’re ranking well for, or if all of your visitors are bots, you’ll rank well, but you won’t actually see any of the benefits of ranking well.

What SEO Tactics Are Beneficial?

The best way to improve your rankings for real, in a way that can improve your sales and conversions, is to follow Google’s recommendations. Create your content for users, not for search engines, and focus on EAT (Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness). You’ll also want to make sure that your website is well-optimized and that you have a Google My Business profile that is completely filled out. Run a link-building campaign and do your keyword research.

An SEO marketing company that offers those things without promising a first-page ranking, which cannot be guaranteed, is a better bet than one that does.

What Should You Look for in an SEO Marketing Company?

If you’d like to outsource your SEO marketing, there are plenty of companies out there that aren’t scammers. BrainVine, for example, focuses on user experience as a way to improve your rankings and conversions while also offering services such as link building, content creation, and more. Transparency is something you should look for. Your SEO marketing team should be willing to explain what they’re doing and should also be open about the results.

A legitimate SEO marketing company can help you to boost your rankings and add real value to your company. We just can’t guarantee a #1 SERP ranking due to factors that only Google controls.