I like many others in my profession harp incessantly to our beloved client base about the value of natural linking and the devastating effects of purchased link campaigns. It is with great regret however that these carefully honed conversations are rarely heeded in the zest for better rankings and quick cash. I've also announced the value of Social Media, expressed the concept of [your] client inclusion and it's benefits to your current and long term business relationships, yet a deaf ear is given. Perhaps this would be an appropriate time to address both, written not by myself but from a real world multi-million dollar organization who experienced the millions in losses and learned the value of organic seo combined with social media first hand.
GourmetGiftBaskets.com was a bustling business sitting astride the coveted 3rd position in Google for their niche market. They had hired not one but two search engine optimization companies to help them manage their online marketing needs. For a time 80% of all their business came from their website, and the benefits were huge. That was until November 11th, 2008 when their website mysteriously vanished from Google rankings.
They of course sought help from their trusted advisers only to determine that one of the SEO companies they had hired to help them gain rank, had in fact purchased links causing Google to banish their site. The road to recovery was a long one [nearly 2 years] including the need to bare your companies soul to the search engine gods of war. The cost you ask? How about 4 million dollars in lost sales by the time all was said and done. The blessing however is that they learned some valuable lessons and returned to their former glory better for their experience.
In hard times it's easy to take the short cut path being offered by so many companies. "$89.00 and you too can have 2400 links prepared by our trained and professional staff located..." As is the old adage goes, when something sounds to good to be true, it probably is. So beware when thinking of using these tactics and understand that a quality SEO company may not bend to your will for the speed in ranking, but may chose to look out for you and your business by taking the tried and tested path to great ranking....while protecting your bottom line. Paying for quality organic SEO is an investment in your companies online future.
For those of you who would like to read the original story, it can be found here. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100901/how-google-cost-me-$4-million.html
Now while this may seem to be the end of the story, consider this. The story was released near the end of the year to the populace who reads this sort of information...just at the time when we all are considering what to get our family/friends/clients a holiday gift. So although the story is factual, it's timing may very well have been a clever marketing ploy in it's own right. Release a heart wrenching story (from a fiscal position) to a world that is already strapped due to economic recession, include your website address, and do it at a time when people are thinking about what to buy one another for the holidays.
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