Field Guide · Guarantees
What a ranking guarantee really covers
“Page one in 60 days or we work for free” sounds simple. The terms decide what it is worth. Here is what to read for, and why we don't offer one.
Google's own position
Google's guide to hiring an SEO says it plainly: “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.” Google does not sell map or search positions, and no agency controls them. A guarantee is a promise about how the agency will behave if a result doesn't come, not a promise about Google.
Source: Google Search Central, Do you need an SEO?
Six questions that decide what a guarantee is worth
- Which searches? If the list is agreed on a sales call, it can be weighted toward searches nobody types. One search on page one may be enough to meet it.
- Measured from where? The map pack changes with where the searcher stands. Page one from the clinic's own front door can be page three across town.
- Page one of what? The map pack, the regular results, or either. They are different lists.
- For how long? One day on page one, or held for a month.
- What is the remedy? A refund of fees, or more of the same work at no charge. More work is not your money back.
- Does it cover AI answers? Most cover Google rankings only, not whether ChatGPT or Google's AI results name you.
Why we don't offer one
We would rather show you the whole map every week, from the same grid and the same searches, and let you judge the work by what changed. A heat map of your whole area is harder to dress up than one search on page one.
It also matters for health practices. In Ontario, RCDSO does not let a dentist advertise expected results to patients, and we hold our own promises to clinics to the same standard. We report what happened. We don't promise positions.
See your whole map, not one screenshot.
The free scan shows your position at every point in your area, for the searches customers use. About a minute, no account and no call.