We've all seen the ads for Search Engine placement
services or training courses on how to get a top 20
listing for your site. They tease and tantalize with very
logical sounding theory. We read of how their research
has turned up some startling new revelations about a new
Search Engine algorithm . Some of them will even post
testimonials from previous clients telling how well their
site fared after getting a top placement from xyzplacements.
Blah, blah, blah....

There is only one criteria that will prove their claims.

That is the CURRENT ranking of their own website in the
various Search Engines.

There is a lot to learn on the subject. Each engine treats
their rankings differently. Just because your page lists
high on one Search Engine doesn't mean that it will get a
good listing on a different one. In fact, quite the contrary.
A Webmaster can't possibly keep up with the unending
changes to the ranking wars all by themselves. The services
of skilled and knowledgeable Search Engine specialists have
never been more important.

Just a few days ago I read what looked like a very well
researched and informative article about Search Engine
placements.

I was excited! Finally, someone who knew what the heck
they were talking about. Of course I immediately went to
her site and found even more compelling copy. WOW!
Where do I sign? For only $75 I can get an 84 page report
that shows me how to properly prepare my site for top 20
listings.

I was just about to place the order when a thought
occurred to me. In the article, this author talked a lot
about link popularity, having other sites link back to
yours. Hmmmm, might be worth a little trip to the AddMe
site popularity service http://www.addme.com/sitepop.htm.

What did I find?

Zero links back to her own marketing site. Wait minute,
there must be some mistake here. Maybe this isn't a page
that she shares links with - even though that was one of
her strongest points. Tried another page on the site.
This one was a little better, 103 links. And another, and
another... All with similar or worse results.

Gosh, most sites easily get twice that many links without
even trying. Well, I thought, maybe this isn't fair to her.
The real test is where her page ranks in the Search Engines.
So I looked at the meta tags that had been placed in the
source code of the main page. Lots of good key words there.
I took some of them and went to the Search Engines.

Guess what?

None of the key words in the Meta tags brought this site up
in the top 30 listings.

As was so clearly stated in the article that this great
webmaster had written, "if your web page is not in the top
10 to 20 listings you might as well not be listed at all".

Why on earth would we want to spend 75 bucks on a report
that is written by someone who either doesn't practice what
they preach, or is out and out lying to us?

Now don't misunderstand me. There are certainly some very
knowledgeable people who understand the search engines
very well. Just make sure that you put them to the test
BEFORE you send them your money.

About the Author
Chris Small is a cyber entrepreneur and host of the very
successful http://www.WorldDealCenter.com/ You may
contact him at mailto:webmaster@worlddealcenter.com