Rank Checking vs. Bottom Line – Matt Cutts and reality

In addressing why Google is cracking down on automated rank checkers, Matt Cutts helps make the point that all right-thinking SEOs try to instill in their clients or internal teams: Rankings don’t matter, revenue does.

That said, monitoring your rankings does have a place in your SEO campaigns, in areas like:

• Are your efforts to improve your rankings on specific competitive sets working?
• How are they affecting the rankings of important tail terms?
• How much more growth is there to squeeze out of efforts on particular keywords?
• Seriously, what the hell happened last month?

SEOs, if you’re focusing on rankings instead of  bottom line improvements then you’re chasing the wrong metric. The real trophy is in more traffic and revenue that will allow your client to continue paying you…and, you know, their employees. Fight for trophy rankings on your own time, unless your client specifically needs to rank #1 for a term – which are few and far between.

SEO clients, if your agency or consultant only wants to talk about rankings and can’t speak to results that matter to your company (outside of limited circumstances like branding efforts or wicked hard crashes) – fire them. Fire them immediately and hire an agency or consultant who will (or if they’re a current employee, just give them a stern talking to – they’re easier to re-train). A certain God-like Fort Worth-based agency springs to mind, but whether you come to us or to someone else, for the love of God pay someone to improve the right things, not to fluff egos for no actual fiscal gain.

Mom says there are no posts that are like me. I am unique.

Tags:   matt cutts · reporting · SEO results · win Share on Twitter

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