Best SEO Company Listings by Top SEOs
The Top SEO’s website claims to list independent rankings of the best SEO companies, but how independent is this list? Many people and businesses looking for an SEO company actually trust this website and might hire a firm based on their ‘independent rankings’ and listings. This is generally a grave mistake since the best SEO company listings are far from independent. Rather, the list is compiled of firms who pay the website to place consider them the best. Not a bad business model for Top SEO’s, but also not a legitimate means for anyone to decide on the best company to hire.
Using Google Australia type ‘best SEO company’ into the search box and hit enter. As indicated in the screenshot below it is easy to see why companies are willing to pay Top SEO’s money for their listings. The website holds positions #2, #3, and #4, for that particular query and dominates thus dominates the search page.
The company listed #5 as the best SEO company would otherwise appear #2 if it were not for these three listings. Fortunately, one firm placed above them. However, this illustrates that those looking to hire any type of firm or purchase any product should practice caution when following listings of review oriented websites. This holds true since many websites, such as Top SEO, receive fairly decent compensation for listing a company as the best. Explore their website and you can find the information regarding payments received is disclosed. However, most individual researching, simply peruse the site and never end up reading that disclosure. Rather these visitors trust that the rankings are ‘independent’.
Simply use caution when looking at and set of search results. When visiting a website after typing a series of keywords it makes since to take a look at any biases associated with the site’s owners. Checking this can help all people, whether searching for the best SEO company or any other service. Do you know of any other examples of such sites? Please feel free to post them in the comments below.
Revised post and added the following copy on 12/06/2012:
I received a little flack for adding a link with the anchor text ‘best SEO company’ and pointing it to a specific company’s webpage. Thus I wanted to provide clarification as to the reason for such for adding such a reference (not that an explanation is needed). The bottom line reason is that the link is illustrative of top the site referenced in the picture above. Should another site of held the #4 position then I would a used a reference to that URL instead. Those who consider my actions unfair, please comment below with reasons why it is unjustified.
I received a little flack for adding a link with the anchor text ‘best SEO company’ and pointing it to a specific company’s webpage. Thus I wanted to provide clarification as to the reason for adding such a reference (not that an explanation is needed). The bottom line is that the link points to the site referenced in the picture above and falls just underneath topseos.com’s website. Should another site of held the #5 position then I would a used a reference to that URL instead. Those who consider my actions unfair, please comment below with reasons why it is unjustified.
Brent Yorzinski said,
June 12, 2012 @ 12:30 am
I encountered numerous email responses, but individuals wished to remain anonymous rather than post public comments. Apparently there is a little fear in mentioning anything, even if truthful, about Top SEO’s and how the company selects firms for its ‘best SEO company’ lists. Out of confidentiality and respect, I will of course not post those replies. However, I do encourage entities; either other SEO companies or individuals who relied upon the information from the Top SEO’s website to please post your feedback below. I view it important to point out conflicts of interests to protect potentially unknowing visitors that might not realise the rankings listed on this site are potentially influenced by compensation provided to Top SEO’s and thus there is an inherent conflict of interests.