If you are in the Internet game, or probably any business, there is that one annoying guy who will tell you everything is easy. He is full of it, particularly when it comes to rankings.

I provide search engine optimization services for clients. Some clients are very knowledgeable and/or interested in learning the process, factors involved and so on. Other clients just want you to do it and do not care in the least about the details. Regardless of the type of client, all call at least once with a question.

The question is, Why does this friend of a friends brother who lives with his parents have number 1 rankings on Google, Yahoo and MSN while I do not?

The inferred question is of course whether the client is being ripped off. If you are pursuing search engine optimization, you undoubtedly know one of these top ranking people as well. On and on they ramble about how easy it is and so on. Well, they are almost always full of it.

In all honesty, they are not being malicious. They actually have top rankings across the board. The problem, of course, is they never have heard of keyword research. Instead of optimizing their site for keywords that people use to actually search for something, they have put up any old phrase that comes to mind. One chap even proudly pointed out to me how quickly he had obtained top rankings for his business name! Wow, how impressive.

The point of top rankings and search engine optimization is not to get top rankings. It is to get TRAFFIC! All rankings are not created equally. If you run into that annoying guy, ask to see the stats for his site. If the stats show large amounts of traffic, then give him the due he deserves. This rarely seems to happen.

The point I am trying to make is search engine optimization is a means to an end. The end is making money or whatever other goal you have. The end is not top rankings. Top rankings on valuable keywords should lead to your goal, but such rankings are not the goal itself.

Oh, there were a couple of annoying girls as well.