What Google says
Google's Search Central documentation says: "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." It also warns against SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings. It tells owners to find another SEO if one guarantees first place in results (page updated June 5, 2026, read October 6, 2026).
On timing, Google's SEO starter guide (updated December 10, 2025) says a change can take a few hours or several months. It suggests waiting a few weeks before judging it. A 2017 Google video, reported by Search Engine Roundtable on February 16, 2017, said that in most cases an SEO needs four months to a year to make improvements and see potential benefit. Neither Google page above names a number of months.
By that 2017 range, a 3-month minimum may end before rankings move, so the surest check inside it is what was delivered.
What published guarantees pay
| Provider | What its page states | Fits you if |
|---|---|---|
| BizIQLocal Marketing Guarantee. Sells local marketing. | Page 1 of Google's local maps results or organic results for at least 2 keyword phrases, each with a local geo tag, within 60 days of starting. If missed, the next month's fee is not charged and work continues free until ranked. It covers named packages only, not special offers or one-time services. The page does not state the starting position, who picks the phrases or what a package costs, and it points to a ranking report in BizIQ's client dashboard. | you want a ranking guarantee with a written remedy, and you can get the phrases and the measure of success into your contract. |
| SEOforVARefund policy, last revised September 22, 2026. Sells SEO. | New clients start on a 3-month introductory contract at 50% of the standard rate. The guarantee covers delivery of the agreed scope, not a Google position. If agreed work is not delivered in those 3 months, you can request a refund of the fees for the undelivered part. Renewals are non-refundable. | you want money back when promised work is not done, and you do not need a ranking promise. |
| USA Marketing ProsLocal SEO page. Sells SEO. | No guarantee: its page says no one can guarantee rankings. Starter ($1,500 a month, up to 5 keywords in 1 city) and Local Growth have a 6-month minimum, Authority and Premium 12 months. After the minimum you can cancel with 30 days' notice before the next billing date. A one-time $995 SEO Launch comes first, so the Starter minimum is $995 + 6 x $1,500 = $9,995. | you want a plan priced by keywords and cities and can commit for 6 months or more. |
Five terms to read in any guarantee
Get these five in writing before you accept a guarantee. If one is blank, you have no written term to collect on.
- The result. Which keyword phrases, on which part of Google (the map results or the regular results), and who picks them.
- The starting position. Where the business ranks for those phrases today, written and dated before work starts.
- The window and the measure. How many days, counted from which date, and whose report counts as proof.
- The remedy in dollars. A refund, a waived month or free work, and the amount. "We will make it right" is not a remedy.
- What voids it. Excluded packages, late payments, or changes you make to your own site.
What a 3-month minimum lets you check
Each item below is from the SEO + GEO plan and can be opened on a page, listing, report or account you can see. "Up to" sets a ceiling, not a floor: 3 months x up to 2 is up to 6 pages. Check whether any were delivered and what each changed, and ask for the count in writing.
| Deliverable | Where you check it | How often |
|---|---|---|
| A written report, including the raw AI answers | The reports you received: one for each week. | Every week |
| A 60-minute call | Your calendar. | Every 2 weeks |
| Your Google Business Profile updated every month: photos, updates, questions and answers, and replies to reviews | Your Business Profile, which you own. Look for this month's photos, updates and replies. | Every month |
| Up to 2 new or improved pages on your site per month | Your own site. Ask for the page addresses and open them. | Each month |
| Your business name, service area and phone kept the same on the main directories | The main directories. Search your business name and compare each listing with your Business Profile. | Every month |
| Technical issues found in Search Console fixed | Search Console, which you own. Ask which issues were found, then confirm in its issue reports that each is fixed. | Every month |
Raise a missing item on the next call; it is a reason not to continue past month 3.
Montrelia's terms
If you need a ranking guarantee, BizIQ's page above lists one and Montrelia is not the right fit; see who we are not for.
Divide the $7,000 you commit by your profit per job to see how many extra jobs earn it back, whenever they arrive. Example, not a claim about your business: at $500 profit per job, that is 14 jobs. The break-even jobs calculator shows the same cost as jobs a month and what you owe before leaving; the SEO cost calculator says whether the plan fits.
Questions people ask
How long should an SEO contract be?
No source we read sets a right length. Compare the total, not the months: setup fee + monthly fee x minimum months is the least you pay before you can leave (the table shows $9,995 for USA Marketing Pros' Starter plan). Pick a total you could lose without harm, then ask what notice ends the plan afterward.
Where do I report an SEO company that deceived me?
Google's documentation says that in the United States the Federal Trade Commission handles complaints about deceptive or unfair business practices, online or at 1-877-FTC-HELP. For a company outside the US it points to econsumer.gov. Keep the contract, the invoices and every written promise before you file.
Should an SEO get access to my accounts before I sign?
Google's documentation says that for an audit you should grant only read access to Search Console, and no write access at that stage. Whatever the contract says, keep every account in your own name, so that you still hold it if you leave.
Last updated October 6, 2026