Terms and Conditions

Rank First
30 Argyle St, Fitzroy, 3065 : Phone 1300 828 814

Search Engine Optimization Agreement

The following terms and conditions apply for all clients who use our service and is accepted upon payment for our search engine optimisation services. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions, please contact us to discuss other options for using our service. SEO is far from an exact science, and SEO companies can only take the best actions they see fit to help their clients rank higher on search engines. For this reason, we require all of our clients to agree with the below conditions before we will agree to work with them.

 

1.   Rank First agrees to provide their paying clients with Search Engine Optimisation services, (also referred to as “SEO”) as described in this agreement.

 

2.   By hiring Rank First, the client is authorising them to take the steps they deem necessary to promote the clients website to a higher position on Google for the agreed keyphrases which will form part of the clients Diagnostic Report.

 

3.   The client agrees to pay Rank First a fee as stated in the proposal, or verbally between the two parties. This fee must be received prior to the start of any services provided each month or as otherwise specified.

 

4.   SEO Services are intended to provide the client with preferential positioning in selected search engines and report results on an ongoing and timely basis. SEO Services include:

• Research keywords and phrases to select appropriate, relevant search terms. The number of keywords is listed in the proposal or in the clients diagnostic report, as provided at the beginning of a campaign by Rank First.  Additional keyword targeting may require additional costs if requested by the client.
• Rank First may or may not edit various html tags and page text as seen necessary by them, to promote a higher listing on search engines. This will vary from client to client.
• Rank First may or may not create as required, additional web pages for the purpose of “catching” keyword/phrase searches. This will be done at their discretion unless creating new pages forms part of the agreement at the commencement of a project.
• Hand-submit your pages to various third party websites such as online business directories, article content directories, press release websites, blog networks, personal or business blogs, social bookmarking websites, web 2.0 websites and other third party websites or websites owned by Rank First. This practice is commonly known as link building. The amount or frequency of link building is at the sole discretion or Rank First unless otherwise agreed.
• Periodical reports will be sent to clients that outline their rankings on targeted search engines. It is noted that the positions websites are shown on any search engine can fluctuate at any time. The rankings reported by Rank First will be correct at the time of reporting, and total accuracy can’t be guaranteed.

 

5.   For the purposes of providing these services, client agrees to provide Rank First with the following details:

• FTP access to their website for uploading new pages, and/or making changes for the purpose of SEO. Rank First may also remove text or coding from a website that is deemed to be having a negative effect on search engine rankings.
• The client authorizes Rank First to use of all client logos, trademarks, website images, etc., for use in creating informational pages and any other uses as deemed necessary by Rank First for search engine positioning and optimisation.
• If the client’s site is light in textual content, client will provide additional relevant text content in electronic format for the purpose of creating additional web pages. Client agrees to provide content, for example 200 to 500-word “articles” about each of their keyword phrases.

 

6.   Selected search engines* we include the .com.au versions of the below, unless otherwise agreed :

• Google
• Yahoo
• Bing

* Search engine names may change without notice

 

7.   Client acknowledges the following with respect to services:

• Rank First has no control over the policies of search engines with respect to the type of sites and/or content that they accept now or in the future. A client’s site may be excluded from any directory at any time at the sole discretion of the search engine or directory.
• Due to the competitiveness of some keywords/phrases, ongoing changes in search engine ranking algorithms and other competitive factors, Rank First does not guarantee any definite results or consistent positions for any particular keyword, phrase or search term.
• Search Engines can change or update their guidelines at any time. This can cause a website to be demoted in their listings or “handicaps”, or “penalties” may be applied to a website to restrict its position on a search engine. Rank First do not accept any responsibility if this is to occur to a client’s website.
• Rank First do not guarantee any time frame for pages of a website to be listed or indexed by a search engine.
• Search engines may from time to time stop accepting submissions for an indefinite period.
• Search engines may demote website listings for no apparent or predictable reason. Often listing will “reappear” without any action taken. Up and down movement of websites listed in a search engine is normal, and can’t be controlled by Rank First.

 

8.   Rank First are not responsible for changes made to the Web site by other parties that adversely affect the search engine rankings of the client’s website. It is advised to alert Rank First to any changes made to a website by the client or third parties while a SEO project is in progress.

 

9.   Rank First may provide web development or design assistance for a client. However they are not obliged to make any website alterations they do not deem to benefit a client’s search engine rankings.

 

10.   Client guarantees any elements of text, graphics, photos, designs, trademarks, or other artwork provided to Rank First for inclusion on their website are owned by the client, or that the client has received permission from the rightful owner(s) to use each of the elements, and will hold harmless, protect, and defend Rank First and its subcontractors from any liability or suit arising from the use of such elements.

 

11.   Rank First are not responsible for the client’s overwriting SEO work to client’s site, which may affect the clients search engine ranking either during or after their SEO project.