There is no such thing. Think about it for a minute. If there was, don't you think Google would notice when a website shot to the top of the search ranking when no other criteria the algorithm looks for are met? Have you heard the saying, “Easy come, easy go?” In the world of search marketing, just like life, there is no shortcut.

As always, the fastest way to the top is with a map. Just as in the pioneer days, if you were heading across the country in a wagon train the quickest way to end up in trouble was to take a “shortcut.” If you want to get somewhere, look for someone that has gone there already. In the Military or Police Academy, every instructor teaches a topic they knew personally from experience. You don't want to learn to swim from a person that has never been wet.

The same is true for SEO, Search Engine Optimization. In order to succeed you have to build a user friendly website that provides meaningful, relevant information that serves a purpose. Have a plan of what you want to get across to your visitor. Lead them to the action you want them to take. Use a structure that is easy for your visitors both human and Search Spiders to follow and digest. Use content that establishes your sites value that your users will want to share with others.

It sounds simple however if you follow this method, no Search Engine is ever going to have a problem with your site. Building like this takes time, planning and effort. But the long term benefits will be sustainable. Shortcuts never are and the real downside is they can get you booted clear out of the search results. For my business and that of my customers, that just is not an acceptable risk.

That being said, are there websites that rank well even though they ignore the guidelines set forth by the major search engines? Yes. How do I reconcile that? I don't work for a search engine. I promote websites that want to rank well on search engines while adhering to the guidelines.

I know that Search Engines have set the rules and even though it may seem unfair they will enforce them as they see fit. Here's an example that may demonstrate the point. There a speed limits posted on most roads across the country. But there is no way there are enough police officers to catch every speeder. Now you can decide to speed and risk either the accident the limits were put in place to avoid or get a ticket that will make your insurance more expensive or you could follow the limit and have a better chance of getting where you want to every time.

The Search Engines are always working on improving their techniques for discerning guideline violators. They occasionally implement a large portion of new programming that causes Search Optimizers to scramble when the search results suddenly change dramatically. If you are working within those rules, your still okay.