She adds that the magazine is "by
default claiming a standards yardstick by which all SEM firms should be measured--dangerous territory indeed!"
Jordan also argues that unscrupulous competitors could rate and review
each other's sites arbitrarily, while unsatisfied customers could go on a review rampage.
However -- the latter issue is a problem that many search marketing clients themselves face when their Web site or business is reviewed on sites like Yelp. Just because someone can game the system or leave a nasty review doesn't mean that there shouldn't be a public forum. In the age of Web 2.0, providing clients with a place to voice their opinion of their search firm (whether positive or negative) seems like a no-brainer.