Using a third-party website to enhance the organizations search engine ranking may be perceived by some as an easy answer and for some, that is the case. However, as is the case whenever an organization puts itself in the hands of another, there are risks involved. What if, for example, Google introduces a significant charge for its My Business service or the hotel price comparison sites increase their rates. This would not be a problem for bigger entities, but these services are aimed at SMBs, who would be forced to meet the new costs from what might be limited resources. Worse still, the third party may close down or be purchased by a business that imposes new terms and conditions of service. However, as with all aspects of marketing, the situation should be considered holistically. In Chapter 6.4, for example, comparison shopping engines, e-marketplaces and third-party shopping sites are considered for use by small online retailers. The advantages of these can be considerable with one significant benefit being that these thirdparty entities all rank highly on search engine results pages.

Find an example of how this helped or hurt a business or organizations website. Make sure and source your findings.