Question about SEO and SEO companies?

[Michael]

To answer your primary question, No person or company has any kind of "agreement" with Google or Yahoo or MSN, or any search engine to get special treatment.

There is no "one secret" to high rankings. But understand there are two different approaches. One way (black hat) might work in the short run and (White Hat) for the long term.

The KEYS to great SEO are sometimes hard to find because they are hidden in the vast sea of BS that is everywhere on the Internet, from forums and blogs, and "systems" to wanna- be - guru's just take care in who you put your trust in or what method you buy into.