Even if the searches are artificially skewed, what does that really mean? I sure as heck don’t click on the first link that comes up just because it’s the top result; I read the little paragraph and look at what the link is. I’ve gone through several pages of results before deciding if any met my criteria.
I doubt anyone, unless they are really naive about searches, would just automatically click the first link.
You'd be surprised how many small businesses think keywords are the be-all and end-all to their website's success. I have a friend that used to work for a company that marketed their keyword expertise to small businesses and entrepreneurs. It's a scam, but business was booming when she left last year.