Engaging the services of an SEO (search engine optimization) firm isn’t an everyday business decision; it involves more than just signing a contract and exchanging pleasantries.

Initiating a contract with an SEO agency marks the beginning of a professional partnership. However, this partnership is meant to be enduring and continuous, relying on openness and sincerity. 

Unfortunately, not all firms uphold the same level of integrity. This lack of honesty could stem from their usage of unethical SEO strategies or perhaps not dedicating the agreed-upon amount of time to your account. 

In today’s landscape, SEO agencies can exploit these gray areas, especially if you’re uncertain about what to look out for. Here are some critical red flags to 

keep an eye on when hiring a professional SEO company.

1. Suspiciously Low Pricing

The adage “you get what you pay for” holds significant truth when it comes to SEO. Just as outrageous promises can serve as red flags, so too can suspiciously low-priced services.

While cost considerations should not be ignored, thorough research and price comparisons are essential. However, this involves comparing costs among agencies offering similar services.If one firm’s pricing deviates significantly, it could indicate potential problems.

For example, an offer of “200 backlinks for $10” is likely indicative of spammy, automated strategies that are best avoided. While there may be slight variations in pricing among reputable SEO agencies, these differences shouldn’t be drastic.

Top-notch SEO services comes with a cost, and if a provider is advertising services at a remarkably lower rate than competitors, it’s probable they’re not delivering genuine work.

2. Lack of Holistic Approach

SEO goes beyond just keywords and meta descriptions. It involves a harmonious blend of content creation, brand building, social media engagement, and effective design to establish a strong digital footprint and brand identity online. 

If a so-called SEO expert claims that keywords and meta descriptions are all you need, it’s a red flag. Any reputable SEO service will insist on conducting an initial audit if your website is already live.

This allows them to evaluate your existing website and marketing tactics, including current keywords, site layout, content quality, reputation, and more. They should identify any obstacles before starting any SEO or marketing activities. 

For instance, imagine you have a decent organic reach, but your website’s bounce rate is high. A competent SEO service should highlight this issue during the audit and propose a strategy to redesign and optimize the high-bounce-rate pages to retain potential customers.

3. One-size-fits-all Approach

Just as every business is unique, so should its SEO strategy. The strategy that boosted traffic to your neighbor’s recipe blog may not necessarily be effective for your pet supplies website. This is because the intricacies of SEO vary, and each site has its specific needs and conditions. 

A dependable SEO company assists you in achieving the goals and KPIs that matter most to you. These goals might not always be performance-oriented; they could revolve around content production or enhancing user experience. 

Moreover, your selective approach towards outsourcing your SEO service should be mirrored by your SEO provider’s selectivity in choosing their clients.

Agencies offering a one-size-fits-all solution often accept any client they come across without focusing on a specific industry. If you’re seeking local SEO services or eCommerce SEO, ensure the SEO company you choose has expertise in these areas.

4. Overemphasis on Link Building

Backlinks play a crucial role in determining search engine rankings, leading many SEO agencies to provide link-building services over the years. Link-building, when done correctly, is a valuable service. Correct link-building aligns well with PR and content strategy, and it’s beneficial to have an extensive collection of pre-existing backlinks and relationships to kickstart the process. 

However, if link-building becomes the main focus of the strategy, it raises a concern. “Black Hat” SEO techniques, which involve paid backlinks or reciprocal links to “link farms” that don’t offer any substantial value other than manipulating rankings, are problematic. 

Search engines like Google can manually penalize sites for such practices. Large, enterprise-level sites with considerable traffic and keyword rankings are particularly vulnerable to penalties due to their significant visibility in search engine results.

5. Inadequate Communication

This could indicate that your SEO agency is not keeping a close eye on your progress. It’s unreasonable to expect them to update you each time there’s any new traffic on your site. Nonetheless, they should provide you with status updates at least weekly or, at the bare minimum, monthly.

Even when traffic and conversions are low, a competent SEO agency will keep you informed and offer a strategy for addressing the issue. Ideally, you should ask for weekly updates through a brief phone call or a detailed email.

Ensure the monthly reporting is comprehensive, conducted in person or via a conference call and screen share. During these reports, align the work being done with the results shown on Google Analytics or whatever platform you use to track performance.

6. Lack of Industry Experience

Request any prospective partners to provide examples of their work with other professionals in your industry. The nature of your business largely determines the effectiveness of marketing strategies, and without prior experience in your field, someone may not be able to modify their strategy effectively. 

The marketing techniques for a law firm, for instance, vary greatly from those of a restaurant. Ensure your investment and efforts are directed towards methods that will yield the most beneficial outcomes for you.

Bottom Line

The substantial efforts required for effective SEO explain why it demands considerable time and financial resources. It might seem appealing to save by engaging an agency lacking complete resources, but such a decision can compromise your return on investment.

SEO is not just an expense; it’s an investment in your business’s long-term success. Therefore, look for other areas to reduce costs. 

Following these guidelines should enable you to swiftly eliminate individuals and agencies that are unlikely to provide value for your money, allowing you to identify the experts who can enhance your brand visibility and generate the revenue you’ve always anticipated from your SEO endeavors.

Also read: Cracking the Code: The Ultimate Guide to Ecommerce SEO