Not all SEO agencies are equal. Some are lying to you from the get go, others are using techniques that will damage you in the long term. How do you know who is trustworthy? Here are 7 warning signs to look out for to help you avoid starting a relationship with unworthy SEO professionals.
- Old fashioned SEO tactics. SEO changes in a heartbeat and it is down to your provider to know what’s working and what could land your website in the search engine abyss. If you’re being asked to add hidden text behind a link then you should run for the exit.
- Blog content and nothing more. Outsourcing blog content is not uncommon and it’s a great way of saving you time and building up your website, but it’s not the only step involved in SEO. Agencies only offering blog content need to be avoided, there are many more elements that need to be put into play.
- Providing duplicated content is another red flag. Check the content you’re being sent to ensure it is truly unique for your website. There are plenty of agencies and freelances out there that will send the same content to multiple clients, changing only a few keywords rather than writing up original content. Copy and paste a sentence or two in Google to see if you find any matches. You can also check by using com.
- Guaranteeing you the number one spot in the search engine result pages. No one can guarantee you this, don’t fall for the lies. Work with an agency that will provide you with realistic ambitions and who will be honest with you from the get go.
- Don’t have access to your analytics and accounts? Not good! You should have full access to everything from your own website to your Google Analytics account. Sadly there are many agencies out there that do not want you to see your own analytics information. Why would that be then, huh? You should be provided with reporting but you also need to have free access to your data so you can keep an eye on the action and check the information you’re being provided with.
Give us a call if you’re looking for a new SEO agency to work with. Let’s have a chat, contact us here or call the office on 01905 27007.