Red Flags – You Hired the Wrong SEO Company
Nowadays, having a better search ranking has become one of the major marketing goals of any business with its own site.
The reasons for this include:
(a) it could lead to better conversion rates (though not guaranteed)
(b) it increases internet presence and traffic, and most importantly
(c) it proves that online marketing efforts paying off.
However, if you happen to hire the wrong SEO company to do your SEO, the benefits of getting the services of an SEO agency might not be realized.
How would you know that you hired the wrong one?
Here are some red flags that you should be aware of so that you could terminate your contract (or you could avoid signing a contract) with them.
They Didn’t Perform Site Evaluation
If the company proceeded to presenting you a package of their services without looking at your site first, do not engage their service. It is not a simple oversight on their part. Some companies use this tactic, bombarding their prospective client with promises.
The unsuspecting client ends up being swayed by their sales talk, choosing to sign up for their services right away. These companies are only concerned of the fee that they are going to collect from you.
Remember, site evaluation should be the first step that an SEO firm should do. Every site is unique, even those that belong to a certain niche.
Thus, the SEO portfolio applicable to you should be customized according to the results of the site evaluation, to your budget, and to your needs and goals.
They Have a Hard Time Explaining Their Methods
If they cannot give you clear and exact answers or could not even tell you what tools they use to achieve rank improvements, it’s time to re-evaluate your contract with them.
After all, this only means two things.
- They are outsourcing their services to a third party. Though some aspects of SEO can be outsourced, the company you hired, not someone they hired online, should do the formulation and implementation of the overall strategy.
- They are using unacceptable techniques or black hat SEO.
After trying several times to ask them to discuss how they made your site reach the top page and they just can’t give you an answer, terminate your contract with them and find other firms that are transparent and willing to tell you their methods.
Why? The results gained from these dubious firms are only temporary.
You might even get de-indexed if the techniques used are not in accordance with Google’s algorithmic criteria or that of any search engine.
You would suffer the consequences instead of reaping the rewards of your investment. Before you know it, your site never shows up anymore or is not being indexed.
They offer a very low (or a very high) price for their packages
Everyone wants a good, low-cost investment. However, not all investments are low cost. There are some which generally need a hefty investment to achieve results. When it comes to search engine optimization, very low pricing is not the right thing.
The adage “hitting two birds in one stone” does not apply in SEO. If you want the very best results, you need to invest the right amount of money.
If you’ve signed a $500-per-month contract, you hired the wrong one. Even a starting SEO consultant will not give you a price that low. It would only mean that the company does not really know how much an SEO services cost.
It would only mean that the company might not be an expert in the field. The same principle applies for companies that charge you a very high fee. High prices are not a guarantee of quality services.
They are going to bring you to the top spot in two weeks
Should you jump with joy? The answer is “absolutely not”.
No reputable SEO company can give you results that fast. A normal campaign requires six months before producing noteworthy outcomes. It may even take longer than that.
Of course, even after months or years, achieving the top ranking is not guaranteed. SEO is a continuous process that requires regular monitoring and improvement.
Their customer support is always offline or cannot be reached
When problems arise, you should have the means to contact them. However, if most of the time you cannot reach them after just barely two months of doing business with them, be wary.
If you eventually get in touch with them and you’re told of various excuses for such communication difficulties (such as technical problems or absence), it’s definitely time to terminate the contract. You don’t need the added stress.
There is nothing wrong with these problems but if you get those alibis more often than you can count with your fingers, it’s time to ditch your current SEO firm and hire someone else.
They do not give comprehensive report
If you requested for a report and you do not receive any, you should get worried. Though there are tools out there that you can use to evaluate your site’s progress, a professional SEO agency should see to it that they provide you a comprehensive report. Besides, you hired them to do the job for you and a report is part of the fee you paid.
Though anyone can engage in DIY SEO, not all can understand the intricacies of the process. If you are one of those who cannot understand SEO and you chose to hire a company to do it for you, do not hesitate to terminate the contract if you are not satisfied with their service.
