How to Choose an SEO Agency Without Getting Fleeced
The SEO industry is awash with cowboys, charlatans, and snake oil salespeople.
They promise you the earth, whisper sweet nothings about “guaranteed number one rankings,” and then vanish with your money, leaving you with a lighter bank account and a deep-seated mistrust of digital marketing.
I’ve seen it dozens of times. Good business owners, experts in their field, get taken for a ride because they believe SEO is some dark art, a secret code only a chosen few can crack.
It’s not.
This isn’t going to be another fluffy blog post full of jargon. This is a brutally honest guide for entrepreneurs and business owners. It’s a filter. Use it to separate the handful of competent professionals from the sea of chancers.
- Understand the three core pillars of SEO: Technical SEO, On-Page Content, and Off-Page Authority.
- Beware of red flags like "Guaranteed Rankings" and lack of transparency in processes.
- A competent agency focuses on your business goals, not just keywords, and provides real case studies.
- Track metrics that impact your bank account, such as leads and conversion rates, over vanity metrics.
First, Let's Be Honest About What SEO Is
Before you can spot a fraud, you need to understand the job. SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is not magic. It’s not a quick fix you sprinkle on your website to instantly get more customers.
Think of it like building a house. It's ensuring your digital ‘property' is built on solid foundations, is easy for people (and Google) to navigate, and has a strong reputation in its neighbourhood. It’s a long-term asset, not a short-term trick.
The Three Core Pillars (The Only Bits That Matter)
You can ignore all the bewildering acronyms and buzzwords. At its core, good SEO comes down to just three things.
1. Technical SEO This is your house's plumbing and foundations. It’s about ensuring Google's crawlers can find, understand, and index your website without issues. Is it fast? Is it secure? Does it work properly on a mobile phone? If the technical side is a mess, nothing else matters.
2. On-Page & Content This is the substance. It's the actual rooms and the furniture that make people want to visit. Are you creating genuinely helpful content that answers the questions your potential customers are typing into Google? This is about being the most beneficial result for a given query. Full stop.
3. Off-Page Authority (Link Building) This is your reputation. Simply put, a link from another website to yours is a vote of confidence. When a credible, relevant site links to you, it signals to Google that you're trustworthy. It’s about earning respect, not just begging for links.
Trying to ‘game' this system in 2025 is a fool's errand. Google is relentlessly focused on rewarding helpful content. Your entire SEO strategy must be built on that single idea. Anything else is just rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.
Instant Red Flags That Scream “Run Away”
I have a personal list of tells. These phrases and promises make the hairs on my neck stand up. If you encounter any of these during a sales pitch, my professional advice is to end the conversation and walk away politely.
Red Flag #1: The “Guaranteed Rankings” Promise
This is my number one pet peeve. It's the oldest lie in the book and an immediate sign you're dealing with an amateur or a crook.
Nobody can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Not even Google employees can. The search algorithm has hundreds of factors, and they change constantly.
An agency that promises you the top spot either lies to get your signature or uses risky, black-hat techniques that will penalise your site in the long run. It's a promise based on delusion.
Red Flag #2: The “Secret Sauce” & Lack of Transparency
“We have a proprietary method… a secret formula for success.”
What utter nonsense.
Good SEO isn't a secret. It's the methodical and expert application of known principles. A competent agency should be able to explain precisely what they plan to do, why they're doing it, and how it will help your business.
If they can't or won't tell you, it's because they're either doing nothing or doing something they know you wouldn't approve of, like using shady tactics from 2008.
Red Flag #3: Dodgy Link Building Packages
You'll often see this phrased as “We'll build 50 high-authority backlinks a month.”
Quality over quantity. Always.
An editorially earned link from a highly respected industry website is worth over a thousand links from spammy, irrelevant directories or private blog networks (PBNs). These low-quality links are, at best, useless. At worst, they are toxic and can lead to a direct penalty from Google, wiping out your visibility overnight. Ask how they build links. If the answer sounds too easy, it is.
Red Flag #4: An Obsession with Jargon and Vanity Metrics
If a proposal or report is designed to confuse you, it's because the results themselves are unimpressive. Be wary of agencies that fixate on metrics that sound good but mean nothing for your bottom line.
Things like “impression share,” “keyword visibility,” or even just “traffic” on its own. Who cares if you get 100,000 visitors if none of them buy anything? It's just noise. A good agency talks about qualified leads, conversion rates, and revenue.
Red Flag #5: The High-Pressure Sell & Iron-Clad Long-Term Contracts
“This offer is only good for today!” or “You need to sign a 12-month contract before we can start.”
Desperation is a bad look. A confident agency knows its worth. They believe their results will be why you stay, so they don't need to bully you into an extended, inescapable contract from day one. A three-month initial commitment or a 30-day notice period is far more reasonable. They should be earning your business every single month.
What a Competent SEO Agency Looks Like
Thankfully, they do exist. They are just harder to find. Here are the green flags—the positive signals that indicate you're talking to a professional outfit that understands how business works.
They Talk About Your Business, Not Just Your Keywords
The first conversation with a good agency sounds more like a business consultation than a technical one. They'll ask about:
- Your business goals (e.g., “We need to increase high-quality leads by 20%”).
- Your most profitable products or services.
- Your average customer lifetime value.
- Your sales process.
They know SEO is just a tool to achieve a business objective. They start with the objective, not the tool.
They Show You Real Case Studies (With Real Numbers)
A good agency will have case studies, but you must scrutinise them.
A bad case study says: “We increased organic traffic by 300% for Client X.” So what? Was it relevant traffic? Did it lead to any sales?
A good case study says: “We identified that high-value customers for Client Y were searching for [specific problem]. We created content to address this, which now ranks #2. This brings in an average of 50 qualified leads per month, which has generated an estimated £150,000 in new business over 12 months.”
See the difference? One is a vanity metric; the other is a business result.
They Demand Access to Your Data
A doctor can't diagnose you without an examination. A good SEO agency can't create a strategy without data. They should ask for read-only access to your Google Analytics and Google Search Console early in the conversation.
This isn't them being nosy. It's them being professional. They need to see what's working, what's broken, and where the baseline is before creating a realistic plan. If they give you a detailed proposal without ever looking at your data, they're just guessing.
They Explain Their Strategy Clearly
You don't need to understand the intricate details of a schema markup, but you do need to understand the plan. A good agency can walk you through its proposed strategy in plain English.
It should sound like this: “First, we'll conduct a full technical audit to fix the foundational issues hurting your site. Then, we'll do keyword research focused on your high-margin services to understand what your customers are searching for. Based on that, we'll build a content plan for the next six months to make you the most helpful resource in your niche.”
It's a logical plan of action. Not a black box of secrets.
They're Realistic About Timelines
Anyone promising page-one results in 30 days is selling you a fantasy. SEO is a slow-burn. It takes time to build authority and trust with Google.
A credible agency will manage your expectations. They'll tell you that it might take 6 to 12 months to see significant, consistent traction and a clear return on investment. They'll talk about leading indicators of success along the way, but they won't promise you the moon on a stick overnight.
A 2018 study by Ahrefs showed that the average age of a top-ranking page is over two years old. While things move faster now, it highlights that authority is built over time, not overnight.
Questions You Absolutely Must Ask
When you sit down with a potential agency, it is not their show. It is your interview. You are the one hiring. Don't be a passive recipient of a sales pitch. Go in armed with questions that cut to the chase.
Questions About Strategy & Process
- “Can you walk me through your exact process for the first 90 days?” – This forces them to reveal their onboarding and initial strategy. Listen for talk of audits, research, and planning, not just “building links.”
- “How will you decide which keywords and topics to target?” – The answer should involve your business goals, customer intent, and competitor analysis, not just picking the terms with the highest search volume.
- “What is your approach to link building?” – This is crucial. You want to hear words like “earned media,” “digital PR,” “outreach,” and “quality over quantity.” If they mention “PBNs,” “buying links,” or specific volume packages, run.
- “How do you incorporate Google's E-E-A-T guidelines into your strategy?” – E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is central to Google's content evaluation. A modern agency must have a clear answer for demonstrating this on their clients' sites.
Questions About Reporting & Communication
- “What specific KPIs will you report on, and why those?” – The answer must connect directly to your business goals (leads, sales, etc.). If they just list rankings and traffic, push back.
- “Could I see an example of a monthly report you send to clients?” – This is a fantastic way to see through the sales pitch. Is the report clear, concise, and focused on business outcomes? Or is it a 50-page PDF of confusing graphs designed to look impressive while saying nothing?
- “Who will be my day-to-day point of contact, and who will be doing the actual work?” – You want to know if you'll be dealing with the senior strategist who sold you the dream, or if your account will be passed off to a junior employee or, worse, outsourced.
Questions About Their Business
- “What happens if we want to part ways?” – Get clarity on notice periods and the process for handing everything back. It should be straightforward.
- “Who owns the content, accounts, and work you do?” – The answer must be unequivocally: YOU. You are paying for it. You must have full ownership and admin access to everything.
I once had a client come to us after leaving a dodgy agency. The old agency refused to hand over the login for their Google Analytics account, which they had set up. They held it hostage. This is more common than you think. Clarify ownership from the start.
Untangling the Money and The Paperwork
Let's discuss the bits that make everyone uncomfortable: pricing and contracts. Getting this wrong can be just as damaging as a bad strategy.
Common SEO Pricing Models
There's no single price for SEO. The cost can range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of pounds a month. It depends on your goals, industry, and work scope. Most pricing falls into one of these buckets:
- Monthly Retainer: This is the most common model. You pay a fixed fee each month for an agreed-upon scope of ongoing work. For a small business in the UK, this can range from £1,000 to £5,000+ per month. Be very clear about what deliverables are included.
- Project-Based: This is a one-off fee for a specific, defined task. For example, a technical SEO audit might cost £1,500 – £7,500. This is great for getting a particular job done without a long-term commitment.
- Hourly Consulting: You pay for direct access to an expert's time. Rates can vary wildly, from £75 to £300+ per hour. This is best for businesses with in-house teams that need strategic guidance.
Be wary of anything that looks too cheap. SEO that costs £200 a month is not real SEO. You get what you pay for. A Backlinko study found the average cost for a monthly retainer is between $2,500-$5,000, which gives you a ballpark idea of what serious agencies charge.
What to Look For in the Contract
Read the contract. I repeat, read the contract. Don't just sign it. Look for these specific things:
- A Detailed Scope of Work (SOW): It should list what they will do monthly. “SEO services” is not enough. It needs to specify deliverables: e.g., “One 2,000-word blog post,” “Technical site monitoring,” “Monthly reporting call,” etc.
- The Termination Clause: What is the notice period? 30 or 60 days is reasonable. Anything that locks you in for 12 months with no break clause is a massive red flag.
- Ownership of Assets: It must state clearly that you, the client, retain full ownership of your website, all content created, and all accounts set up on your behalf (Analytics, Search Console, etc.).
Thinking clearly about goals, deliverables, and partnerships is the foundation for effective digital marketing services.
How to Know If It's Working
Six months have passed. You've been paying your invoice every month. How do you know if you're getting value or just being taken for a ride? Checking your rankings for one or two keywords daily is a recipe for anxiety and tells you very little.
Ditching Vanity for Sanity: The Metrics That Matter
You need to track the numbers that impact your bank account. Here's a simple way to look at it:
| Vanity Metric (Mostly Useless) | Sanity Metric (What Actually Matters) |
| Overall Traffic | Organic traffic to your key money-making pages. |
| Keyword Rankings | Rankings for keywords with high commercial intent. |
| Impressions / Reach | Leads, contact form submissions, and phone calls. |
| Bounce Rate | Conversion Rate from organic traffic. |
| Number of Backlinks | Return on Investment (ROI). |
Is the money you're spending on SEO turning into more money for your business? That is the ultimate question. A recent survey showed that 75% of small business owners believe SEO is the most effective marketing strategy [source]. This effectiveness is only realised when you track the right things.
A Realistic Timeline
Patience is a virtue, especially in SEO. Here’s a realistic expectation of progress:
- Months 1-3: Foundation. This phase concerns audits, technical fixes, deep research, and strategy development. You won't see much in terms of results, and that's normal.
- Months 4-6: Traction. You should start to see some positive movement. Rankings for less competitive terms might improve. You might see a slight uptick in relevant organic traffic. These are the first green shoots.
- Months 7-12+: Growth. This is where the cumulative effort should start to pay off. You should see a significant, measurable increase in qualified traffic, leads, and sales. This is when the ROI should become clear.
If you're six months in and your agency can't show you positive signals or explain their actions, it's time for a serious conversation.
A Final, Brutal Truth
An SEO agency is a partner, not a saviour. They are vehicle mechanics, not magicians. They can build you the finest engine, but can't make people want to buy a terrible car.
The most successful SEO campaigns are collaborations. They require your input, your expertise about your customers, and your commitment. And crucially, if you have a subpar product, a bad reputation, or a broken sales process, no amount of traffic will fix your business.
The very best SEO agency in the world is one that is honest enough to tell you that.
If this no-nonsense approach to marketing resonates with you, you'll enjoy our other articles. We believe in clarity over complexity.
Businesses ready to move beyond the guesswork and have a frank conversation about growth should see how we handle digital marketing. Or if you'd prefer to get straight to it, request a quote, and we can discuss where your business stands.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How much should a small business in the UK pay for SEO?
For a credible agency, expect to pay a monthly retainer starting from £1,000 – £1,500 and up, depending on the competitiveness of your industry and the scope of work. Anything significantly less is likely a red flag.
What's the most enormous red flag when choosing an SEO agency?
A guarantee of “#1 rankings.” It's an impossible promise and an immediate sign that they are dishonest or incompetent.
What does a good SEO agency do in the first month?
The first month should be dedicated to discovery and planning. This includes a thorough technical audit, competitor analysis, deep keyword research, and setting up proper tracking and analytics. It's about building the strategy, not just “doing stuff.”
How long does it take to see results from SEO?
Be patient. While you might see some small, early movements in 3-4 months, you should plan for 6-12 months to see a significant and consistent impact on traffic and leads.
Should I care about domain authority (DA)?
Not really. Domain Authority (DA) is a metric created by a third-party tool (Moz), not Google. While it can be a rough guide, it's easily manipulated. Focus on the actual business metrics: relevant traffic, leads, and sales.
What's the difference between white-hat and black-hat SEO?
White-hat SEO follows Google's guidelines and focuses on creating a great user experience and earning authority naturally. Black-hat SEO uses deceptive tactics (like buying links or keyword stuffing) to manipulate rankings. Black-hat tactics will eventually get your site penalised.
Does my SEO agency need access to my website's backend?
Yes. They will need developer-level or admin access to your Content Management System (CMS), like WordPress, to implement technical fixes and on-page optimisations.
What questions should I ask their previous clients?
If you get to speak to a reference, ask them about communication, transparency in reporting, and, most importantly, the tangible business results the agency delivered.
Can I do SEO myself?
You can learn and implement the basics, especially on-page SEO and content creation. However, the technical and off-page aspects often require specialised expertise and tools. It depends on how much time you will invest learning a new, complex skill.
What's more important: technical SEO, content, or links?
They are all critical and interdependent. A technically perfect site with bad content won't rank. Great content on a slow, broken site won't rank. A site with great content and a solid foundation still needs links to build authority. You need all three pillars.
Who owns the work that the agency does?
You do. Any written content, accounts, and reports generated are your property. This should be explicitly stated in your contract.
What's a reasonable expectation for reporting?
You should expect a monthly report outlining the work completed, the key performance indicators (KPIs) you agreed upon, and insights into what the data means for your business. It should be followed by a call or meeting to discuss it.
