Key Summary
- No SEO agency can guarantee results — and anyone who says they can is either lying or taking risky shortcuts.
- Many agencies sell busywork (citations, micro-edits, bloated audits) instead of focusing on pages that can actually rank.
- SEO fails most often because of unrealistic expectations, poor communication, or lack of transparency — not because SEO “doesn’t work.”
- Monthly retainers and long contracts can hide low effort if deliverables and updates aren’t clearly defined.
- In some cases, you’re better off doing SEO yourself or choosing a different channel altogether.
Hiring an SEO agency should feel like you’re buying clarity, momentum, and long-term growth.
For a lot of businesses, it feels more like confusion, vague updates, and “just give it a few more months.”
I run an SEO agency. I’ve worked with hundreds of businesses across different industries. I’ve also inherited a lot of clients after they’ve been burned by other agencies.
This isn’t a hit piece — it’s the stuff business owners quietly discover after signing a contract.
1. Most SEO Agencies Don’t Tell You How (or When) They’ll Communicate
One of the biggest red flags is vague communication.
If you don’t know:
- how often you’ll hear from your agency
- what updates look like
- what happens when nothing “exciting” happens
you’re setting yourself up for frustration.
At HeyTony, every client gets a weekly update (what was worked on, any wins, anything worth noting) and monthly reporting. No guessing. No wondering if work is happening.
If an agency can’t clearly explain their communication cadence upfront, that’s not a small oversight — it’s a warning sign.
2. Guaranteed Results Are Either a Lie or a Risk
No one can guarantee SEO results.
Not me. Not Google. Not anyone.
When agencies guarantee rankings or traffic, one of two things is happening:
- They don’t understand SEO well enough to know why that’s impossible
- They’re using black-hat tactics that may work short-term and destroy your site long-term
Google doesn’t reward loopholes forever. If someone promises certainty in an uncertain system, you’re the one taking the risk.
3. “Secret Sauce” Is Usually Code for “You’re Getting Ripped Off”
SEO isn’t magic.
It’s helpful content, strong internal linking, and going after keywords you can actually rank for.
If an agency refuses to explain:
- their strategy
- how keywords are chosen
- why they’re doing specific work
and instead hides behind “proprietary methods,” that’s not protection — it’s opacity.
A green flag is an agency that educates you, shares their process, and wants you to understand why things work.
4. SEO Jargon Is Often Used to Confuse You
AEO. AIO. GEO. LLMO.
It’s all just SEO.
If an agency keeps inventing new acronyms to make their service sound complex or cutting-edge, ask yourself who that benefits.
SEO is evolving, yes — but confusing clients with buzzwords doesn’t help your business rank.
5. Backlink Quantity Is One of the Most Dangerous Myths in SEO
I once lost a lead because another agency promised 100 backlinks per month, while we recommended 4 high-quality backlinks for the same price.
They went with quantity.
I warned them they were risking their website. They didn’t listen.
Some clients want more, not better — and unfortunately, some agencies are happy to sell it.
More links doesn’t mean better rankings. It often means penalties.
6. Agencies Love Selling Busywork That Looks Valuable
A lot of SEO agencies sell work that sounds important but doesn’t actually move rankings or revenue. Monthly citation building is a perfect example. Agencies charge hundreds per month for something that usually only needs to happen once or twice per year, and can be handled with inexpensive tools. It looks productive, but it rarely justifies an ongoing retainer.
Another common issue is an over-focus on bottom-of-funnel landing pages while dismissing blog content altogether. Blogs still work when they’re used strategically — especially for low-competition keywords and internal linking. Saying “blogs don’t work anymore” is often a shortcut for not wanting to do the thinking required to make them effective.
There’s also a lot of “optimization theatre” in SEO. Changing a few sentences, adding a keyword, or tweaking a heading and calling it a deliverable might look good in a report, but it rarely leads to meaningful growth on its own.
Instead of checking boxes across an entire website, we focus on quick wins — fixing the biggest issues on pages that actually have a chance to rank. SEO isn’t about doing more work. It’s about doing the right work.
7. Sometimes SEO Doesn’t Work — and It’s Not the Agency’s Fault
We once did everything right:
- content
- internal linking
- backlinks
- keyword targeting
Nothing worked.
It turned out the client had bought a used domain that was blacklisted by Google.
There’s no easy way to catch that upfront.
We moved them to a new domain, transferred everything over, and they started getting results within a month or two.
SEO failures aren’t always tactical. Sometimes they’re foundational.
8. Client Expectations Can Make SEO Impossible
Common expectations that no agency can meet:
- Ranking immediately
- Ranking for unrealistic, high-volume keywords
- Doing SEO properly for under $500/month
- Expecting perfect writing in their personal style
- Wanting instant responses while work is being done
- Thinking SEO is permanent once rankings improve
SEO isn’t “set it and forget it.” Once you rank, someone else is actively trying to take your spot.
9. Most SEO Agencies Underperform Because of Scale, Not Skill
Agencies struggle when they:
- grow too fast
- take on too many clients
- rely heavily on overseas VAs where language and context suffer
- work in industries they don’t understand
For example, realtors should not hire SEO agencies.
They know their neighborhoods, coffee shops, schools, and streets better than any agency ever will. In many cases, owner-led SEO wins.
10. Monthly Retainers Can Trap You
Many agencies lock clients into 6–12 month contracts before results are clear.
“SEO takes time” becomes a shield for:
- bad execution
- low effort
- lack of direction
At HeyTony, clients know exactly what they’re getting:
- 2 pieces of content per week
- 4 backlinks per month
- weekly updates
No ambiguity. No hiding.
11. When You Should NOT Hire an SEO Agency
You should not hire an SEO agency if:
- you don’t have at least $3,000/month
- you have less than 6 months of runway
- you need leads immediately
- your space is hyper-competitive but social media is wide open
- you have time and can DIY 1–2 hours per week
Sometimes SEO is better done in-house.
12. What You Should Demand Before Signing Anything
Before hiring an SEO agency, demand:
- Recent case studies (old tactics don’t count)
- Full transparency into process and strategy
- Clear keyword research methodology
- A realistic plan to compete with larger players
- Defined reporting and response timelines
- A contract with exact deliverables, weekly or monthly
If it’s vague, it’s not in your favor.
Final Thoughts – Downside of Hiring An SEO Agency
SEO works. I wouldn’t have built a business around it if it didn’t.
But bad SEO wastes time, money, and trust.
The best SEO agencies don’t confuse, hide, or overpromise — they educate, communicate, and tell you when SEO isn’t the right move at all.
If you want to work with HeyTony, check out our SEO packages.
Originally published . Last updated .
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