8 Reasons why you should not use an SEO agency

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by: Paul Morris
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Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2011 Time: 1:33 AM
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8 Reasons why you should not use an SEO agency

I thought it interesting to analyse some of the reasons why you should not use an SEO agency (check out my other post on all the reasons why you should use an SEO agency from the Search Muse

1/ You wait too long for the results

It can take several months to enjoy the benefits of SEO activity however if after a few months your rankings, traffic and/or activity are not going according to plan then you have a problem.

2/ Expectations are unrealistic or poorly defined

Sometimes clients want to be number 1 for hundreds of ‘Fat Head' terms within 1 month. SEO is no PPC. It takes time to rank for targeted terms and sometimes the terms set by the MD are simply unachievable within the given budget. This can be the clients fault for setting unrealistic targets however equally it can be the agencies fault for not helping clearly define what the strategy will be and what the success criteria will look like.

3/ The client makes major site amends to its website but does not inform the agency

These ‘major' site amends might not seem all that important to the client e.g. a change to the navigation or url structure, deleting a few pages, etc however these could have major ramifications to off page activity that the agency is currently engaging in. If the client cannot help ensure the SEO has as few obstacles as possible then using an agency will be an uphill struggle from the start.

4/ SEO knowledge gaps

Because the client has little detailed SEO knowledge and the agency is poor at making the client understand no decisions or the wrong decisions are made thus stifling results. A large amount of the blame falls at the agencies door as they should think of ways to educate the client e.g. email seo facts of the day, twitter/ rss updates, blog articles relevant to their sector/ site, personalized seo training seminar, regular catch up meetings/ phone calls, etc.

5/ The SEO agency isn't ‘any good'

Perhaps the SEO agency doesn't really know what they are talking about OR they are under servicing the account due to lack of resource/ because they simply plan to bleed the client dry OR they are poor at managing client expectations OR they do not understand your business, etc. Whatever the reason, an incompetent agency should be avoided at all costs.

6/ Lack of support

The client's other agencies and own internal departments are not fully supporting SEO activity. Web developers might impact site performance and/ or development or you are missing a trick by not involving content writers, social media managers, PR department, etc - whatever the reason; by not involving all interested parties results in lost opportunity and diminished results.

7/ You already have the skill set in house

This is an obvious one however in the current climate of reducing costs more businesses are taking SEO in house as they ‘have' all the skills they need within the business (or are willing to recruit them). Just make sure you really do have the necessary skill sets rather than simply thinking you do!

8/ You cannot afford it

Again this seems rather obvious however an SEO agency is generally not recommended for sites with low traffic and margin. It can be hugely beneficial to employ an SEO agency however it could cost several £1000 per month to employ a decent agency and the returns need to be achievable to justify the investment.

About the Author

Paul Morris writes about all things seo, ppc and search engine related.