Every industry has its share of frauds, and SEO is no exception. You won’t find a shortage of posts on Reddit calling SEO a scam, claiming that it never delivered results despite doing it by the book. Some even suspect that claiming that it’s a “long game” is a good way to keep people paying for services that don’t do jack.
And it isn’t like some of these accusations aren’t grounded in past events.
In 2011, JCPenney got into serious hot water after The New York Times exposed its black-hat SEO campaign. A closer look at the 2,000-plus pages that linked back to its product pages revealed that most of the backlinks were completely unrelated. Imagine the link to “black dresses” being tacked onto “nuclear.engineeringaddict.com.”
In a statement, JCPenney said it wasn’t aware of the black-hat shenanigans going on. After having all the links taken down, it promptly cut ties with the SEO firm responsible. Still, the damage was done: Google penalized the department store chain hard.
I’d be lying if I said SEO was infallible. I once worked for an agency that used methods that would get any website penalized or even deindexed today. Then again, your agency may be one of the few that uphold integrity no matter what. You’re up a creek, but you’re also what the industry needs to show that SEO works when done right.
Avoid Making Guarantees
I’ve explained this many times in previous blog posts, but it’s worth saying again:
There are no guarantees in SEO.
Search engines keep the specifics of their algorithms under lock and key, both as a trade secret and a security measure. All that we know so far either comes from the developers or, as Brian Dean of Backlinko puts it, “SEO nerd speculation.”
Even with this information, no one (other than the developers) can be really sure how the algorithm ranks content. Anyone who claims otherwise either doesn’t know what they’re talking about or, worse, may be using black-hat techniques.
But, fine, let me humor you for a bit. If there are guarantees, it’s the following:
Rankings are beyond your control: You can optimize content as best you can and even make further edits later. But in the end, only the algorithm dictates its ranking. Google takes this a step further, stating that it doesn’t do special favors.
Results can take months or years: SEO is—and has always been—a waiting game. Black-hat techniques may speed up the process, but search engines will eventually catch on. And when they do, expect the consequences to be severe.
Content going live isn’t the end: Aside from being a waiting game, SEO is a never-ending process. Every piece of content needs to be optimized to keep up with later algorithm updates, especially with Google’s.
If your agency focuses on guarantees, you're looking at the wrong metrics. Rankings and other SEO metrics, while important, are only means to an end. An SEO campaign can be considered a success if it’s helped boost leads, conversions, and return on investment.
Stop Cold Emailing (Or, At Least, Do It Right)
I get a lot of emails from SEO professionals offering guest posting services, which I usually ignore. Not only am I in no position to accept these, but many of these aren’t even trying to be attractive. Take these two messages I got last December, for example.
These messages are likely part of a “spray-and-pray” rather than a precision approach. You can see red flags all over the place, such as:
The salutation was a simple “Hi,” not addressed to the recipient
The emails were sent six minutes apart based on the timestamps
The message was a copy-paste, the only difference being the sender’s name
The message didn’t contain any other contact details than the sender’s email
I’ve received so many emails like this that I personally wouldn’t recommend adopting cold emailing for your outreach. Doing it like the example above is just asking for your agency to be blacklisted. There are better alternatives like creating high-quality content and engaging in community discussions (namely on LinkedIn or Reddit).
That said, I should point out that cold emailing doesn’t automatically make your business a scam. Businesses still utilize this method for generating leads or building key partnerships. If you want cold emailing done right, watching this 41-minute video from Instantly is a start. It’s a long watch, but the tips there will serve you well for years.
Be Transparent With Clients
Nothing hurts an industry more than a lack of transparency. It becomes more important in SEO, where a lot of aspects aren’t fully understood.
This doesn’t mean disclosing everything about your agency, including trade secrets. If you can’t explain how SEO deliverables translate to business growth, you have a problem. The client deserves clear answers, even if the search engine chooses to be vague. To that end, here are some examples of being transparent.
1. Stop Using “SEO is Technical” as an Excuse
Hiding behind jargon is a poor reflection of SEO expertise. It’s your job to help your clients understand the nitty-gritty details and bring them peace of mind. Otherwise, people might start to think that you’re conning them by confusing them with technical terms.
Use plain language to explain your proposed strategies and techniques to your clients. The term “search engine results page” may be simpler if shortened to SERP, but “results page” works fine (especially when in a call). In case of jargon that can’t be simplified, ensure the definition is easy to understand.
2. Avoid Charging Hidden Fees
SEO services don’t come cheap, which is all the more reason to be transparent about your agency’s pricing. The last thing your client wants is to realize that their SEO billing is longer than what was originally discussed. Boom, trust ruined.
Not all clients will be happy with a hefty total price, and some might search elsewhere for a lower quote. However, note that they’re also wary of services offering prices so low that it’s too good to be true. Instead of hiding fees, explain to them how you came up with the price, along with a breakdown of each billable.
3. Display Reviews on Your Website
Most consumers pick a product or service by reading its reviews. While they can be found on review platforms such as Google Business Profile, the business website is typically the first point of contact. As such, it’s a good idea to display your agency’s reviews on its site.
“Even the bad ones?” I hear you ask. Well, it depends.
If the bad reviews involve outright spam, it’s safe to disregard them. If necessary, you can flag and report the review to the platform for possible user violations.
However, if the reviews come from dissatisfied clients or those with honest feedback, your agency has an obligation to handle them professionally. If successful, there’s a chance the client may edit their review to a more positive tone, which you can proudly display.
Resist the urge to cherry-pick reviews or, worse, create fake ones under multiple accounts. Consumers can discern what’s genuine and what isn’t, even if they don’t want to.
4. Disclose Your Methodology
There are things that a company has to keep secret, but an SEO methodology isn’t exactly one of them. Clients deserve to know how you plan to boost their visibility in a competitive environment like search. Whether through a spreadsheet or a video call, provided that the plan is explained in detail, the manner of disclosure doesn’t matter.
It also helps if the plan is grounded in data-based evidence. One online marketing expert wrote that SEO research tends to be like a mirage—it lies as much as it tells the truth. In addition, it helps you recognize good SEO from the bad.
A Bad Apple Spoils The Bunch
It only takes one bad action or individual to undo all the good that an industry has done, and SEO is no exception. Honest work is never easy, but it’s the only way to nurture trust with clients and, eventually, the public. Every SEO agency that commits to the white-hat playbook is a step toward building the industry’s trustworthiness.