Avoiding cookie-cutter SEO: 8 red flags

Not all SEO providers are created equal. Learn how to avoid cookie-cutter approaches and find the right SEO partner.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been around for decades, yet experiences with it vary widely, as clients have told me many times. With many agencies offering SEO services today gives the impression that SEO is a commodity and that one provider’s offering is much like another’s. 

However, not all SEO is created equal. Choosing an SEO resource or partner based on price or generalized factors alone is risky. It often leads to cookie-cutter approaches that fail to meet the business’s specific goals and needs.

Ultimately, you don't just want good SEO, you want customers, buying customers.

Here are several red flags to watch out for.

1. Rush to get started

I worked as a consultant for more than 17 years, and I quickly learned that rushing into quick solutions for a project rarely yields the intended results. It is good that us technical types want to geek out on the tech and solutions. But any effort has to be aligned to business goals. Otherwise why do it.

As you consider resources for your own SEO efforts, you want an employee or vendor who doesn’t see you as a quick opportunity to make money or bag a new client but is careful to make sure that both sides of the relationship will be positive. 

Jumping in and getting started is great if it is with helpful intent. It is a red flag, though, if you start getting sales-speak, taken through someone else's sales funnel, and sold something without many questions asked. You’ll likely get a cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all approach that isn’t unique to your specific goals and needs.

2. Claims it is easy

If someone claims SEO is easy, get clarification on what that means. They might be a genius and have it all figured out. If so, great. If they imply it is easy because they only do one or two things and call it SEO, dig deeper.

And remember what they do within SEO isn’t all you should do within your strategy. That's why it is a strategy, otherwise is just a tactic. Make sure it isn’t taking a shortcut or being short-sighted in a way that you’re not comfortable with.

3. Low price leader

Pricing can be a touchy subject. There are a lot of games and psychological tricks that SEO tools, consultants, and providers have. Whether it is published package pricing or a fully custom bid approach, I don’t know there is a right answer. And the cheapest option is not necessarily the worst.

I remember an old boss that always said, in most cases, you get what you pay for. 

Resources and options vary greatly, and you want to fully understand what you’re buying.

4. Lack of strategy

Ongoing SEO work is full of tactics. But also many “best practices” out there that are solid and built on time-tested and proven SEO methods and techniques. However, even if you’re doing all the right stuff, you can still spend a lot of time and money not seeing the results you want down the road.

But the objective is not to have good SEO, even with best practices and all, the objectives are your business goals. And make sure you are driving the strategy, not the agency.

A defined strategy leads to established goals, planned tactics, agility in the plan, and building the right expectations and accountability.

5. Little transparency

Transparency and understanding what goes into an SEO investment is important. Not that you want to know it all at the level of the agency, but you need to be comfortable with what the plan is and what your team does versus the vendor.

When you feel a lack of transparency, challenge it immediately. This is why I spend a lot of time explaining things to prospective clients, translating technical jargon into plain language. And making sure you understand how it all works for you.

6. Siloed approach

Small business owners wear a lot of hats, just one reason you are outsourcing SEO. But remember this phrase: you delegate, not abdicate. That's true with employees and vendors.

The best SEO, or any service, is done by working with all the stakeholders to see the job through and ensure everything is implemented and optimized fully. And aligned to business goals. That includes you, the owner.

7. Full-service offering or value-add

We work with other agencies who bring us in as their SEO partner. SEO is one of our specialties, they have theirs. This is a common setup for full-service or integrated agencies.

Speaking from experience, it is hard to be the best or good at everything. There is nothing wrong with bringing in expert partners. Just ask the right questions to be in the know, like, who is doing this work, what is you bench depth, etc.

8. Set it and forget it

SEO is not easy. It isn’t something you do once or every once in a while.

SEO requires strategy, tactical implementation, monitoring, and ongoing work to be successful.

I explain to many prospective clients that it needs time, requires commitment from you, the business owner, to make it successful, otherwise is wasted money. I don't want you to waste money, our mission is to bring you money as revenue from more customers.

Make sure you get monthly reports and that you can interpret and understand them, ask for clarifications any time you see something that's not clear.

Takeaways

Whether you do SEO internally or hire an agency, know that SEO can be very effective when aligned to business goals, but make sure you understand what is being done, how it works and:

• Don't rush, plan
• It is not easy
• Low price? Sure, but know what you are getting
• Strategy over tactics
• Transparency and understanding is key
• No siloed decisions, stay involved
• Agency partner to enhance strengths
• It's not set it and forget it or done every once in a while

That last one is key, if you want more sales, you need more marketing. Marketing is the precursor to sales.

Thus, for consistent sales you need consistent marketing. And SEO should be just one part of your strategy.

What do you think? Ready to do SEO and bring in more customers?