{"id":19241,"date":"2022-10-05T03:42:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-05T03:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nobraineragency.com\/seo\/https-www-nobraineragency-co-uk-blog-blog-10-red-flags-to-look-out-for-seo-agency\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T10:48:40","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T10:48:40","slug":"10-red-flags-to-look-out-for-seo-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobraineragency.com\/content\/10-red-flags-to-look-out-for-seo-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"10 red flags to look out for when hiring or working with a SEO agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEO is complex by name, complex by nature. There\u2019s the jargon, the constant change and different specialisms \u2013 not to mention the workload! So, it\u2019s understandable that lots of brands would like to hire an external agency to support them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

But finding the right agency can feel like a bit of a minefield, and it\u2019s easy to get confused by what to expect. That\u2019s why we\u2019re sharing 10 red flags you should be on the look-out for when choosing an agency \u2013 but also ones that should trigger warning signs when you\u2019re already working with an agency too!<\/p>\n

1. When an agency guarantees they’ll achieve number one position for your top terms<\/h2>\n

While we\u2019d all love to be able to guarantee a number one ranking for a client\u2019s top terms, this is no simple task.<\/p>\n

It involves months of hard work to ensure a site is as optimised as possible. From audits and strategies that mean refining and rebuilding technical elements of the website (for example, page speed optimisation), regularly creating the best user-centric, keyword-focused content in your market, and removing the old under-performing content, plus a whole load more – all while ensuring they\u2019re growing their backlink profile.<\/p>\n

Although it is possible, you should never trust an agency if they promise a number one ranking straight out the doors.<\/p>\n

2. When an agency never asks for your input on work they’re doing<\/h2>\n

Collaboration is key! The customer knows best, so they should be helping to inform everything, from the content to target queries.<\/p>\n

For example, one of the key elements to a successful organic search strategy, is that the content produced is relevant to your industry and target audience. How can an agency do this without regular interaction and input from you?<\/p>\n

From our experience, the more you collaborate with your client, the better the result (and the experience for them)! That\u2019s why we always have multiple ways our client and teams can connect \u2013 from MS Teams or Slack, to Trello and a good old-school phone call.<\/p>\n

3. “Content doesn’t matter”<\/h2>\n

With 5+ billion internet users completing 40,000 searches every second, it\u2019s no wonder that it\u2019s such hard work to get anywhere on organic search.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s where content makes a BIG difference. Google wants to give users the best, most accurate and relevant content to any query. It\u2019s with content that you can offer that and have a significant point of difference compared to others when it\u2019s done well.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGreat content can help any brand lay solid foundations that builds-up your authority for a wider pool of queries \u2013 and when done right, it\u2019ll help you rank higher for the keywords that matter (and convert) most.\u201d<\/em>
\nLaura Rudd \u2013 Head of SEO at No Brainer<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For example, creating content for search helps:<\/p>\n