Is your SEO agency ripping you off? (7 Red Flags)

Book FREE SEO Strategy session: https://eliotprince.com/seo-consultant/ In this episode, I expose the 7 biggest red flags that your SEO agency is taking you for a ride. If you're paying monthly fees but seeing zero results - no traffic growth, no new customers, no leads - this video will save you thousands. I'll show you exactly what to look for before you spend another dollar on SEO services that don't work. Pointless busy work that doesn't improve rankings • Example: 2000-page meta description "optimization" projects • Meta descriptions haven't been ranking factors for over a decade • Google rewrites them automatically anyway • Pure busy work designed to rack up billable hours Refusing to show actual work completed • Vague answers like "optimizing pages" or "technical stuff" • No monthly reports showing specific deliverables • Can't provide list of completed tasks • Good agencies show exactly what they did each month Guaranteeing specific rankings or keyword positions • SEO is competitive - you can't guarantee #1 rankings • Often target irrelevant, easy keywords for vanity metrics • May promise "100 top 3 rankings" that bring zero relevant traffic • Legitimate agencies discuss likelihood, not guarantees No new content or website updates being created • Not improving existing pages based on data • No new landing pages for local opportunities • No blog content for topical authority building • If you see no updates + no traffic growth = major red flag Hiding behind technical jargon and buzzwords • Using complex language clients don't understand • Won't explain how work relates to business growth • Good agencies break everything down in simple English • Should always connect technical work to customer acquisition Shady link building practices • Won't show you the links they're building • Links from low-quality, random websites • Focuses on "domain authority" metrics (not real Google metrics) • Quality links come from trusted, relevant sources Basement rates that seem too good to be true • $250-500/month can't deliver meaningful results • Decent agencies charge $1000+ per day • Low rates = minimal time allocation after admin/reporting • You're paying for maintenance, not growth Bonus: Green flags of legitimate SEO agencies - Great case studies, transparent reporting, quick wins + long-term strategy, and clients willing to give references. Bottom line: If your agency shows these red flags and you're not seeing results, it's time to find someone who actually delivers growth for your business.