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What is your biggest complaint about working with SEO companies?

Discussion in 'General Marketing' started by Barb Davids, Dec 9, 2019.

  1. #1
    I put this in General Marketing because I would think many business owners think of SEO as marketing; or not necessarily know to go in the SEO thread.

    I'm pulling together an article that shares how businesses think of SEO companies.

    For example, I had a guy say to me he didn't know if anything was being done. He got a report but he didn't understand what was actually being done.

    If you work with an SEO company, what are some things you don't like about them? Or why did you switch to the one you have now?

    Look forward to hearing from you.
    Cheers!
    Barb
     
    Barb Davids, Dec 9, 2019 IP
  2. qwikad.com

    qwikad.com Illustrious Member Affiliate Manager

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    #2
    Most (if not all) SEO experts who promise to put your site on the first page of Google don't have theirs there.

    That's my complaint.... :)
     
    qwikad.com, Dec 9, 2019 IP
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  3. sarahk

    sarahk iTamer Staff

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    #3
    We've had some shockers come through this forum spamming on behalf of their clients. I'd be nervous to suggest the use of any off-page SEO services, it's so hard to set their KPIs and assess actual effort put in.
     
    sarahk, Dec 9, 2019 IP
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  4. Barb Davids

    Barb Davids Member

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    #4
    I hear ya on that one. I would argue though that it takes time for SEO. So perhaps someone is able to work on and get their clients ranked before they can rank their own. And uff, no promises!

    Thanks for the feedback.
     
    Barb Davids, Dec 9, 2019 IP
  5. Barb Davids

    Barb Davids Member

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    #5
    Good point. Thanks for this.
     
    Barb Davids, Dec 9, 2019 IP
  6. KylieSweet

    KylieSweet Well-Known Member

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    #6
    My biggest complain to seo companies is why are they always promising that they can take my website in 1st page of Google.
     
    KylieSweet, Dec 12, 2019 IP
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  7. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #7
    My problem with SEO companies is that they are trying to get businesses to play a fool's game. Darth Google has tens of thousands of engineers whose job it is to make organic results unpredictable so that no business can count on organic traffic for reliable traffic/revenues over time. That is because Darth Google wants to sell all of these businesses their AdWords advertising as the only way to get stable, consistent results.

    While they say that they are trying to prevent spammers from manipulating organic results and that is why they have to change their algorithms frequently and not let anyone know what the changes are, that is just crap. They want the only consistent results to come from paid advertising with them and they are very good at ensuring this. So, any company offering SEO results is just hoping that they can get recurring revenues from victim companies that do not know any better.
     
    jrbiz, Dec 12, 2019 IP
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  8. JEET

    JEET Notable Member

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    #8
    I agree with @qwikad.com
    One must ask a SEO company the terms for which their own SEO website is ranking and check before hiring.

    @Barb Davids
    You said,
    I hear ya on that one. I would argue though that it takes time for SEO. So perhaps someone is able to work on and get their clients ranked before they can rank their own. And uff, no promises!

    How is this possible my friend?
    For years they cannot get their own website ranked for a couple of handful terms, how will they get results for me in around 6 months?
     
    JEET, Dec 12, 2019 IP
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  9. Barb Davids

    Barb Davids Member

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    #9
    New company is one possibility. So not years. And SEO itself is a tough industry to rank in. And when the person is working on their clients' sites and not their own, it adds to that.
     
    Barb Davids, Dec 12, 2019 IP
  10. JEET

    JEET Notable Member

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    #10
    @Barb Davids
    I understand that SEO is a tough, very tough term to rank for, not talking about ranking for that.
    The SEO company must be able to show some proof of previous ranks they got, for some website they worked on earlier.
    And they should be able to provide reference of that website owner.

    Even if this third website was their own, they must have their current contact info published on that website, so one would know.

    Without providing something like this, its just like a scam...
    It would be like someone woke up one day, dropped a WP website on a domain, selling SEO services of course, not willing to provide any proof of previous work...
    Who would pay such a so called SEO company?
     
    JEET, Dec 12, 2019 IP
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  11. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #11
    @JEET brings up some good points and the key thing that makes it even more futile is that Darth Google is battling hard against all of the SEO consultants' strategies and, quite frankly, the dark forces are winning. Of course, for me, this is a war in which I wish both sides could lose. :)
     
    jrbiz, Dec 12, 2019 IP
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  12. JEET

    JEET Notable Member

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    #12
    @jrbiz
    I think sir that your wish is coming true. Have you seen recent results of google?
    In trying to fight spam fed by SEO, google decided to rank hand picked websites higher. As a result of this, ancient websites which used to have a name have started coming back up again.

    This is ok, but google forgot that webmasters made better websites than those, "provided better information" than those ancient websites, and "algo of google" was ranking these websites higher for a reason, and people were liking results of google for a reason.
    Now when google has "fallen" back to those ancient websites, its their own searcher who is stuck with crap again...

    I can bet anything that people are now searching for the same webpages by adding domain names to their search terms, because "now" they are not finding what they used to like in google's top results anymore...

    I wrote this based on personal experiences.
     
    JEET, Dec 12, 2019 IP
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  13. mmerlinn

    mmerlinn Prominent Member

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    #13
    Pluses and minuses with Google.

    Minus, I can't seem find anything any more, but leaves me with higher margins when I can find stuff. Eliminates a lot of my competition. Much like before the internet. Very few cutthroat competitors selling at or below cost.

    Plus, neither can anyone else. Since they can't and my 40 years of contacts can, others are forced to pay the going rate or not restore their vehicles.
     
    mmerlinn, Dec 12, 2019 IP
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  14. jrbiz

    jrbiz Acclaimed Member

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    #14
    I just saw an article indicating that Darth Google, on Wednesday, made "significant changes" to its algorithms. The BS continues.
     
    jrbiz, Dec 13, 2019 IP
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  15. JEET

    JEET Notable Member

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    #15
    Didn't they just completed one update last month?
     
    JEET, Dec 13, 2019 IP
  16. robertomorelli

    robertomorelli Peon

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    #16
    Exacky what i was thinking!
     
    robertomorelli, Dec 13, 2019 IP
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  17. TagYourLeads

    TagYourLeads Greenhorn

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    #17
    the biggest complain is a promise to take sites to 1st positions very soon, and that a big part of these companies are not professionals. Just take your money.
     
    TagYourLeads, Dec 15, 2019 IP
  18. mmerlinn

    mmerlinn Prominent Member

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    #18
    Not professionals? Then HOW did they get your money?
     
    mmerlinn, Dec 15, 2019 IP
  19. KeithCash

    KeithCash Well-Known Member

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    #19
    On the other side, from an SEO person. All keywords are different on getting ranking on google front page. Example: 'Strawberry cheese cake' would be easier on getting ranked on first page of google than doing the same for the word 'SEO'. That could be a reason why an SEO Company does not have their website ranked on front page under SEO.
     
    KeithCash, Dec 17, 2019 IP
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  20. KeithCash

    KeithCash Well-Known Member

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    #20
    This depends on the keyword, how old the site is, need a page for the keyword to get ranked etc. Not sure who tells you this but on average it takes 3 months to start to see some real movement.

    Seen less time, seen more. It depends on the 'keyword' you want to get ranked under organic seo.
     
    KeithCash, Dec 17, 2019 IP