SEO Sales Pitches: Red Flags to Watch For
By CodexierPublished 5 min read
Almost every Swedish small business gets the call or email: we noticed your website is not on the first page of Google, and we can fix that this month. Some of these offers are honest but overpriced. Some are harmful, because the tactics they use can get a site penalised. The difference is usually visible in the pitch itself, if you know what to listen for. This guide lists the red flags and the questions that reveal a bad offer before you sign.
Guaranteed rankings
Google says itself that no one can guarantee a number one ranking. When a seller does, one of three things is usually going on: the guaranteed keywords are obscure phrases nobody searches for, the guarantee refers to paid ads rather than organic results, or the promise is simply not kept and the contract has no consequence for that. Ask which exact searches are guaranteed, how many people search for them each month, and what happens if the guarantee is missed.
Secret methods and link networks
SEO is not secret. What works is documented publicly by Google and discussed openly in the industry: useful content, a technically sound site, a strong local presence and links earned from real sites. A supplier who cannot explain what they will do, in plain language, is either hiding something or does not know.
- Hundreds of links promised per month, from sites you have never heard of.
- Private blog networks: groups of sites that exist only to link to clients.
- Guest posts on sites that publish anything for a fee, clearly marked with sponsored content everywhere.
- Mass-produced articles on your site with no editorial check.
- Anything that the seller asks you not to mention to anyone.
Bought links that pass ranking value break Google's spam policies. The risk is a manual action or links that simply stop counting, and cleaning up is slow. Our guide on earning links without buying them covers what works instead.
Long lock-in contracts
SEO takes time, and a minimum period of a few months is reasonable so the work has a chance to show results; see how long SEO takes. A 24- or 36-month binding with no exit clause is not about giving the work time. It is about securing revenue regardless of results.
| Contract term | Reasonable | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum period | Three to six months, then monthly | Two or three years, auto-renewing |
| Exit | Notice period of one to three months | No exit, or exit fee equal to the remaining period |
| Ownership | Content, accounts and data are yours | Supplier owns the content or the Google accounts |
| Scope | Deliverables listed per month | SEO package without specifying what is done |
| Price changes | Stated in advance | Unilateral increases without notice |
Reports without business metrics
A bad offer often comes with a sample report full of rankings for long keyword lists and scores from third-party tools. Those can move up while your enquiries go nowhere. Ask to see how the supplier reports enquiries, bookings or sales from organic search, and whether the data comes from your own Google Search Console and analytics accounts. Our checklist on what a good SEO report shows gives you the benchmark.
Questions that expose a bad offer
- What exactly will you do in the first three months, and why those things for our business?
- Where will links come from, and can you show examples from current clients?
- Which search terms matter for us, and how did you decide that?
- How do you measure whether this brings us customers, not just traffic?
- Who owns the content, the accounts and the data if we end the contract?
- What is the notice period, and is there any fee for leaving?
- Who does the work, and is any of it subcontracted?
Decision rule: if a supplier cannot answer questions 1, 2 and 5 clearly in the first conversation, stop there. When you do not need to buy SEO at all: a small local business with a sound website and a well-kept Google Business Profile may get most of the benefit from doing the basics itself. If you want an ongoing partner, our growth retainer has monthly terms and reports on leads, and you can book a short call to put these questions to us too.
Frequently asked questions
Is every cold SEO email a scam?
Not every one, but a supplier who contacts you with a generic claim about your website without having looked at your business is a weak start. Ask the questions in this guide before taking it further.
Can bought links really harm my site?
Yes. Links bought to manipulate rankings break Google's spam policies. The usual effect is that they are ignored; in worse cases a manual action lowers the whole site until the links are cleaned up.
What is a fair minimum contract period for SEO?
Three to six months is common and reasonable, since results take time. After that, month-to-month with a clear notice period keeps the supplier accountable.
What if I already signed a bad SEO contract?
Read the termination terms and document what has been delivered. Make sure you have owner access to Google Search Console, analytics and Google Business Profile. For contract disputes, get legal advice.
Got an SEO offer that sounds too good?
Bring it to a free 15-minute call. We read through the promises and terms with you and tell you honestly whether it looks sound, even if you end up buying elsewhere.
Book a free 15-minute call