Choosing an SEO agency can feel overwhelming. You see prices ranging from $300 to $30,000 per month, agencies promising guaranteed results, and conflicting advice about whether SEO is even worth it anymore. After 16 years in SEO and hundreds of conversations with business owners who weren’t sure if their agency was delivering results, I’ve identified five critical things you must understand before investing in SEO services.
These insights will help you distinguish between reputable agencies and those that might be taking advantage of your lack of SEO knowledge. Whether you’re considering your first SEO investment or questioning your current agency’s performance, understanding these fundamentals will save you both money and frustration.
1. Set Realistic Expectations About SEO Results
The biggest mistake business owners make is expecting SEO to work like a magic button that instantly catapults them to the top of Google. SEO is a long-term investment, not a quick fix.
Understanding Your Competitive Reality
You can’t simply SEO your way past competitors that are 10 times your size or have 10 times more brand authority. Google’s algorithms have become sophisticated enough to recognize and reward established, trusted brands. This doesn’t mean smaller businesses can’t succeed with SEO—it means you need to understand what’s realistic.
Think of it in terms of what Authority Hackers calls “corridors.” You exist within a competitive corridor based on your company’s size, authority, and resources. SEO can help you reach the top of your corridor, but moving to the next corridor requires becoming a bigger, more authoritative brand through multiple marketing channels.
What You Should Expect
Research shows that sustainable SEO results typically take 3-6 months, with noticeable improvements often requiring 6-12 months. You should see some quick wins in the first month if you’ve never done SEO before, but major gains require patience.
Realistic first-year goals include:
- Moving into the top 20 or top 10 for target keywords
- Gradual increases in organic traffic (not massive jumps)
- Improved website engagement metrics
- Better visibility for terms where you have a legitimate chance to compete
Remember: SEO should complement other marketing efforts like Google Ads, social media, and brand building—not replace them entirely.
2. Be Extremely Wary of Guarantees
If an SEO agency guarantees specific rankings, they’re either lying to you or planning to trick you. No reputable SEO agency can guarantee rankings because search algorithms are constantly changing and highly unpredictable.
How the Guarantee Scam Works
Agencies that offer “guaranteed #1 rankings” typically target keywords with zero competition—often meaningless terms that no one actually searches for. They might guarantee you’ll rank #1 for your exact company name (which should happen anyway) or an obscure phrase like “blue widget solutions in Springfield.”
According to industry experts, guaranteed SEO packages often target only the easiest keywords, not your true business terms. This wastes your money and can even trigger Google penalties.
The Pay-for-Performance Exception
Some agencies offer pay-for-performance models where you only pay for actual leads from SEO. While this sounds appealing, it’s problematic because:
- It’s difficult to definitively attribute leads to SEO efforts
- You’re essentially entering a partnership that requires deep trust
- The agency’s incentives may not align with your long-term brand building
Unless you’d feel comfortable giving the agency equity in your business, avoid these arrangements.
What Good Agencies Do Instead
Reputable agencies will provide educated predictions about potential results and explain their reasoning, but they won’t guarantee specific outcomes. They understand that SEO success depends on numerous factors beyond their control, including algorithm updates, competitor actions, and market changes.
3. Ensure Your Strategist Has a First-Principles Understanding
Many people calling themselves “SEO experts” are actually just task executors trained to follow specific processes. The person developing your SEO strategy must understand how search algorithms fundamentally work, not just follow a playbook.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
Search algorithms change daily, and the pace of change is accelerating with AI integration. Someone who relies on outdated tactics or waits for industry best practices to emerge will leave you behind. Your strategist needs the ability to reason through algorithm changes and adapt strategies in real-time.
Questions to Test Their Understanding
Ask your potential SEO agency these questions:
“How do Google’s algorithms determine rankings?” They should provide a clear, detailed explanation covering relevance, authority, user experience, and technical factors—not vague generalizations.
“How has your process changed since last year?” They should immediately describe specific adaptations they’ve made, showing they’re actively evolving their approach.
“How do you predict your process might change in the next 1-2 years?” Look for thoughtful speculation about AI integration, user behavior shifts, and algorithm evolution.
“How will we know if the campaign is working?” They should define specific, measurable success metrics upfront, making it easier to hold them accountable later.
“How do you determine the best allocation of resources?” They should explain how they prioritize different SEO activities based on your specific situation and ROI potential.
If they can’t answer these questions clearly or resort to technical jargon without explanation, they likely don’t have the deep understanding necessary for success.
4. Understand That SEO Isn’t a Standardized Product
Every SEO campaign should be unique to your business, industry, and competitive landscape. Beware of agencies that offer identical service packages or focus heavily on deliverable quantities.
Why “10 Blog Posts Per Month” Means Nothing
Agencies often present deliverables like “keyword research,” “content creation,” and “2 backlinks monthly.” These terms are meaningless without understanding the quality and strategic thinking behind them. A single high-quality, strategically-targeted blog post can outperform 10 generic articles.
Industry data suggests that very cheap, high-volume offers are dangerous. Agencies promising extensive work for suspiciously low fees typically rely on:
- Outsourced labor with minimal oversight
- Automated tools that produce generic content
- Low-quality backlinks that can harm your rankings
Red Flags in Service Offerings
Be cautious if an agency:
- Promises an unusually high number of backlinks monthly for a low price
- Offers identical packages to all clients regardless of industry
- Can’t explain why specific deliverables matter for your business
- Focuses more on quantity than strategic value
What to Look for Instead
Choose agencies that:
- Customize their approach based on your specific needs and goals
- Explain the strategic reasoning behind each deliverable
- Adapt their services as your campaign progresses
- Prioritize quality and strategic impact over quantity
5. Plan to Be Actively Involved in the Process
If an agency isn’t asking much from you beyond login credentials, they’re not doing high-quality work. Effective SEO requires collaboration because no agency understands your business, customers, and industry nuances as well as you do.
Why Your Involvement Matters
SEO experts stress that content is key and client knowledge is crucial. Only you have:
- Deep understanding of your customers’ pain points and language
- Industry insights that external consultants might miss
- Your brand’s unique voice and positioning
- Knowledge of which products or services truly drive your business
Without this input, agencies can only create generic, templated content that’s unlikely to achieve meaningful results.
What Good Agencies Request
Expect your agency to:
- Conduct comprehensive discovery sessions (often 90+ minutes)
- Request regular feedback on content drafts
- Ask for insights about customer behavior and preferences
- Seek your input on industry trends and competitive intelligence
- Require access to analytics and business performance data
Balancing Involvement with Efficiency
While your involvement is crucial, good agencies minimize the time burden by:
- Conducting thorough upfront discovery to gather the most needed information
- Creating efficient feedback processes for content review
- Asking targeted questions rather than open-ended requests
- Batching requests to avoid constant interruptions
Research shows that increased client involvement leads to substantially improved SEO results. Plan to stay engaged rather than expecting to “set it and forget it.”
What About AI and the Future of Search?
The search landscape is rapidly evolving with AI integration. Forward-thinking agencies should be adapting their strategies for:
- AI-powered search results and featured snippets
- Voice search optimization
- Content optimization for AI language models
- New metrics tracking AI-driven traffic sources
Ask potential agencies how they’re preparing for these changes. If they seem unaware of AI’s impact on search or can’t explain their adaptation strategies, they may not be keeping pace with industry evolution.
SEO Investment Guidelines
Quality SEO typically costs $1,000-$5,000+ monthly for most businesses, depending on the level of competition and the scope of the campaign. Very small businesses might find basic packages in the $500-$1,000 range, but these usually involve limited services.
Remember: The cheapest option is rarely the best value. Focus on agencies that can demonstrate clear strategic thinking, have relevant experience, and provide transparent pricing explanations.
Making the Right Choice
Choosing an SEO agency is like selecting a business partner. The right agency will:
- Set realistic expectations about timelines and results
- Refuse to guarantee specific rankings
- Demonstrate deep strategic understanding beyond task execution
- Customize their approach to your unique situation
- Welcome and require your active participation
Take time to interview multiple agencies, ask the questions outlined above, and trust your instincts about their expertise and transparency.
If you’re still unsure about your current agency or need help evaluating potential partners, I offer complimentary website audits and agency assessments. Understanding what good SEO looks like is the first step toward making an investment that actually drives business growth. Ready to make an informed SEO decision? The right agency partnership can transform your online visibility and business growth—but only if you know what to look for and what to expect from the process.