Short answer: Watch for promises of first place on Google, long contracts with steep cancellation fees, accounts set up in the company’s name instead of yours, vague monthly reports, copy-and-paste template sites, and fake reviews or made-up credentials.
They promise first place on Google
Nobody controls Google's results. Google's own guidance on hiring an SEO says no one can guarantee a number one ranking. A company that promises it is either guessing or planning to point to a search nobody makes.
You're locked into a long contract
A long contract with steep cancellation fees means the company doesn't have to keep earning your business. Ask what happens if you want to leave in three months, and get the answer in writing.
You don't own your own accounts
Your domain name, your Google Business Profile and your Google accounts should be in your name, under your control. If a company sets them up in its own name, leaving can mean losing your web address or your map listing.
- Ask whose name the domain is registered in.
- Ask whose Google account your Business Profile is on.
They can't tell you what they actually do
If you're paying monthly for SEO, you should get a regular report you can actually understand, one that shows where you stand in Google. Vague reports full of charts you can't make sense of are a bad sign.
Their sites are templates with your name dropped in
Look at other sites they've built. If they all look and read the same, with only the business name and town swapped, yours will too. Google doesn't reward copy-and-paste pages, and customers can tell.
They write fake reviews or make up facts
Some companies fill a new site with made-up testimonials, ratings or credentials. Fake reviews break Google's rules and the FTC's rules on endorsements, and they're embarrassing if a customer notices. Your site should only show real reviews and credentials you actually hold.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Can I see three sites you built, and talk to one of those owners?
- What happens, and what does it cost, if I want to leave?
- Whose name will my domain and Google accounts be in?
- What exactly will you do each month, and how will I know it was done?
- Who writes the words on my site, and where do the facts come from?
How we handle these
HollerWeb doesn't do long-term contracts, so you can leave whenever you want. We set up Google Business Profiles on your own Google account. We never write fake reviews or invent credentials, and we don't promise rankings. You can see real before-and-after examples of our work on this site.
Common questions
Is a monthly website plan a bad idea?
Not by itself. Monthly plans can make a good site affordable. What matters is that the terms are clear up front, including what happens if you leave, and that your Google accounts are in your name.
How can I tell if reviews on a website are real?
Look for reviews that match the business's Google reviews, name a real source, and sound like real customers. A wall of five-star quotes with no source is a warning sign.