8 lies you might have heard from your SEO Specialist

It’s not always easy being an SEO specialist. Often, you live in Google’s shadow, in a parallel world where jokes and anecdotes only make sense to other SEO specialists—met with blank stares by people in the “real” world. A world where everything can change overnight, with constant pondering about the search engines’ next moves and what the next big update might bring.

In our parallel world, the most common answer to most questions is, “It depends.” In the real world, people just want clear answers and solutions to their problems. It’s often at the collision of these two worlds that the issues arise.

With the uncertainty caused by this clash, it’s easy for a tweet to escalate into an article that’s then misunderstood and turns into “knowledge” (granted, that part isn’t so different from the real world).

So it’s no surprise that there are many misconceptions in our industry. In fact, you should probably be more concerned if an SEO specialist promises too much or gives overly definite answers to vague problems.

That said, there are some red flags you can watch out for. Here are 8 lies you may have heard from your SEO specialist.

1. “We guarantee…”

You could really put just about anything after “We guarantee…”—over the years, we’ve heard all kinds of promises made to business owners during SEO sales pitches.

A lot can be achieved with SEO, but far from everything. Common guarantees include reaching the number one ranking for specific keywords or doubling your revenue within just a few months.

In digital marketing and SEO, there are no guarantees. This is especially true when positive outcomes are paired with short, specific timelines. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And that rule doesn’t just apply to SEO—it’s pretty solid across the board.

2. “Your current agency sucks”

There are many ways to win new clients. The less serious agencies and individual SEO consultants sometimes resort to contacting companies to convince them that their current agency isn’t doing a good job. They might point out supposed “mistakes” on the site or claim that the links pointing to it aren’t good enough.

Sometimes this works, but often it doesn’t—mainly because what’s being labeled as “bad” is usually something the client is already aware of but can’t change at the moment. Using this tactic can also backfire, as it often reveals that the person reaching out doesn’t understand the deeper, underlying factors involved. These “mistakes” may require developer resources that small business owners simply can’t afford right now.

It’s also worth mentioning that badmouthing someone else’s work is hardly the best foundation for a new, trust-based partnership.

3. “We know your industry”

As an SEO specialist, you need to be something of a “Jack of all trades,” and having a broad interest in various topics is definitely a plus. However, being an expert in every industry and niche is a tall order. So when someone claims, “We know your industry,” you should take it with a grain of salt and follow up with a few questions before moving forward.

The full saying “Jack of all trades” actually continues with “master of none,” which highlights the fact that it’s impossible to be a true expert in every single field. That said, many SEO specialists are excellent at diving into new projects and learning quickly about your specific business.

4. “More is always better”

“Less is more” isn’t a concept embraced by the SEO consultants who insist that more is always the key to results—more links, more content, more pages, and so on. But it’s important to highlight that quality often matters far more than quantity.

SEO is a balancing act, and sometimes too much of a good thing can actually harm a website. There needs to be a strategic reason behind adding or removing anything. You might not need more links to improve a keyword’s ranking. It’s also not always necessary to add more content or pages to get results.

It may sound dull, but sometimes “just enough” is the sweet spot—and that’s exactly why this point lands in the middle of the article. Perfectly balanced.

5. “SEO will double your sales”

Few things are as frustrating for a business owner as hearing an outside consultant claim they can double sales—without truly understanding the company’s unique circumstances or financial situation. Rarely does an SEO specialist have full insight into all the variables and history necessary to make such promises.

This kind of knowledge is crucial when estimating the conversion potential of the organic traffic an SEO campaign might generate. Even calculating expected traffic is tricky—let alone predicting how much of it will convert into sales. Conversion rates depend on countless unpredictable factors that can’t be seen through an SEO-only lens.

For instance, an economic downturn can hit certain industries harder than others. Or imagine an ice cream company suddenly seeing decreased summer sales—not because of SEO performance, but simply because the weather wasn’t right.’

6. “You can’t optimize your site on your own”

This statement falls flat in its own absurdity when said to an entrepreneur. If you’ve started or run a business, you know that nothing is impossible to do on your own. Of course, you can learn SEO and optimize your own site. In some niches, you can even make significant progress with relatively little knowledge, by focusing on key factors like indexing, titles, content, site speed, and so on.

However, in more competitive sectors, it may be necessary to seek help from a specialist. That said, even in those cases, having an interest and a basic understanding of what SEO entails can be extremely beneficial. We do want to emphasize that there are occasions when it’s best to enlist a specialist’s help to avoid larger issues—for example, when migrating a site.

7. “We can ‘hack’ the algorithm”

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard digital marketers claim they can outsmart the algorithm, or “hack” the algorithm, as it’s sometimes called. The big tech companies, like Facebook and Google, invest enormous amounts of money hiring the brightest minds. On top of that, they spend a vast amount on getting these smart minds to collaborate effectively.

Therefore, it’s unreasonable to think that a consultant, sometimes working freelance from their basement, has the ability and resources to outsmart the algorithm. Sure, it’s possible to find loopholes here and there, but in the long run, it’s usually more effective to work with the algorithms. Focus on helping Google find, index, and understand your site, and put energy into being better than your direct competitors.

8. “SEO requires no work from your side”

As with everything in life, the results you get are often directly related to the effort you put in. It’s rare for things to go well without investing some time and energy. This might involve making changes on your site, writing content, or analyzing results. We wouldn’t recommend completely handing everything over to a specialist or agency. It’s often through collaboration that the best results are achieved.

To revisit the earlier point about SEO specialists claiming they “know your industry,” it’s rarely the case. Therefore, in most situations, a successful collaboration is what makes the SEO work effective.