Lessons from an SEO Agency Review

When a business owner approaches a service provider for a service. Usually, it is because they lack knowledge on how to do something, don’t have the internal staff, or don’t want to spend the effort or time to learn to do it, or do it themselves.

However, this “knowledge gap” sometime being used by service provider to provide subpar services, while charging for unfair amount of money. Which usually are not of equal value of the services rendered.

A case study I wanted to discuss about today is to hopefully fill this “Knowledge Gap”, and how to prevent SEO Agency from abusing it.

Reviewing an existing SEO services contract for client’s newly acquired company, they still paying for it monthly.

As usual, start by taking back all the ownership of the company’s internet presence. There are hoops and loops to go through for sure. Still manage to gain access to usual admin access for website, google analytics and google search console.

Meanwhile, some discussion with the staffs, and previous owners. The information I gathered are:

• The SEO agency is very good, very professional, have international branch.
• They gotten their website to Google SERP Page 1 and ranked Number 1 for a few keywords.
• Everyday also got leads coming in from the website contact form.
• Every month also got a report email.

While waiting for all the administrator access being compiled. I had discussion with the new Manager. Asking about the actual leads count but seem like there’s barely any high-quality leads.

Then we discuss with the IT manager together, gone through the leads email, and notice almost all of them are actually spams. This is caused by the SEO agency (also the website developer) not properly configure the website’s form with anti-spam plugins and so on. Letting the previous owner having an impression that a lot of leads came in.

Anyway, after we gotten all the admin access to Website backend and Google search console. I also dig into the monthly report email, and the data in Google Search Console.

First thing I see is the monthly report forwarded to me. Issues with it are:

• Only 1 cropped image with around 10 keywords that ranked at Google SERP, with their ranking.
• There’s no other data column, just purely the keywords, and its rank.
• There’s no date.
• Then another PDF with GA Traffic Acquisition report.
  • At least with date range, but the report is showing too low volume, less than 100 users monthly with around 25% from Direct source.

By this stage, already have a big red flag waving at me. So, I took a look at the Google Search Console data. To my surprise, the stats are below:

• Around 1k impression per month
• Around 50 clicks per month
• Average CTR is around 4.5%, which is consider quite good.
• Average rank is around 14.2, which is consider quite good.

Something just doesn’t add up. So, I dig in and found that:

• Average CTR is high due to almost all clicks are the company name. (Brand Keyword)
• Average rank is good, due to all ranked keywords are mainly the company name. (Brand keyword)

Then I check those ranked keywords from the cropped image of Ranking Keywords. The 2 Ranked #1 keywords are not as number #1. It is around ranked 20 and is also only showing up in ranking intermittently.

Based on the understanding, or at least previous owner was under the impression that those top-ranking keywords are bringing in traffic. But from my finding, it doesn’t seem to be that case. Most of the traffic to the lead landing page are from other keywords.

So, to make sure I didn’t get it wrong, I cross check 16 months GSC data, along with top ranking keywords from the few months of the Monthly Report being forwarded to me.

Results are below:

• Only 3 keywords actually bring in traffics, total of 12 clicks for past 16 months. (GSC Queries = yes)
• The rest doesn’t, even though their report showing is #1 position or what, it doesn’t matter cause not much traffic. (Wonder how they actually got the ranking in the images they provided monthly)
• Mainly is because, no one really searches for those keywords. (Can refer to the Semrush keyword volume column)

As usual, backlinks are important. So, I had a look at the Top Linking Sites.

Well, mainly are not relevant sites. Then for 1 site, inside having multiple pages linking back to usually 1 or 2 same pages of the client’s website.

Look like is all from link farm.

At this point, I was preparing to just submit my finding and recommendation to the client. However, to make sure I didn’t get it wrong, and I wanted the SEO agency to justify their monthly pricing and so on.

I actually asked them for:

• A more detail report, like at least the cropped image of top-ranking keywords is with some more traffics info.
• Then also asked what work / task is being done monthly to maintain the keywords and ranking.
  • I actually did check and confirm that at the website backend, there’s nothing being done, no new articles, no new adjustment or SEO content improvement.
  • So I was asking bout other task or action that they may be working hard on.

However, the replies were:

• Only provide that 2 report
  • Ranking Snapshot (the cropped image)
  • Google Analytics
• Because these 2 reports are the most important metrics in SEO campaign.
• They don’t provide 20+ pages report to prove they work hard. (Well, I do agree. 20+ pages is too much, usually the GSC report is sufficient for SEO. But the GSC report is not provided. We had gone through some hoops and loops to gain access to.)
• What client paid for are investment work for their R&D, and has proven to work, and is considered their Intellectual Property.

Okay. First of all.

It doesn’t work.

So anyway, after that I just submit a full report of my finding to the client’s management along with my recommendations. Then the SEO agency services was terminated.

I mean, I did try to help the SEO agency. But decision was made by client’s management.

1. Don’t let SEO agency have the opportunity to abuse your “knowledge gap”.
2. The business owner, or PIC handling the SEO agency need to have basic understanding of what SEO is.
3. Understand what’s metrics actually matters, and what damage black hats SEO practices can cause to your brand.
4. Always hold your master administrator access for your domain name, website backend, hosting backend, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console.
5. Always ask your SEO agency to actually explain what they have done, or what they have in mind, and what they have planned.
6. It is not the reported details that matter sometimes. It is their willingness to show, to discuss and to involve you in the process.
7. Hold yourself accountable for your own business online presence.

Hope this case study can help shrink the knowledge gap you have about SEO. If got any questions, you are welcome to just contact us.