How do I tell if an SEO agency promises more than it delivers to clients?

Start with the paper. Ask for a handful of client proposals alongside the reports sent months later. Do the promises use words like “guaranteed” or “first page”, or do they describe effort and reasonable outcomes? Reports that celebrate rankings but never mention enquiries, sales or revenue suggest the agency is measuring what is easy rather than what clients need.

Then look at the clients. Ask which have left and why, and read the cancellation emails. Ask the seller for permission to speak with a few current clients, including one who was not chosen by the seller. Listen for whether they can say what they are getting. Clients who can’t describe the results often leave at the next renewal.

Look at the agency’s own behaviour. How does it handle a campaign that is not working? Does it say so, change tack and show evidence, or deflect? Check complaints, online reviews, and any refunds or credits given. Your lawyer can read the agreements for promises that could become a dispute. A good agency can show where it fell short and what it learned from that. Write down what you are told, then check each claim against a document or a client’s own account.

Key takeaways

• Set the proposals next to the reports clients received.
• Read cancellation emails and speak to current clients.
• Notice whether results are tied to enquiries and sales or only rankings.