As explored in StudioHawk’s “Why Hire An SEO Agency?” blog, agencies bring in tools, experience, and systems that most in-house teams struggle to build from scratch.
For every reputable agency that helps clients grow, there are plenty that overpromise, cut corners, or use tactics that can actually harm your site.
The real question dwells around “is hiring an SEO agency worth it?”, “can I trust this agency to be legitimate?” and “Will this SEO agency help me to achieve my business goals?”
We’ve got you in this blog, where we will break down what a trustworthy SEO agency should deliver, the red flags that suggest otherwise, and how to decide whether outsourcing SEO is the right move for your business.
But First, Why Do Businesses Hire SEO Agencies?
Most businesses bring in an SEO agency for a few core reasons:
Competitors are outranking you. When your rivals keep showing up higher in search results, they’re getting more clicks, leads, and sales. An agency can help close that gap by fixing your site structure, improving keyword targeting, and building content that actually gets seen.
Paid ads are getting too expensive. SEO builds long-term visibility without the constant spend of paid campaigns. Once your site ranks, you continue attracting traffic without paying for every single click.
You need to diversify your marketing channels. If most of your traffic comes from ads or social media, your growth is fragile. SEO adds a stable, compounding source of traffic that supports everything else.
You’ve migrated your website and lost traffic or leads. A domain or platform change can easily break rankings or tracking. SEO specialists can identify what went wrong and help recover your visibility.
Beyond these specific scenarios, most companies turn to agencies for expertise.
SEO is a blend of technical know-how, keyword research, content strategy, link building, and analysis. Very few in-house teams can cover all of that. Agencies bring a complete skill set, proven systems, and access to premium tools and data that help deliver results faster.
What A Legitimate SEO Agency Should Offer
A legitimate SEO agency is far from chasing quick wins. It’s focused on long-term growth by building steady visibility, stronger rankings, and business results that actually last.
Before discussing tactics or keywords, a good agency will ask one important question: is SEO the right fit for your business? Not every company benefits from SEO in the same way, and a trustworthy agency will be upfront about that.
They’ll take time to understand where you currently stand in your market. What’s your financial position? How much can you realistically invest in marketing? Do you have a team to help get tasks done, or will you need more support? These questions matter because SEO requires consistent effort, clear communication, and long-term commitment.
A good agency will also look at mindset. Are you genuinely interested in growth, or just chasing a shortcut? SEO rewards consistency and patience, so it works best for businesses that value sustainable progress over overnight success.
Your website is another key factor. Its structure, technical setup, and content all affect how far SEO can take you. If your site isn’t technically sound or user-friendly, even the best keyword strategy won’t deliver results. A transparent agency will flag these issues early and help you fix them before moving forward.
They’ll also analyse your niche and competitors to see who else is fighting for the same audience. Understanding the competitive space helps identify where you can stand out and what’s realistically achievable.
Most importantly, a legitimate SEO agency will tell you the truth. If SEO isn’t the right marketing channel for you right now, they’ll make it clear. And if it is? They’ll explain exactly how it can move the needle by helping you hit business goals, increase sales, and attract customers who actually convert.
Real SEO is based on building long-term value that grows with your business.
When beauty brand REFY partnered with us, the first step wasn’t chasing rankings. We started by fixing the basics including a full technical audit that resolved issues with hreflang tags, breadcrumbs, and Shopify limitations. Within a year, REFY recorded a 537% increase in non-branded impressions and a 188% lift in organic traffic. These strong foundations delivered the growth. Curious about the full process? Read our REFY case study.
This same approach applies to every client we work with. We start with keyword research that matches business goals, then carry out a technical SEO audit and provide a clear action plan. On-page and off-page optimisation come next, supported by content planning and creation aimed at consistent growth.
We back all of this up with detailed reporting that shows progress, performance, and return on investment. For a deeper breakdown of how technical audits work, check out our blog: An Introduction to Technical SEO.
Above all, we stay transparent. We explain what we’re doing, why it matters, and how success is measured. We also set realistic expectations rather than dangling false promises.
Before signing with any agency, ask for a sample report or audit. A legitimate SEO partner won’t hesitate to show how they measure success.
Red Flags: Signs of an Illegitimate SEO Agency
Not every SEO agency plays by the rules. Unfortunately, many still rely on shortcuts, recycled strategies, or outdated practices that can do more harm than good.
One of the biggest warning signs is when an agency promises fast results. If someone guarantees you’ll be “#1 on Google in a week,” take that as a red flag. Rankings take time, and anyone making bold promises like that is likely targeting irrelevant keywords or using manipulative tactics that risk search engine penalties.
A lack of transparency is another major concern.
A legitimate agency should be able to explain its methods in plain English. If they hide behind jargon or refuse to share what they’re doing, it’s a sign they may be using questionable techniques. Some rely on black hat tactics such as spammy backlinks, keyword stuffing, or low-quality content designed only to trick search engines.
These approaches might deliver a short-term boost, but they almost always backfire, damaging your rankings and reputation.
Transparency also matters when it comes to performance.
If an agency avoids setting clear metrics or can’t explain how they track results, it becomes impossible to know what you’re paying for. You should be able to see how your investment translates into measurable growth.
Poor communication is another hallmark of a bad agency. If you’re the one chasing them for updates, struggling to get a response, or never seeing reports, that’s a problem. A good SEO partner keeps you informed and accountable. You shouldn’t only hear from them when the invoice arrives.
Watch out, for agencies that overcharge and underdeliver. Some sell “premium” SEO packages that sound impressive but offer little beyond basic work. Others lock clients into long-term contracts with no flexibility or results to show for it.
A trustworthy SEO agency should feel like a partner and far from a mystery. If they’re not honest, clear, and proactive, it’s probably time to look elsewhere.
Real Benefits of Hiring a Reputable SEO Agency
Working with a reputable SEO agency delivers far more than a higher position on Google. The real value lies in how SEO supports your overall business growth.
A credible agency helps you understand what’s happening behind the scenes. You learn how SEO works and how each move connects to your goals. Over time, you gain clarity on which keywords drive conversions, how your content builds authority, and how technical improvements strengthen your website’s performance. That level of understanding helps you make better marketing decisions across the board.
A legitimate agency also ensures your SEO strategy aligns with what actually matters to your business. That means focusing on the products or services that deliver strong margins and sustainable revenue, rather than chasing keywords that look impressive but don’t convert. When SEO and business objectives work together, the results are measurable and meaningful.
Another key benefit is efficiency. A skilled team brings proven frameworks, data, and experience, so they can act fast without cutting corners. They already know what works, what doesn’t, and how to adjust strategies for different industries. That kind of expertise saves time and avoids the costly trial-and-error that comes with less experienced providers.
Take coffee brand GRIND as an example. Competing in a saturated eCommerce market, they needed more than a few keyword tweaks and a complete strategy. Our team focused on optimising their product and collection pages, building a content plan that captured high-intent searches, and addressing seasonal fluctuations that affected visibility.
Over two years, GRIND achieved a 386% increase in organic search revenue, 108% more users, and more than doubled their first-page keyword rankings. That level of sustained growth only happens when strategy and consistency come first. Read the full story in our GRIND case study.
Cost vs Value: Is It Really Worth It?
One of the biggest questions businesses ask about SEO is whether it’s worth the cost. The short answer: it can be if you invest wisely and work with the right agency.
SEO agencies price their services in different ways. Most operate on monthly retainers, which can range anywhere from £1,500 to over £100,000 per month depending on your industry, competition, and the complexity of your website. Some agencies offer project-based pricing for one-off services such as audits, technical fixes, or migrations. Others provide hourly consulting, which can work well for businesses that have the internal resources to execute tasks themselves.
The key is understanding what you’re paying for and whether you can act on it. If an agency hands over endless reports, keyword lists, or audits that never get implemented, that’s wasted money. SEO only creates value when insights are turned into action. Paying for information that sits untouched in a shared drive won’t move the needle.
The real value of SEO lies in its long-term gains. A solid strategy compounds over time, delivering consistent visibility, leads, and revenue long after the initial work is done. While the upfront cost can look steep, outsourcing to an agency often ends up being more cost-effective than hiring a full in-house team. Once you factor in salaries, training, tools, and software, a legitimate agency usually provides the same depth of expertise for a fraction of the cost.
A reputable SEO agency gives you access to a full team of specialists including strategists, technical experts, content writers, and link builders, each focused on their area of expertise. That collective knowledge and experience are difficult to match internally unless you have significant resources.
When you look at SEO as a long-term investment rather than an expense, the numbers begin to make sense. The returns build over time, and the visibility you gain continues to generate traffic and sales even when you’re not running ads.
The real question isn’t “How much does SEO cost?” but “What value does it bring to my business over time?” For brands that commit to the process, the answer is almost always the same: far more than it costs.
When You Shouldn’t Hire an SEO Agency
SEO isn’t right for every business, at least not right away. Hiring an agency only makes sense when you’re ready to invest time, money, and effort into a long-term growth channel.
If your budget can’t stretch to at least three to six months of SEO, it’s better to hold off. Real results take time to build. Expecting overnight improvements will only lead to frustration, because SEO doesn’t work like paid ads. It grows from steady, compounding progress that stems from consistent work.
The same applies if your business doesn’t yet have a clear product–market fit. SEO can amplify what’s already working, but it can’t fix a product that people aren’t looking for or don’t want to buy. Until your offer is validated, SEO won’t deliver meaningful results.
Commitment also matters. If you’re not prepared to act on recommendations such as updating your website, improving content, or fixing technical issues, no agency, no matter how skilled, will be able to help. SEO works best when there’s collaboration, not resistance.
Sometimes, SEO simply comes too late. If your company is already in serious financial trouble or looking for a quick fix to rescue performance, SEO won’t turn things around fast enough. It’s a long-term play, not a last-minute patch.
And if you find yourself constantly chasing the agency for responses even during the enquiry stage, take that as an early warning. Good communication should start before you sign the contract.
Context matters here. Your timing, resources, and stage of business growth all influence whether SEO will pay off.
Our blog What is eCommerce SEO? explains how these factors affect results and how to know when you’re truly ready to invest.
How to Decide: Is It Worth It for You?
Before you commit, ask yourself a few direct questions.
Do you have the budget and patience for a six-month investment and longer? Are you ready to make or allow technical and content changes based on expert advice? Does your team lack SEO expertise that an agency could provide? And finally, how does the potential ROI compare to other marketing channels?
If you answer yes to these questions, hiring an SEO agency could be the right move as long as you choose one that is transparent, accountable, and legitimate.
Conclusion
So, what do you think? Is hiring an SEO agency worth it for you?
For many businesses, the answer is yes but only if you work with a legitimate one. A trustworthy agency can deliver sustainable growth and bring in expertise you won’t find in a single hire.
The danger lies in choosing the wrong partner. An illegitimate agency can waste money, harm your rankings, and set you back months. The decision not only lies whether SEO is worth paying for. It’s about whether the agency you choose is credible enough to trust with your business.
Still unsure? Get in touch with us, and we’ll help you assess whether an agency is the right fit for your goals.
