5 Warning Signs Your Current SEO Agency is Failing You
You're paying thousands each month for SEO services, but something feels wrong. Your phone isn't ringing more often. Website traffic hasn't grown meaningfully. When you ask questions, you get vague responses about "SEO taking time."We understand your frustration. After helping over 200 businesses recover from underperforming SEO agencies, overseeing everything from enterprise SEO project management to installing enterprise SEO workflows automation, we've identified the exact warning signs that separate agencies delivering results from those just collecting monthly payments. If your current agency shows any of these five warning signs, it's time for an honest conversation, or a complete change.
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
Warning Sign #1: No Increase in Qualified Leads After 6 Months
The most damaging myth in SEO is that results take 12 to 18 months. While significant growth continues developing over time, you should see meaningful improvements much sooner.Professional SEO should deliver early results. In months one and two, your agency should identify and fix technical issues, resolve most Google Search Console errors, improve site speed to under three seconds, and complete initial keyword research with at least 200 target terms.
In months three and four, you should see a 15 to 25 percent increase in organic traffic, first-page rankings for several target keywords, more calls or form submissions, and a visible upward trend in qualified leads.
By months five and six, traffic should grow 40 to 60 percent above baseline. You should be ranking on page one for many high-intent keywords, and revenue from organic search should increase noticeably. You may also start outranking competitors for critical terms.
If you're not seeing these outcomes by month six, your agency isn't delivering professional-grade SEO.
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
Real Client Example: From 12 Leads to 47 Leads Monthly
Mike owned a regional HVAC company. After eight months and $32,000 spent with his former agency, his monthly leads only increased from 12 to 15.The agency focused on vanity metrics like domain authority and ignored the basics of local SEO.
In our first month working with Mike, we optimized his Google Business Profile, targeted local keywords like "emergency AC repair" in his city, created location-specific service pages, and set up proper call tracking.
By month four, Mike’s monthly leads jumped to 47. His average monthly revenue grew by $28,000. Cost per lead dropped from $180 to $52. Phone calls during business hours rose by 340 percent.
Mike’s words: "I should have fired my first agency after month 6. The difference in results isn't even close."
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
Warning Sign #2: They Can't Show You Specific Rankings Improvements
A professional SEO agency should show ranking changes clearly, with screenshots, timeframes, and exact keyword positions.If your agency can't produce this data immediately, they aren't tracking your rankings correctly.
Keyword tracking should include specific keywords with known search volumes, rank positions before and after optimization, visual ranking trends over time, and comparisons to competitors.
A good example would be showing movement from position 12 to 3 for a term like "personal injury lawyer [city]" by month four.
To do this properly, agencies should be using tools like SEMrush Position Tracking, Ahrefs Rank Tracker, Moz Pro, or enterprise platforms like BrightEdge or Conductor.
If they only rely on free tools like Google Search Console and provide generic reports, that's a serious red flag.
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
Client Example: Tracking 127 Keywords to Page 1
Jennifer owned a boutique marketing consultancy. Her former SEO agency never showed her real improvements. She was told they were "working on rankings."In month one, only three of her target keywords ranked on page one. Average keyword rank was position 47. Organic traffic was 340 monthly visitors.
By month six working with us, 23 keywords were ranking on page one. Her average keyword position rose to 12. Organic traffic increased to 1,240 visitors monthly. Client inquiries rose 265 percent.
We tracked every target keyword weekly and adjusted her strategy based on actual data.
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
Warning Sign #3: Monthly Reports Are Generic Templates
If your reports are full of jargon with no connection to business results, your agency is likely managing too many accounts with too little attention.Real reports should include your actual business goals and show progress toward those goals. They should feature keyword performance relevant to your industry, competitor analysis, and revenue attribution.
A quality report doesn’t just say "SEO takes time." It might say that targeting "emergency dental care" made sense due to a local spike in search volume, that your competitor took a high-ranking position last month, or that a fix on your contact page increased conversions by 45 percent.
Be cautious if reports use vague phrases like "we’re seeing positive trends" or "domain authority improved" without showing you actual growth in rankings, traffic, or leads.
Real Report Example
One of our clients targeting "small business bookkeeping" saw 47 new leads worth $23,500 in potential revenue from just one blog post. That keyword moved from position 18 to 4. The landing page converted at 8.2 percent compared to the site average of 3.1 percent. The next plan was to expand into related terms like "QuickBooks setup services."**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
Warning Sign #4: They Never Mention Your Competition
Your SEO strategy should be built around your competitive landscape. If your agency never discusses what your competitors are ranking for, what types of content they’re producing, or what backlinks they’ve secured, they’re operating without a compass.Competitor analysis should identify keywords your competitors rank for, gaps in their content, and link sources they’ve used that you haven’t. This opens up opportunities to overtake them.
Example: Competitive Insight Driving Results
David owned a financial advisory firm. His agency never brought up competitors in 18 months.In our audit, we found the top competitor ranked for "retirement planning [city]" with outdated content. Three local competitors had broken links from a Chamber of Commerce website. And no one was targeting "401k rollover advice," despite high local search volume.
We created a modern retirement planning guide, secured valuable local links, and launched a content series for 401k-related queries.
Five months later, David ranked number one for the retirement keyword, received 23 new consultations, and increased his organic leads from 8 to 31 monthly.
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
Warning Sign #5: No Clear ROI Connection
If your agency can’t tie SEO work to revenue, then the strategy lacks accountability.Professional SEO should clearly contribute to business growth. You should know your monthly spend, traffic growth, conversion rate, lead-to-sale rate, and customer lifetime value. Without this data, you can’t calculate ROI.
Example: Client Invested $8K/Month, Generated $45K in Revenue
Rachel ran a specialty medical practice. She was spending $8,000 per month without knowing what she got in return.We set up proper conversion tracking, connected website actions to booked appointments, and calculated her average customer value at $2,400.
After six months, her organic traffic rose from 2,100 to 5,880 monthly visitors. Her conversion rate improved to 3.2 percent. She booked 19 new appointments monthly, leading to $45,600 in new revenue each month.
Her monthly ROI reached 470 percent. Over the course of a year, she saw $547,200 in revenue from SEO on a $96,000 investment.
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
What to Do If Your Agency Shows These Signs
Start by documenting your concerns. Write down what you’ve noticed, gather examples, and calculate your ROI (or lack thereof).Request a performance review meeting. Ask to see ranking improvements with proof, revenue attribution from SEO, and a clear 90-day plan. Require monthly KPI reporting and access to tracking tools.
If they refuse to provide this, or still offer vague answers, it’s time to move on.
Transition Without Losing Rankings
Don’t rush the switch. Overlap agencies for 30 days. Export all keyword data, rankings, backlinks, and analytics. Keep your content and link-building consistent through the transition to avoid ranking drops.Professional transitions take 30 to 60 days to complete correctly.
How We’re Different at Alex Groberman Labs
We built our agency to fix the exact problems outlined above.We offer a 90-day performance guarantee. In month one, you’ll get a full technical audit, competitive research, keyword strategy, and early ranking movements. In month two, you’ll see traffic gains and published content. By month three, we deliver over 40 percent traffic growth and tie SEO directly to revenue.
We don’t just send reports. We check in three times per week with rankings, leads, and strategic updates.
You’ll work directly with your strategist—not an account manager. You’ll have full visibility into our plans and same-day responses to your questions.
We include a free migration package for agency switchers. We audit previous work, recover missed opportunities, create a new roadmap, and deliver your first month free if we don’t outperform your old agency.
No contracts.
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
Don’t Waste Another Month
Every month with a failing agency costs more than their fee. It costs you visibility, customers, and long-term growth.If you’ve seen any of these five warning signs, you already know the truth. It’s time for better SEO.
Get your free SEO audit and discover what your current agency should be delivering. We'll show you exactly where the gaps are—and how to fix them fast.
**Let us fix your SEO. Pay once - no monthly or recurring fees**
