4 Red Flags To Watch For When Hiring An SEO Agency In Langley BC

Hiring an SEO agency should move your business forward—not leave you wondering where your money went. And yet, many Langley business owners fall into the trap of flashy promises, vague strategies, or one-size-fits-all services that simply don’t deliver.

Before you sign any contract, here are four red flags that could save you from months of wasted time and money.

Red Flag #1: "Guaranteed #1 Rankings"
It sounds enticing. What business owner wouldn’t want to hear, “We guarantee you’ll be #1 on Google in 30 days!”?

But here’s the truth: No one can guarantee rankings. Not even Google.

SEO is complex. It depends on dozens of factors—competition, search intent, content quality, backlinks, and ongoing algorithm updates. An honest agency will tell you this. They'll talk about goals, metrics, and expected timelines, but they’ll never promise you top rankings.

If you hear guarantees, run. That’s a red flag that the agency is either inexperienced or unethical.

Red Flag #2: A Lack of Transparency
When you ask what they'll do for your business, do they respond with vague phrases like:

“We have a proprietary process.” “It’s our secret sauce.”

“We’ll handle everything—just trust us.” That’s not strategy. That’s smoke and mirrors.

A good SEO agency will show their work. They’ll walk you through their audit findings. They’ll explain their recommendations. They’ll send regular reports, and most importantly, they’ll tie their work to your goals—whether that’s phone calls, web traffic, or form submissions.

Transparency is a basic requirement. If you don’t get it upfront, you won’t get it later either.

Red Flag #3: Focusing Only on Technical Jargon
You’re not hiring an SEO agency to learn buzzwords. You’re hiring them to grow your business.

If they’re talking about:

Canonical tags

Backlink toxicity

Domain authority scores
 … but can’t explain how this work will turn into more leads, calls, and revenue, then you’ve got a problem.

SEO shouldn’t feel like decoding a spaceship manual. It should be a clear, strategic path that aligns with your business outcomes.

An expert will help you understand what's being done and why—without drowning you in technical talk.

Red Flag #4: No Mention of Local Strategy
Let’s be honest—Langley is not Vancouver. So why are so many agencies selling Vancouver SEO packages to Langley businesses?

Ask your agency:
 “How will you specifically reach customers in Langley, not just ‘Greater Vancouver’?”

If they don’t mention:

Google Business Profile optimization

Creating location pages like “Roofing Services in Willoughby”

Getting listed in Langley-specific directories

Using Langley-focused content and keywords
 …then they’re not doing true local SEO.

You need an agency that understands Langley. One that knows about Murrayville, Brookswood, Walnut Grove—and how to help you rank where your customers actually live.