Thinking about hiring an eCommerce SEO agency in mid-2025? Avoid a headache (and a big expense) by looking out for these 10 red flags.
1. The agency is less than 5 years old.
An agency this young might still be in the red and most importantly, has not been around long enough to make policy or SEO strategy adjustments in the wake of important Google Core Updates. A new agency might be gold, but it’s safer for you to choose one that’s established.
2. There are no industry pages on the company website.
An eCommerce SEO services provider has a vested interest in advertising and therefore getting better visibility for those industries they serve, and industry-specific pillar pages are how you do that in SEO.
3. The website does not show up in the organic search results.
This is, hands-down, the biggest red flag here. Do not hire an eCommerce SEO company that does not show up in the organic search results. This is what you’re hiring them to do for your online store, if they don’t show up in the organic search results there’s no proof that they can do it at all.
4. There are no case studies published on the website.
While not as concerning as not showing up in the search results, it’s still concerning. Ideally an SEO agency should be well-equipped with case studies that show the results they’ve produced for previous (or current) clients.
5. The company doesn’t offer supporting marketing services.
A true eCommerce SEO expert knows that SEO does not operate in a vacuum. Other marketing strategies, like social media, email marketing, content marketing, and PPC, contribute to an eCommerce website’s user experience, trust, and conversion rates.
6. There are no negative reviews, no matter where you look.
Most reviews should be positive – absolutely – but if you can’t find a single negative review, that’s major cause for concern. There should be at least one less-than-stellar review, somewhere that you can relatively easily find it.
7. The company is not willing to furnish you with recommendations.
There should be at least one client – current or former – that is willing to offer a testament to the eCommerce agency’s services.
8. The company makes solid promises about how long it takes to see results.
True eCommerce SEO experts know there is no way to accurately gauge how long SEO results will take to materialize. More importantly, true experts know that it takes a long time, more than 6 months and often a year or longer, to see meaningful results.
9. They say SEO is easy.
Search engine optimization is certainly not rocket science, but it definitely isn’t easy. If it was, every website would be doing it right. Mostly, it just takes a lot of time, and time is money. That’s why so many online businesses hire SEO specialists for keyword research, on-page optimizations, link-building and other SEO services.
10. Their price is suspiciously low.
While you may not want to break the bank on a single marketing channel, a very low price may still be cause for concern. If they’re cutting on cost, they could be cutting corners elsewhere. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.
Getting Ready to Start with an eCommerce SEO Agency?
Now that you know some of the things to look out for, it might be a bit easier for you to get the ball rolling. Just make sure to keep your eyes open and your head up, and buckle up for the long run – SEO takes a year or close to it to get things moving.
