Why Pay For Performance SEO Nearly Always Sucks!15 min read

To be totally fair, not all pay for performance based SEO agencies utilise tactics that will attempt to game Google. There will be agencies out there that are aligned to your business goals. The challenge however is finding them.

Sadly, the main issue with performance based agencies is the way the pay structure forces attention on promoting quick results. In many cases these results give little to  no thought to the sustainability or indeed potential repercussions of the strategy.

Rapid SEO gains can have an effect of creating issues down the line. Often these gains are at risk as Google learns the impact of what work has transpired. In some cases these methods can also have a detrimental effect on future search engine positions. 

The ultimate Google sanction is of course to implement a manual penalty. Making it much tougher and in some cases impossible for your site to climb back up the rankings.

The take-away here is that the performance pricing model often raises more questions than answers.

Generally speaking, a proper SEO campaign takes time to get off the ground. 

Yes, gains can be made in the shorter term; however, most of the serious benefits tend to start later in the campaign. It is not uncommon for these gains to start to come into effect between say 4 months and 12 months.

We understand the pressure that some business owners face. With quick results being an attractive option. Falling into a performance based SEO sales pitch can seem very attractive. Especially if you have been burned by SEO agencies before.

But, think about it. 

What methods could a pay on results type agency adopt to get you ranking in super-fast time?

It could be that they are using what is known as ‘Black Hat’ tactics.

These tactics might well include; keyword spamming, over-optimising content, PBN’s or spun AI based content. Or it could even be as crude as bulk buying of back-links.

These methods can produce almost instantaneous results. 

There is a huge caveat here though!

These ranking bumps are then used to ensure the pay for performance (PFP) agency gets paid.

They have achieved their objective, so why wouldn’t they want payment? It’s only fair, right?

Sadly, these strategies are pretty much guaranteed to be spotted by Google’s algorithm, leading to some form of Google penalty.

The penalties that Google can roll out can range from an immediate drop in ranking positions for the keywords you are targeting, to a complete de-indexation of your website. When this happens it is the same effect as having your phone cut off. 

Imagine the impact of that from a business perspective!

You might think these are a bit strong and we are just trying to sell our version of SEO. The truth is, we worry about the impact that these pay on results methods have on unsuspecting businesses.

Everything we (over 20 years of experience) know about SEO confirms that responsible SEO takes time. People who tell you otherwise are the ones that are gambling with your website and potentially risking your standing in Google.

Ultimately, they are gambling with the future success of your business.

The next time you are wondering ‘if pay on results SEO is effective?’, then remember this post.

An old strategy that just never seems to go away is one of keyword stuffing.

Here the pay on results SEO agency will insert keywords that aren’t thematically related to the page. 

It’s extremely likely that you will have witnessed this type of strategy on sites around the web.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that this passage of content isn’t natural. What’s more, GoogleBot can spot it a mile off!

Link building is an SEO strategy that drives results. Both positive and negative.

You see, a healthy link building strategy will include naturally sourced links of all different types and qualities. However, these take time and patience to acquire, not something that the pay on results SEO’s have in abundance.

To fast track your results the SEO agency will very often set about purchasing links.This in itself is a big no no for Google. In fact, it’s so bad that they publish information around it in their best practices guides. 

You can read more about this and indeed the many other things that some agencies carry out here – https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies

Another contentious issue revolves around the use of private blog networks (PBN’s). These more often than not consist of expired websites that have the goal of sending links back to their own websites.

Although they are expired, or dead. These websites may well have accrued domain authority and the ability to still share link equity. 

Pay on results SEO agencies like these websites as they can shortcut the proper link building process, therefore producing almost instantaneous results.

However, since the back end of 2014 Google has been on the hunt for these blog networks. The search giant took out a large number of PBN’s which resulted in the de-indexation of thousands of participants. 

That said, PBN’s are still widely used today. The key takeaway is that you need to be aware that it isn’t a question of ‘if Google will find them’, ‘but when Google will find them’.

Getting caught adopting this practice will almost certainly devalue your site from the front page of search. In many cases it also results in your site being completely de-indexed.’

Once the pay on results agency have ‘demonstrated’ deliverability they will very often be looking to lock your business into a long term contract. After all, why not, they have produced the goods. Haven’t they?

Sadly, what tends to happen here is that they position themselves as the experts and commit you to a 12 month contract. 

Usually, the short-term results that they have achieved start to fade. They don’t have the skill-set, understanding, or indeed the motivation to continue with a proper SEO strategy.  

A combination of the 3 previously mentioned strategies will ensure that you struggle to realise any form of real return on your investment.

They will be saying things like ‘give it a bit more time’, ‘the results will come back’, ‘it takes time for Google to go to the next level’, etc. All these things are designed to keep you paying for longer.

Sadly, you are now starting to lose business to your competitors.

What usually happens is that you are forced to look for ways out of the contract. Often fending off conversations from reliable service providers for a few months, while your current agency ekes out more money from your bank account.

Despite the presentation of some of the risks associated with these shady SEO practices there are still numerous business owners that fall for their ‘sales-pitch’.

It’s easy to understand why. You’ve tried SEO before with an agency or sometimes multiple agencies and didn’t get the results you thought would come. 

The actions or non-actions of these agencies make it ‘necessary’ for you to consider a different strategy for your business.

You dive in, happy that you have no initial outlay and the pressure of results are firmly locked onto the performance based SEO supplier.

To help demonstrate the issues that can be faced, look at the chart below. A previous prospect of ours took the decision to work with one of these performance based agencies. They enjoyed quick growth initially; however, a Google update (algorithm) picked up on the bad practices used and their rankings then dropped to the lowest they had in quite some time.

Likely the quick wins were a sign that the pay on results SEO agency could deliver; however, ultimately this particular business felt the ire of Google and lost those gains.

Reliable SEO takes time, more than that, it takes a reasonable degree of expertise. 

Technical elements like audits, search term research, content all take time when carried out in the right way. Then there are the continual tweaks occurring to steer the results in the direction needed.

These things can’t happen overnight. And, Google is honed to spotting them, if they do.

We get it that it can seem frustrating that you maybe your rankings haven’t moved quite as quickly as you had hoped. 

But remember good SEO takes time. Quick fixes don’t exist. Anyone telling you so is likely to end up costing you in the long run.

If you are looking for healthy, sustainable growth then you must choose an agency that is aligned with your goals.

The feedback that we receive from happy clients is that a successful campaign feels like you are a partner. 

With a focus only on results the feeling changes and you strip your agency of the ability to serve as a consultant and partner. Removing much of the value.

Pay for results SEO negates the need for emotional investment between the service provider and the business. Often it leaves you with the feeling of a ‘you vs us’ transaction.

Here’s a question to ask yourself. Would this model encourage trust for you? If it doesn’t, then don’t pursue a tie-up with an agency that works this way.

The feedback that we receive from happy clients is that a successful campaign feels like you are a partner. 

With a focus only on results the feeling changes and you strip your agency of the ability to serve as a consultant and partner. Removing much of the value.

Pay for results SEO negates the need for emotional investment between the service provider and the business. Often it leaves you with the feeling of a ‘you vs us’ transaction.

Does this model encourage trust for you? 

If it doesn’t, then don’t pursue a tie-up with an agency that works this way.

Hopefully you now have a better understanding on the way that pay on results SEO is structured. More importantly you will also be aware of many of the pitfalls that this strategy yields.

We hate that website owners are at risk to these often unethical methods. Long term growth being leveraged by the so called pay on results experts time and time again.

Personally, we have heard way too many negative stories about pay for performance SEO and we really struggle to reccomend it.

When the time comes to look for a reputable SEO provider we like to think now you are armed with the inside track you will make the right decision for your business.

Knowing how to be successful in SEO most likely doesn’t involve the use of a pay on results SEO firm.