Is Your SEO Company Working for the Competition?

Is your SEO company working for the competition? It’s a reality of the SEO industry that often times companies will work for more multiple clients competing in the same niche. Is it ethical? We don’t believe so, but that doesn’t stop the other guys from doing it! We believe that our clients deserve the top rankings and that working for two competing clients is a conflict of interest.

Why SEO Companies Work for Competitors

Most SEO companies aren’t particularly concerned with whether or not two clients are in competition with one another. After all, if an SEO company can get several businesses in the same local area that compete for the same product or niche it can make the SEO process easier.

SEO requires a significant amount of research, and by researching the same information once for several clients these agencies can save time and money. What these SEO companies fail to see, or do see but simply disregard, is that they’re short-changing their clients by working for two at once!

Can SEO companies get good results for more than one business in the same niche? In some cases, sure. That doesn’t make it ethical, however.

Only One Website Can Rank Highest

Imagine a scenario where you hire an SEO company to optimize your website and improve your search engine rankings. All seems well, and after several months of working with this company your business’s website has been climbing steadily on Google. You would be happy, right?

Now imagine that unbeknownst to you, a competing business several blocks away had hired the same SEO company at the same time. Not only that, but they’re actually ranking higher than you are! You would probably be upset, and rightly so! Despite your improved rankings, you’ve essentially been double-crossed.

You’re paying an SEO company to gain an edge over your competition, not to be lumped into the same basket alongside them. In the end, no matter how pure everyone’s intentions may have been, if an SEO company is serving two competing businesses then one of them is going to end up playing second fiddle to the other.

Preventing SEO Companies from Helping the Competition

The best way to prevent your SEO company from working for the competition is to ask them if they currently have clients in your niche and your local area. It seems silly that you might have to ask a professional SEO company if they’re actually working against you by doing SEO for your competition, but unfortunately, it’s something that needs to be asked.

During my client onboarding process, I make sure it’s clear that we only work with one client in any service area/industry. That’s why we thoroughly vet each and every client before taking them on. Many SEO companies will take whatever business they can, but it’s important to me that we only work with clients who are a good fit and want to be a flagship campaign for us.

What Do I Do If I Find out My SEO Company Is Working for My Competition?

If you catch your search engine optimization company working for your competition, it is a good idea to drop them and hire a more trustworthy SEO company. After all, if they truly want your business to succeed they wouldn’t be working for the competition. We believe that it is ethical and in the best interest of all parties that we decline to work with any potential client that competes with one of our current clients.

If you want an SEO company that believes in your business and is dedicated to working towards your goals, give SEO Hermit a call at (888) 803-0843 or fill out our online form for a free SEO consultation. We can make your site compete in any industry and we will always refuse help to your competition!