Before You Hire Some Random SEO or Optimization Company, Read This

Let me start by saying this — my company doesn’t offer SEO or “optimization” as standalone services, so you’re safe here. I’m not trying to sell you anything. I’m writing this because I’m tired of seeing people get sold inflated promises that sound like rocket science but deliver very little in return.

SEO has become one of the most misunderstood offerings in the marketing world. It’s packaged, re-packaged, and resold under new names every year: “Local Optimization,” “GBP Management,” “Reputation Boosting,” “Search Enhancement,” “Visibility Growth Plan.” It all sounds great — until you realize what you’re actually buying is usually just a series of small, simple actions hidden behind a big, mysterious label.

Let’s Talk About Google Business Profiles

A Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free directory listing. That’s all it is. It’s important, sure — but it’s not magical. You fill it out, you verify it, you keep it updated. That’s it.

And yet, there are agencies charging hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month to “optimize” these profiles — claiming they’ll post new photos, adjust services, or update your hours — and somehow that’ll make you rank higher than your competitors.

Here’s the truth: there’s no place in any of Google’s documentation that says a “well-maintained” profile gets priority over another. Google’s algorithm doesn’t care how many times someone clicks “Add Post” or “Change Cover Photo.” It cares about relevance, content quality, and user behavior. You can set up a clean, accurate profile once, check it occasionally, and perform just as well as someone paying for “ongoing optimization.”

That’s the part nobody tells you. Because it’s hard to charge $499 a month for something that takes an hour.

The Backlink Trap

Backlinks sound fancy too. In theory, they help your website appear more authoritative by connecting it to other reputable sites. The problem is, most agencies selling backlink services never tell you where those links are going.

A lot of them end up placing your link on low-quality, irrelevant sites that have nothing to do with your industry or your region. They’ll show you numbers — “25 backlinks!” — but they won’t show you the list.

A backlink is only valuable if it’s from a credible, relevant source. The rest are noise. And in some cases, bad backlinks can actually hurt your ranking. So when you hear “We’ll build backlinks for you,” the first question you should ask is, “Where, specifically?”

Pay to Play Is Still the Truth

People forget that marketing has always been pay to play. Whether you’re buying a television spot, running a Super Bowl ad, sponsoring a podcast, or placing digital videos on social media, you’re either paying with money or you’re paying with time.

If you’re posting organically, it’s a grind. It takes consistency, creativity, and community to gain traction. If you’re paying for placement — ads, sponsored posts, pre-rolls, etc. — you’re simply accelerating visibility. You’re buying time.

Search is no different. Ranking high on Google isn’t about who checks boxes on a 36-point “optimization” list — it’s about building real value and visibility around what you do. That means having a strong, credible website that clearly explains who you are and what you offer, paired with content that actually serves your audience. That’s what moves the needle.

So What Actually Works

Here’s the formula that’s been the same for decades, even if the tools have changed:
Great content + smart messaging + a strong website + consistent placement = results.
Everything else — “local optimization,” “profile management,” “search tune-ups” — are just different ways to repackage the basics.

There’s no secret backdoor into Google. There’s no “special optimization” trick that makes your business appear higher than your competitor’s without real effort or investment. You either create meaningful content and put it where people can find it, or you pay to have it placed there. End of story.

Finally…

If you’ve been pitched one of these subscription-based “optimization” services, take a breath and ask what you’re actually paying for. Most of the time, it’s a glorified checklist — not a strategy.

At Bahlr, we don’t offer SEO as a standalone service for one simple reason: it doesn’t belong on its own. Optimization is the byproduct of doing everything else well — not the starting point.

So before you hand over a credit card to another “growth plan,” make sure you understand what you’re really buying. Marketing isn’t about chasing algorithms — it’s about communicating value in a way people actually hear.

You don’t need a magic trick. You need clarity, consistency, and a brand that tells your story the right way.