Red flags in a local SEO contract, and what to ask instead
The biggest red flags are a guaranteed number-one ranking, the agency owning your Google listing or website, a contract longer than six months with no exit, and monthly deliverables described only as 'optimisation'. Before signing, get in writing who owns what, what is delivered each month in numbers, and what leaving costs.
Promises nobody can keep
- "Guaranteed #1 on Google." Google says plainly that no one can guarantee a ranking. A guarantee usually means a keyword nobody searches.
- "We'll get you 100 new reviews." Buying, writing or gating reviews breaks Google's policy, and the FTC's 2024 rule on fake reviews makes it a federal matter. The business gets the fine, not the agency.
- "Submission to 300 directories." A handful of directories matter. Hundreds of low-quality ones add nothing and can spread wrong data. See NAP consistency.
Who owns what
This is the clause that costs owners the most when they leave.
- Google Business Profile: you should be the Primary Owner. The provider gets Manager access, which you can remove in a minute. Never hand over ownership or your Google password.
- Domain: registered in your name, always.
- Website: ask plainly what happens to it if you leave. Can you take it, keep it hosted, or does it disappear?
- Tracking numbers: if they install call-tracking numbers on your listing, ask how your main number comes back when you leave.
Contract terms to read twice
- Minimum term longer than six months, with no exit before it ends.
- Automatic renewal for another full term.
- Setup fees that aren't refundable if nothing is delivered.
- Deliverables described only as "optimisation", "strategy" or "hours", with no numbers.
- Review markup giving your business stars on your own site. It sounds good and breaks Google's structured-data rules. See schema markup.
Five things to get in writing
- Monthly deliverables, in numbers.
- Ownership of the listing, domain and website, before and after.
- How to cancel and what it costs.
- What is reported, and how often.
- That no reviews will be bought, written or gated.
Comparing prices too? See how much local SEO costs in 2026.
Check this on your own business
The free 60-second Check-Up reads your website and Google profile and shows where you stand on this: Profile ownership, Self-issued review markup. Public data only, no login, no card.
Run the free Check-Up →Or we run it for you
Our plans are month to month with no setup fee. You stay the owner of your Google listing, and your domain stays yours if you leave. Month to month, a new website included, plans from $199 a month.
See how it works →Questions
Can an SEO company guarantee first place on Google?
No. Google states that no one can guarantee a ranking. Treat a guarantee as a warning sign.
Should my SEO agency own my Google Business Profile?
No. You should stay Primary Owner and give the agency Manager access, which you can remove at any time.
How long should a local SEO contract be?
Month to month or a short initial term is reasonable. Long lock-ins without an exit clause protect the provider, not you.