Thinking of Hiring an SEO Agency? Think Twice
You might be about to fall into a trap that could cost your business dearly and I’m not just talking about financial loss. I’m talking about wasted time, shattered expectations, and a weakened, inconsistent effort that simply doesn’t deliver.
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If you’re considering hiring an SEO agency, you may be about to make a decision that will cost you dearly – and not just financially. SEO agencies have practices that, on the surface, may look promising, but in reality can damage the growth of your business.
As a business builder committed to long-term growth, here’s my contribution: advertising and digital agencies don’t have the best professionals. The best minds are either working inside companies or building their own ventures. That’s why hiring them may not be your best move.
Considering Hiring an SEO Agency?
⚠️ Be careful!
Before you take that next step, read this carefully. You might be about to fall into a trap that could cost your business dearly — and I’m not just talking about money. I’m talking about wasted time, frustrated expectations, and weak, inconsistent work that simply doesn’t deliver.
SEO agencies love to promise the world, but do they really deliver?
More often than not, you end up paying a lot for results that never come. Behind the shiny surface, many agencies rely on misleading practices, abusive contracts, and professionals who aren’t truly prepared to handle your business needs — because they’re juggling 10+ clients at the same time. (Back in 2014/2015, I personally had to split my time across 15 accounts.)
Before signing any contract, ask yourself: is this agency really invested in the success of my project, or are they just chasing their next client? Will you get the attention and dedication you need — or will you just be another number in their spreadsheet?
No advertising agency, digital marketing firm, or even those specialized in SEO will allocate senior-level talent to your project. Honestly… they don’t even have those resources. Professionals like me and Marcelino are either working inside companies or building our own ventures—just like we are now.
César Canteiro, Digital Strategist at Pink and Brain
That’s why it’s better to hire true partners. People without corporate strings attached, who work for the satisfaction of seeing things grow, not just to fatten the agency’s bottom line. Sure, that growth might benefit us indirectly, but first and foremost, we need to put the client’s business in the spotlight.
This post might ruffle some feathers among agencies that call themselves “SEO experts,” but I’m not afraid to share my methodology, my concerns, and the experiences I’ve had working as an analyst inside the agencies I’ve been part of.
This article will show you the three crucial reasons why you shouldn’t hire a traditional SEO agency, and what you can do instead to truly ensure your business succeeds online.
Keep reading and avoid a trap that could slow down your company’s growth.
SEO Agencies Are Driven by Recurring Revenue, Not Results
The main goal of many SEO agencies isn’t the success of your case it’s maximizing monthly revenue.
They operate with large sales teams focused on closing new contracts, without ensuring their internal SEO teams have the proper structure to deliver solid results. This creates an imbalance: while the client list grows, the SEO teams don’t scale proportionally, which ends up hurting service quality.
One employee might be handling 10 or more clients at once, meaning your project will receive superficial attention.
Strategies tend to be standardized and lack innovation, leading to generic, low-impact results.
Comparison: SEO Agency Service vs. Strategic Partnership
| Aspect | Traditional SEO Agency | Partnership with Specialists |
|---|---|---|
| Clients per professional | 8 to 15 clients per analyst | Maximum of 3 clients per specialist |
| Service quality | Standardized, volume-driven | Personalized, results-driven |
| Strategy innovation | Low, repetitive tactics | High, with exclusive methodologies |
You’re Paying for Junior or Mid-Level Professionals Marketed as Senior
The best minds in SEO rarely stay in agencies. Top professionals know the environment is stressful, growth is slow, and the focus is on financial targets—not innovation. That means, more often than not, what you’re actually paying for are junior or mid-level professionals marketed as senior.
These professionals may have some technical knowledge, but they lack the experience and depth needed to craft solid, embedded, omnichannel, and sophisticated strategies that deliver results in a competitive market. You’re paying a premium for a team that’s still learning.
Comparison: Agency Professionals vs. Independent Specialists
| Aspect | Traditional SEO Agency | Independent Specialists |
|---|---|---|
| Team experience | Junior or mid-level, marketed as senior | Experts with years of experience across industries, often with solid personal projects |
| Market knowledge | Limited, still learning | High, with well-developed skills |
| Execution focus | Following internal processes | Strategy focused on client results |
Locked Contracts, Slow Results, and Outdated Methodologies
Traditional SEO agencies often rely on rigid contracts with loyalty clauses, cancellation fees, and long minimum terms. Many still follow outdated methodologies and rigid processes that don’t keep pace with Google’s algorithm updates or market trends.
Results take too long to show because work tends to follow fixed calendars and bureaucratic workflows.
Upselling is common—agencies push additional services you don’t necessarily need.
Often, data is dressed up to justify slow progress, creating the illusion of advancement when things could be moving much faster.
A Smarter Alternative: Freelancers or Partnerships with Renowned Specialists (like us at Pink and Brain)
Now that you understand the pitfalls of hiring a traditional SEO agency, let me introduce the solution: partnerships with independent specialists—like us at Pink and Brain. We’re a team of advertisers, marketers, developers, and digital strategists with a holistic approach that goes far beyond SEO.
We don’t work with locked contracts, there are no penalties, and you’re not paying for junior or mid-level talent disguised as senior. Instead, you’re hiring brilliant minds who master SEO, branding, inbound marketing, PPC, digital development, and more.
Case Study: DJ Agency and Event Production Company in São Paulo
We’ve helped dominate the event market in São Paulo with a production company that grew over 5000% between 2014 and 2024. What started with just two transport vehicles and two equipment kits has evolved into a fleet of over 20 vehicles and the capacity to run 50 simultaneous event setups—from weddings to corporate parties.
In other words: it began with two DJs doing weekend gigs, and over time, they scaled up. We helped shape their entire strategy—from branding and development to technology and operations. Today, after a decade of growth, they have a team of 28 professional DJs and a sales department with more than 10 people.
PS: Back then, they were the sales team themselves.
Case Study: Hearing Aid Market
Another market we dominated in just one year: hearing aids. A client from the sector came to us with a Wix site and—guess what? They’d been fed a bunch of nonsense.
They signed with us, and we built a site from scratch, focused on inbound strategy and showcasing their products and models clearly and effectively.
One year later? BOOM. Market visibility, traffic, and conversions exploded.
Case Study: Diagnostic Medicine Market
Another powerful example comes from the diagnostic medicine sector. A group specializing in acquiring struggling diagnostic units reached out to us with a bold request: to create a whitelabel strategy that would unify all the brands under their umbrella—including one of São Paulo’s largest players.
They now dominate search visibility for nearly every exam, vaccine, and imaging procedure across all cities where they operate. Just search for something like “dengue vaccine” and you’ll see them leading the results.
This wasn’t just about SEO—it was a full-stack transformation. We helped them build a scalable digital framework, consolidate brand presence, and position themselves as the go-to reference in preventive and diagnostic healthcare.
Let me know if you’d like to turn this into a visual case study or add metrics like traffic growth, lead generation, or conversion rates.
Case Study: INSS Payroll Loan Market
Still new to the game, one of our partners has been with us for just two years—but in that short time, they’ve gone from zero to shaking up the industry. Even though they’re not a direct competitor in loan products, they’ve built a powerful comparison platform for financial institutions and interest rates.
And believe me—we kicked the door open and entered one of the most aggressive, competitive markets out there.
Today, they’re making noise among the biggest players in the INSS payroll loan space, proving that with the right strategy, even newcomers can disrupt legacy giants.
Case Study: CNN Brasil in the Publishing Market
In addition to CNN Brasil—which we’ve mentioned here a few times—we were one of the key drivers behind the company’s organic growth between 2020 and 2022.
Our strategic involvement helped CNN Brasil establish a strong digital presence in a highly competitive news landscape. From SEO architecture to editorial planning and performance optimization, we played a pivotal role in scaling their visibility and reach.
This wasn’t just about traffic—it was about positioning CNN Brasil as a top-of-mind source for news and information, leveraging organic acquisition as a long-term growth engine.
We’ve got cases in tourism, finance (plenty—after all, we’re Pink and Brain because we worked together at BTG and Exame, and that’s where the nickname stuck… lol), publishing, e-commerce, product comparison platforms, apps—you name it.
So come grab a digital coffee with us, and let’s talk about business, not just SEO.
Don’t Fall for the SEO Agency Trap
There are still many people in leadership and executive roles who lack the experience and depth to properly evaluate vendors—especially when it comes to acquisition. Organic acquisition, in particular, is a complex mix of variables and best practices that can be unforgiving for sites that don’t adapt quickly.
Before hiring an SEO agency, take a moment to reflect on what’s really being offered. The promises may sound appealing, but the reality is you could end up locked into a contract that fails to deliver the expected results.
Instead, consider a strategic partnership with specialists like Pink and Brain, who offer:
- Experienced professionals, fully dedicated and focused on your business
- Flexible contracts, free from abusive clauses
- Fast, consistent results through innovative, customized strategies
Here, you’re not just hiring SEO. You’re hiring minds that deeply understand marketing, digital development, branding, and innovation. That’s the future of digital success.
