When you find a good SEO company, it’s a wonderful thing. Leads and sales come pouring in. You make money. They make money. Everyone’s happy. Yet, as you know, SEO companies aren’t always honest.

In the case of PPC, what are some telltale signs your SEO company shouldn’t be trusted? Let’s examine a few:

1. You Notice Duplicate Keywords in Your Account

Don’t just skim the report you receive. Instead, head straight to your Google Ads account and examine the data. Don’t make any changes, but do look at it carefully. If you see duplicate keywords targeted in different campaigns, that’s not an accident. It’s careless, and you should strongly question your SEO company as a result.

2. You Notice Ridiculously Low Daily Budgets

If you see a daily budget of, say, $10 or less per day, that’s ridiculously low: and especially so for local companies. Local business keywords—particularly for service-based companies—will cost dozens of dollars per click, and national keywords are also often quite costly too.

Nevertheless, e-commerce products are one outlier dictating a super-low budget. In fact, these sometimes cost less than a dollar per click in some cases (so e-commerce retailers, don’t immediately panic if your budget is set to mere cents).

3. You Notice a Missing Call to Action

View how your ads display in your Google Ads account and note that each and every one should include some sort of language telling the viewer to act. “Buy now,” “click now,” “call now” are great examples of this. Pinpointing the best option is difficult, so it’s important to remain patient in this respect.

Yet, if you see no call to action at all, this is a giant red flag. Your results will take a beating, and you’ll need to consider whether or not to remain with your current SEO company.

4. You Notice a Lack of Consistency Across Keywords, Ads, and Landing Pages

PPC ads reflect a simple “sales funnel,” as marketers call it. The first interaction occurs with the title. Then users click the ad, head to your landing page, and make a purchase or contact you. Through each of these steps, they should view some of the same keywords. The general idea for all should remain the same, as well.

If this is not the case, customers will become confused, and you’ll lose potential sales. Every SEO company should work to deliver a consistent experience across the afore-mentioned steps. If they don’t, they’re likely not an experienced outfit.

Wrapping Up

If you notice any of the PPC mistakes discussed here, be wary of the company managing your campaigns—and consider seeking an expert opinion from a few others in the process.