Why Buying Cheap SEO Services Can Hurt Your Business

If you're a UK small business owner, you've likely seen the ads:

• "SEO for £99!"

• "Page 1 Google Ranking in 7 Days!"

• "Cheap SEO Services That Work!"

Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to save a bit of money and get found on Google? But here's the brutal truth: cheap SEO often ends up being the most expensive mistake you'll make.

Let me explain why.

What is SEO and Why Should You Care?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It's the process of improving your website so that it shows up when people search on Google. If you're a bakery in Manchester, you want to show up when someone searches "best birthday cakes Manchester".

Done well, SEO brings in more traffic, more customers, and more money. Done badly, it can bury your site so deep in the results, not even your mum could find it.

The Illusion of Cheap SEO

Many businesses fall into the trap of thinking SEO is like buying stationery. You find the cheapest, get the basics, job done. But SEO isn’t a one-size box of pens. It's a mix of:

• Technical website fixes

• Keyword research

• Blog writing

• Link building

• Local SEO

And that’s just for starters.

So if someone offers to do it all for £99, corners are being cut. And it’s your reputation on the line.

Real Example: Gary’s Garage (And Google Penalties)

Gary owns a small car repair business in Bristol. He hired a cheap SEO agency from a Facebook ad. Within a month, traffic to his website tripled. He was thrilled. Then, Google penalised his site.

Why? The agency had bought fake backlinks (spammy links from shady websites). Google spotted the trick and dropped Gary’s rankings. It took him six months and £3,000 to clean it up.

Lesson: if it looks too good to be true, Google probably thinks so too.

7 Hidden Costs of Cheap SEO

1. Your Time

Time is money, and cheap SEO burns through both. Because you're not paying for proper service, you end up doing all the chasing:

• "Have you sent the report?"

• "What exactly have you done this month?"

• "Why has my ranking dropped?"

You're stuck micromanaging someone who should be managing the work for you. Instead of growing your business, you're babysitting an SEO provider. And no one wants that.

2. Lost Rankings

Google doesn't hand out rankings like sweets. It rewards well-optimised, trustworthy sites. Cheap SEO firms often use black-hat tactics (like keyword stuffing or dodgy backlinks). These might give a temporary boost, but when Google catches on (and it will), your rankings vanish overnight. And recovering your position? That can take months.

Imagine finally reaching page 1, only to be booted to page 10. Ouch.

3. Brand Damage

Cheap SEO companies often build links on irrelevant, low-quality, or outright offensive websites to bulk up their stats. If your business name appears on a betting site in Romania or a dodgy blog full of broken English, that reflects badly on you. Customers Google you and see those links? It damages trust. Fast.

Your reputation matters. Don’t hand it over for a quick fix.

4. Plagiarised Content

Writing good blog content takes time, skill, and research. Cheap SEO agencies skip that and steal. They copy articles from other websites, change a few words, and slap it on your blog.

Google hates this. Duplicate content can get you flagged, suppressed in rankings, or even deindexed. Plus, it’s a legal headache if the original writer spots it.

Your blog should show off your brand, not someone else's stolen words.

5. Fake Promises

"We’ll get you to page 1 of Google!" Sounds great. Until you ask which keyword.

Often, cheap providers target obscure phrases no one searches like "bespoke alpaca grooming in Ipswich". Technically, they deliver the ranking. Practically, you get no clicks, no sales, and no value.

SEO isn’t about empty promises. It’s about measurable business impact. Cheap services rarely deliver that.

6. Zero Strategy

Proper SEO starts with questions:

• Who's your ideal customer?

• What are they searching for?

• What do your competitors rank for?

Cheap providers skip all this. They plug your site into a cookie-cutter package and move on. There's no plan, no logic, no alignment with your business goals.

You get a monthly report that says "10 backlinks created" but you don't know what they are, where they're from, or what they do. That’s not a strategy. That’s ticking boxes.

7. Cleanup Costs

When cheap SEO goes wrong (and it usually does), the fix is expensive.

You'll need to:

• Hire someone to do a full SEO audit

• Disavow toxic backlinks

• Rebuild lost content

• Clean up the site structure

• Re-earn Google's trust

And all of that? It takes time. And it costs far more than doing it right the first time. Some businesses never fully recover from the mess.

You don’t want to be the one saying, "We tried SEO once and it ruined our website."

What Cheap SEO Looks Like (Red Flags)

• No proper audit or strategy discussion

• Using Gmail or Yahoo addresses

• Offering thousands of backlinks instantly

• No contract or vague terms

• One-size-fits-all packages

• No real case studies

• Avoids talking about Google’s rules

If you see three or more of these? Run.

SEO Is an Investment, Not a Quick Fix

Think of SEO like hiring a personal trainer. If you want long-term health, you go with someone who knows their stuff. You’ll pay more, but the results last.

Would you trust a personal trainer who charges £20 for a year's worth of workouts? Didn’t think so.

But I Don’t Have Thousands to Spend!

That’s fair. Not every small business has a big budget. But there are smarter ways to spend what you do have:

• Pay for a one-off SEO audit

• Learn some basics and DIY a few bits

• Work with someone on a monthly retainer for the essentials

• Ask for a phased plan that grows with your business

Smart SEO isn’t about splashing the cash. It’s about avoiding shortcuts that break your site.

Real Story: Claire’s Cupcakes

Claire runs a cupcake shop in Brighton. She was quoted £800/month by a proper SEO company and £150 by a guy on Fiverr. She chose the latter. Three months later, she had:

• 200 backlinks from gambling and adult sites

• A blog full of copied posts from US recipe blogs

• 0 extra sales

She had to start again with a clean site. Now she works with a local SEO consultant and gets steady traffic and repeat orders.

Cheap SEO nearly cost her her business.

FAQ: What Small Business Owners Ask Most

How long does SEO take to work?

Typically 3 to 6 months to see solid results. Fast SEO is usually fake SEO.

How much should I expect to pay?

A decent UK SEO freelancer charges £450-£950/month. Agencies might start at £800/month.

What’s the danger of buying links?

Google can detect fake links. You risk ranking drops or being de-indexed entirely.

Can I do SEO myself?

Yes, for some basics. But advanced SEO needs technical skill, time, and experience.

What’s the difference between white-hat and black-hat SEO?

White-hat = follows Google's rules (safe, long-term). Black-hat = tricks Google (risky, short-term).

Should I use Fiverr or PeoplePerHour for SEO?

For small one-off jobs, maybe. But for serious SEO, you need proven expertise and transparency.

What should I ask an SEO provider before hiring them?

• Can I see case studies?

• How will you measure success?

• What’s your link-building approach?

• How do you write content?

• Will I have access to reports?

A Note on Transparency

Any good SEO provider should:

• Explain what they’re doing

• Show you progress with clear reports

• Talk to you in plain English

If you feel confused or pushed around, walk away. It’s your money. You deserve answers.

Google Isn’t Fooled by Tricks Anymore

In 2010, dodgy SEO tactics sometimes worked. Not anymore. Google’s AI is smart. It rewards good content, real authority, and user experience.

A cheap SEO agency using outdated tricks will leave your site in the dust.

How to Spot a Good SEO Company

• They ask about your goals

• They don’t promise overnight rankings

• They offer a proper site audit

• They share real data and results

• They speak your language, not jargon

And crucially: they cost more. Because real SEO takes real work.

Cheap SEO Isn’t Just Cheap. It’s Risky.

You’re not just gambling your money. You’re risking your reputation, your traffic, and your Google presence.

Think long-term. Ask questions. And remember:

Cheap SEO is like cheap plumbing. It works for a minute, then floods your house.

Need Help With Your SEO?

We work with UK small businesses who want real results — not empty promises.

We’ll audit your site, show you where to start, and build a plan that suits your goals and budget.

Contact us today to chat about your SEO needs. No pressure. No pushy sales.

Click here to get in touch.

Remember: if SEO feels too cheap to be true, it probably is.

Pay for quality. Protect your business.