I've grouped these by how much damage they do. Some just waste money. Others put your website, Google profile or ad accounts at risk, and those are much harder to undo. For each one I've explained why it matters, because a list of warnings is only useful if you understand what's behind them.
Promises nobody can keep
The fastest way to spot a weak marketer is the size of the promise. Platforms like Google and Meta decide rankings and reach with systems no outside marketer controls.
- "Guaranteed first page on Google." Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking, and that there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Anyone guaranteeing rankings is either guessing or gaming something.
- "10,000 followers in a month." Bought followers don't buy anything from you, and they damage your engagement rate.
- "Results in a week" for SEO. Search takes months to build. Quick wins exist, such as fixing a Google Business Profile, but sustained ranking takes time. See how long SEO takes in the UAE.
- A "special relationship" with Google or Meta. Google specifically warns about SEOs who claim one. Platform partner badges exist, but they don't buy rankings or reach.
Tactics that can get you penalised
These are the serious ones. They can work briefly, which is why they're sold, but the consequences fall on your business.
- Fake or incentivised reviews. Google's policy forbids offering discounts, free goods or payment in exchange for reviews, and removes them. Your profile can be restricted. Here's how to get Google reviews the right way.
- Keyword-stuffed business names. Google requires your Business Profile name to match your real-world name. "Best Dentist Dubai Marina" as a name breaks the rules.
- Mass-produced pages. Hundreds of near-identical pages built just to rank, such as one per area or industry with only the name swapped, fall under Google's scaled content abuse policy.
- Cheap link packages. Buying links to manipulate rankings breaks Google's spam policies.
Hiring a marketer · Dubai
How much each red flag can cost you
| Red flag | Main risk | How hard to undo |
|---|---|---|
| Guaranteed rankings | Wasted fees | Easy: stop paying |
| Bought followers | Weaker reach, wasted fees | Moderate: audience is polluted |
| Fake or paid reviews | Reviews removed, profile restricted | Hard |
| Link packages and spam pages | Rankings lost after a spam action | Hard: clean-up and time |
| Accounts in their name | Losing ad history, domain or data | Can be very hard |
Business and ownership warning signs
These don't break platform rules, but they tell you how the relationship will go when something goes wrong.
- They want to create ad accounts in their own name, or refuse to give you admin access.
- They won't explain what they did each month in plain language.
- They ask for your passwords instead of being added as a user.
- They can't show a valid licence or issue a proper invoice. See freelance permits and VAT.
- Every problem is always the algorithm's fault.
- They're secretive about methods. Google's advice is to be careful if someone won't clearly explain what they intend to do.
The ownership rule
Your domain, website, Google Business Profile, ad accounts and analytics should always be owned by you. Marketers should have user access. If someone resists that, walk away.
How to check what you already have
If you've worked with marketers before, it's worth a ten-minute check that you still own everything. Google Business Profile lets you see who the owners and managers are. Google Ads and Google Analytics both show the users on an account and their access level, and Meta's business settings list the people and partners with access to your pages and ad accounts.
Hiring a marketer · Dubai
A ten-minute ownership check
Domain
Log in to the registrar. The account and the contact email should be yours.
Google Business Profile
Check that you are the primary owner and remove managers you no longer work with.
Analytics and ads
Confirm you hold admin access and review the user list.
Meta
Check the business portfolio owns the page and ad account, not a partner.
Green flags to look for instead
- They explain what they'll measure and how you'll see it.
- They tell you what they wouldn't do for your business.
- They're upfront about timelines, especially for SEO.
- They ask lots of questions about your customers before proposing anything.
- They ask to be added as a user, and suggest read-only access for an initial audit.
If you're comparing candidates now, pair this list with questions to ask before hiring a marketer. And if you want a second opinion on what a previous provider left behind, my local SEO service starts with exactly this kind of check.