The Santa Barbara Web Design and Marketing Blog

Welcome to AI Friday: Why I Believe SEO is a Scam (and What Actually Works)

Welcome to another edition of AI Friday. Today, I want to give you a look behind the scenes of a new project that’ll ruffle a few feathers—because it centers on an opinion I’ve developed over many years working with web clients, agencies, and countless business owners: SEO is a scam.

Now, before you hit close or disagree so loudly that the neighbors hear you, hear me out. I’ll explain why I believe this is true after decades in the field, and most importantly, show you what actually gets results on Google for a fraction of the time, money, and headaches SEO agencies usually demand. Plus, I’ll detail how I’m building a whole new website and sales funnel around this controversial yet honest take, and how AI—like ChatGPT—fits into the mix.

So, buckle up, especially if you’ve ever felt stuck in the SEO hamster wheel, just trying to get noticed online.

A Quick Primer: What Is SEO, Anyway?

In case you’re new to the game: SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the term for all the theory, practice, and pseudo-science that’s supposed to get your website onto page one—preferably atop the search results in Google—for keywords your customers search for most. In the old days, this could mean coder’s tricks (remember stuffing your meta tags?), but today it’s a multi-layered industry. There are on-page tweaks, off-page link-building, local listings, technical SEO, mobile optimization, and never-ending content.

Thousands of professionals around the world hang their hats on providing these services for anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand bucks a month, with agency contracts running for six, twelve, or even twenty-four months. You get regular reports. Sometimes you see movement. You keep paying. The leads trickle in—or not. Eventually, six months in, you fire the agency. Sound familiar?

My Story: Seven Years of Watching the SEO Machine Grind On

I’m not just some armchair critic here. I'm speaking from the trenches. For seven years straight, I not only invested in SEO for my clients, but also for my own business. I read all the best practices. I listened to the Google reps. I signed contracts. I watched endless metrics and tracked rankings like a hawk.

And what did I notice? The vast majority of results promised by agencies, freelancers, and “SEO gurus” were never delivered. All those technical tweaks? Sometimes, sure, you’d get a bump. Maybe even a #1 ranking for a super-obscure phrase. But for the words that actually brought in business (think: “Santa Barbara electrician,” “best web designer in Los Angeles”), the progress was either glacial or non-existent.

Meanwhile, the fees kept stacking up. Five, six, seven months—and often nothing moved the needle. Ultimately, I did what most business owners eventually do: I fired the agencies, stopped paying the retainers, and went looking for a better answer.

The Counterintuitive Truth: Why SEO (as Sold) Is a Scam

Let’s be clear: it’s not that every practitioner is out to cheat you. Most SEO experts believe in what they do. The “scam” is how the industry is structured—the promise that if you pay for long enough, the complicated mix of secret sauce, mysterious Google signals, and endless busywork will finally bring you to the promised land. The problem? It rarely happens. Here’s why:

1. Google’s Algorithm Is a Black Box

No one outside of Google truly knows the full ranking formula. Sure, there are “known” ranking factors, but Google itself changes them constantly. One core update, and all your hard work can evaporate overnight. Agencies hedge their bets, but realistically, they’re guessing and doing what worked last month.

2. Most SEO Agencies Overcomplicate Everything

They claim to touch hundreds of “levers and pulleys.” Titles, meta tags, backlinks, schema markup, canonical tags, content length, keyword density, image optimization, local business citations… the list is endless. But the reality is, only a few core actions (done right) make major impacts. Most agencies do busywork and pad hours.

3. The Payoff Timeline is Too Long

SEO agencies almost always sell you on the idea that “results take time.” Six months, minimum—pay us to see any real case studies. Sounds like a convenient way to keep you paying, doesn’t it? Meanwhile, Google’s real advice is to focus on the user and create useful content.

4. The ROI Doesn’t Add Up

If you’re paying $400–$500 a month for half a year (or more), you’re out $3,000 before you have a single new client. Most small business owners can’t sustain that kind of gamble, especially when there are faster or more reliable routes to traffic.

5. The Most Authentic Results Come from Satisfied Customers

Reviews, real-world reputation, natural backlinks from people talking about you—these count for far more than any technical changes behind the scenes. Agencies can’t fake your reputation, no matter how much they tweak your Yoast settings.

The Secret That Actually Works (And How I Discovered It)

After firing all the agencies, I decided I’d try something radical. What if I followed just a handful of proven, high-leverage steps—methods I developed by watching which of my dozens of client sites actually climbed the rankings and brought in business, regardless of complex SEO campaigns?

I put my theory to the test. Not on a dummy site, but with a real live client—someone who needed local business fast, not in a year. We did the essentials: real testimonials, clean and clear site structure, straightforward keyword phrases, answers to top customer questions, a genuine story, a couple of supporting pages, light technical optimization, and a Google Business listing that matched 100% what customers actually looked for.

The result? Number one rankings—for all the critical local search terms—faster than any agency had ever managed. Not just for one site, but for several. Results reproducible, with nothing but what I call “simplified, customer-focused SEO.”

I realized much of the industry’s complexity is smoke and mirrors. The secret is simple—and it’s what I now teach.

Building a Controversial Website—And Why I’m Letting AI Do the Heavy Lifting

With this knowledge, I decided to do something bold: launch a website entirely around this idea. Not only to share my story, but to show business owners they don’t have to keep bleeding money on empty promises.

The hook is simple and provocative—SEO is a scam—and by sharing what I learned (proven, repeatable), I’ll offer an affordable shortcut. For $17—the cost of a fast-food meal—you’ll learn the strategy working today, without months of frustration or huge agency fees. Think of it as a mini masterclass, and a real alternative to the trudge through SEO “best practices” that never quite pan out.

To build the site, I’m using the latest AI tools—GPT-4o, to be specific. Not only can ChatGPT generate headlines (a big help for split testing and grabbing attention), but it can help draft content, structure landing pages, and organize information in ways that serve both readers and search engines. There’s no fat, no guessing—just clarity and impact, customized for exactly what my customers want to learn.

A Quick Demo of What AI Can Do for Your Website (and Headlines That Grab)

Let’s look at one small slice: headline generation. In just a couple of prompts, ChatGPT can generate a range of compelling headlines, from direct and polarizing (“SEO Exposed: The Truth Behind the Scam”) to more inviting or curious (“Is SEO a Scam? I’m Pretty Sure—Here’s Why”), and even softer, story-driven ones (“My Journey Through the Deceptive Game of SEO”).

The beauty here is you get variety—so you can test what works on your audience. Some readers respond to controversy, others want proof, others want simply a better way. AI tools help you create all three at once, so you’ll never waste time with the wrong angle.

Polarity with Softness – The Balance That Works

Remember: if you want results online, you need attention. That means you can’t be afraid to stake out a bold position. But controversy for its own sake won’t win you loyal customers—you have to balance a strong stance with warmth, story, and the promise of real help.

That’s why, as I build this funnel, my site’s headlines will challenge the status quo (“SEO is a scam”), but the content will softly guide visitors: “I’ve been where you are. I believed the agencies, too. Here’s the shortcut that saved me $500 a month and six months of waiting.”

Because the truth is, underneath the debate, we’re all looking for a simpler path to results—one we can actually trust.

What’s Next: Building Out Content and Video with AI and Transparency

This is just step one. Over the coming days, I’ll use AI not only for headline and blog content, but also for video scripts, landing pages, FAQ responses, and email follow-ups. Each piece will be designed to help genuine business owners break free from confusing, expensive SEO campaigns and start getting seen by real customers as quickly as possible.

Here’s what’s on my roadmap:

- Saturday: Produce short, punchy videos designed to grab attention on social media and drive traffic to the new site.

- Sunday: Finalize website structure, refine landing pages, build out testimonials and proof (with real results from real clients).

- Monday: Open up the marketing plan—how to attract the right audience, fight through industry noise, and help the right people find and benefit from this new approach.

It’s going to be honest, hands-on, and probably more transparent than most “SEO reveals” you’ve seen to date.

Your Invitation: Follow Along (or Dive in Yourself)

If you’re tired of feeling left behind in the search results, or just can’t stomach another monthly retainer that doesn’t deliver, stick around. I’ll show you—step by step—how I moved my own sites (and client sites) to number one, without the scams, complexity, or burn rate.

In fact, you can watch as I build this funnel from scratch: from polarizing blog posts and AI-produced videos all the way through to sales and customer results. I’ll share not only the approach, but the tools and process you can follow for yourself—no agency required.

You can get started for less than a week of Starbucks, and if you want to see more, keep checking back for daily updates as we unfold this experiment in honest online business building.

See you tomorrow for the next step—where we dive deeper into video creation, messaging strategy, and how to build a movement that doesn’t just call out the fakes, but offers a better path forward.

Thanks for joining me on AI Friday—here’s to smarter, simpler, more honest web success!