No one wants to turn away business, but sometimes it is necessary in order to avoid big problems and hassles in the future. Here are five red flags to be on the lookout for when potential SEO clients approach you.

1. Their website is brand new and/or it needs too much work, and client doesn’t understand work versus cost versus return: ask yourself if the time investment is worth it in this case, especially if there are significant problems with their site that will need to be fixed before any real SEO work can be completed.

2. Their expectations are much too high: Do they want to get to the first page of Google. . . in a month? Do they seem to think that you have some magic SEO wand that you can wave to get them instant results? If so, beware. . .

3. They are resistant to making the changes that you recommend and to new ideas in general: If they don’t want to listen to your ideas and defer to your experience in the initial consultation phase, expect this to be a recurring trend.

4. Their website deals with controversial subject matter (this is relative of course, but if you are uncomfortable working with websites that deal with illegal topics, hate themes, porn, etc. than this should be a red flag). It’s the “other” white meat: PPC = Pills, Porn, Casino

5. They don’t want to do any work themselves: in other words, they assume that you will take over the marketing, maintenance, and generally run every aspect of their website for them once they sign with you.

When it comes to choosing SEO clients, trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to say no when necessary—you’ll be glad that you did. Don’t just go for the money!