Inherited technical debt, poor content quality, and problematic link history can hinder early SEO improvements, even with new expertise, because they create foundational issues that need addressing before progress can be made.
For someone focused on growth hacking and SEO, the key takeaway is the critical importance of addressing inherited technical debt, content quality, and link history before expecting significant early SEO gains. When partnering with a new SEO vendor, ensure that foundational issues are resolved to maximize the effectiveness of subsequent SEO strategies and investments.