Traffic is often the main selling point of a website, which makes it the main place sellers exaggerate. Verification is not optional, even for small purchases.

Always ask for direct access to the analytics account, not screenshots. Screenshots can be edited, cropped, or taken from a different property.

Break traffic down by source, geography, device, and landing page. Bot traffic, paid spikes, and single-page dependence all show up in these breakdowns.

Finally, cross-check with independent signals: search visibility, backlinks, and revenue should roughly match the traffic story, or something needs explaining.

See the final section of the full article for additional practical guidance on this topic.