Hiring the wrong SEO agency costs more than the retainer. You lose 6–12 months, and a bad agency can leave you with spammy backlinks, thin content and a penalty that takes another year to clean up. The good news: the right questions expose a weak agency within a single call.
This guide gives you 15 questions to ask before you hire, what a strong answer sounds like, which answers should end the conversation, and a scorecard to compare proposals side by side.
How do you choose an SEO agency?
Choose an SEO agency that shows proven results in businesses like yours, explains exactly what it will do in the first 90 days, measures success by leads and revenue rather than rankings alone, follows Google’s guidelines, and lets you own all accounts, content and data. Interview at least three agencies, ask each the same 15 questions below, and score their answers. Walk away from anyone who guarantees #1 rankings.
Google’s own advice is the same: ask for examples of past work, check that the agency follows Google Search Essentials, and be wary of anyone who promises guaranteed rankings or claims a “special relationship” with Google (Google Search Central).
Before you contact any agency: 4 things to prepare
Agencies give better answers when you give them better information. Spend 30 minutes on this first.
- Your business goal in numbers. “Get 20 more booked jobs a month from Google” is something an agency can plan for. “Rank higher” isn’t.
- Your current baseline. Organic traffic, leads from organic search and your top pages, from Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Give agencies read access so their proposals use real data.
- Your market. The cities or countries you serve, your top 3 competitors, and the services that make you the most money.
- Your budget range. Agencies scope very differently at $1,500 a month than at $8,000. If you’re unsure what’s realistic, see our SEO pricing guide for current rates in the US, Canada and the UK
Agency, freelancer or in-house?
| Option | Best For | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|
| SEO freelancer | Small sites, one-off audits, tight budgets | Limited capacity; rarely covers content, technical and links together |
| SEO agency | Businesses that need strategy, content, technical SEO and link building together | Junior staff doing the work after a senior sales pitch |
| In-house SEO hire | Large sites with constant content needs | One person rarely covers every skill; salary plus tools often exceeds an agency retainer |
| Full-service digital agency | Businesses that also need website changes, design or development | Make sure SEO isn’t an afterthought to their web work |
15 questions to ask an SEO agency before you hire
The questions are grouped into proof, plan, people, methods and terms. Ask all 15 on the call, take notes, and score the answers afterwards with the scorecard further down.
Proof
1. Can you show me results for businesses like mine?
Why it matters: SEO for a local dental clinic, a SaaS company and an online store are three different jobs. Past results in your industry or business model are the best predictor of future ones.
- Good answer: 2–3 case studies with before-and-after numbers (organic leads, traffic, revenue), the timeframe, and what the agency actually did. They offer a reference you can call.
- Red flag: Only screenshots of ranking positions, no timeframes, or “our clients are confidential” with nothing to show at all.
2. What would you do in the first 90 days?
Why it matters: This separates agencies with a method from agencies selling a package.
- Good answer: A specific plan based on a look at your site: for example, “Month 1 we audit and fix crawl and indexing issues, month 2 we rebuild your top 5 service pages, month 3 we start content and links.” They mention problems they already spotted.
- Red flag: A generic list (“keyword research, on-page, off-page”) that would fit any business, or no plan until you sign.
3. What would you need from us to succeed?
Why it matters: Good agencies know SEO needs input from you: access, approvals, expertise and sometimes developer time.
- Good answer: Clear asks, such as access to Search Console and analytics, a contact who approves content within a set time, and input from your team for expert content.
- Red flag: “Nothing, we handle everything.” Results then stall the first time a page change needs your approval.
Plan and Management
4. How do you measure success?
- Good answer: Business metrics first: leads, calls, booked jobs or revenue from organic search. Supporting metrics come second: non-brand clicks, rankings for priority keywords, visibility in AI answers. They set targets with you.
- Red flag: Rankings and “traffic” only, or vanity numbers like total keywords ranked.
5. What will a monthly report show, and do I get live dashboard access?
- Good answer: A short report covering what was done, what changed, what’s next, and leads from organic. Plus a live dashboard (Looker Studio or similar) you can open any time.
- Red flag: Long automated PDFs with no explanation, or reports only on request.
6. How long until we see results, and what’s realistic?
- Good answer: Honest ranges: quick wins from technical and on-page fixes in 1–3 months; steady growth in 4–6 months; competitive terms in 6–12+ months. They explain what affects the timeline in your market.
- Red flag: “Page one in 30 days” or any guarantee. As Google puts it, no one can guarantee a #1 ranking.
People
7. Who will actually work on my account?
- Good answer: Named people with roles (strategist, content writer, technical SEO, link builder), how many clients each manages, and whether any work is outsourced.
- Red flag: A senior person sells, then a junior you never meet does the work. Or the work goes to an undisclosed offshore team.
8. How do we communicate, and how quickly do you respond?
- Good answer: A dedicated account manager, a monthly strategy call, a shared channel, and a response time they commit to (e.g. one business day).
- Red flag: Ticket-only support or no regular check-ins.
Methods
9. How do you build backlinks?
Why it matters: Links are still a major ranking factor, and bad links are the fastest way to a penalty.
- Good answer: Earned and relevant links: digital PR, original data, expert quotes, partnerships, industry directories and local citations. They show examples of links they built.
- Red flag: “We’ll get you 100 links a month”, private blog networks (PBNs), paid link packages, or anything they won’t show you.
10. How do you handle technical SEO, and who implements the fixes?
- Good answer: A full audit (indexing, site speed and Core Web Vitals, structured data, internal links, mobile), a prioritised fix list, and a clear answer on who makes the changes. Agencies with in-house developers can fix issues directly; others hand a list to your developer.
- Red flag: Audit reports with 200 “issues” and no priorities, or no plan for who does the work. If your site needs deeper fixes, an agency with web development services in-house saves weeks of back-and-forth.
11. Who writes the content, and how do you use AI?
- Good answer: Writers with subject knowledge, an editor, and input from your team for first-hand expertise. AI is used for research and drafts, but humans edit, fact-check, and add real experience. Ask to see sample articles. See how we approach SEO content writing.
- Red flag: Large volumes of unedited AI articles, or content that doesn’t mention anything specific to your business.
12. How do you get us visible in AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity?
Why it matters: AI answers now appear above many search results and shape which brands buyers shortlist. Read more in our guide to how AI Overviews are changing SEO for service businesses.
- Good answer: Clear, quotable answers on your pages, structured data, strong entity information (consistent business details everywhere), reviews and mentions on third-party sites, and tracking of which AI answers cite you.
- Red flag: Guaranteed AI citations, or “AI search doesn’t matter for you.”
13. What’s your experience with local SEO in my area? (for businesses serving a city or region)
- Good answer: Specifics on Google Business Profile optimisation, reviews, citations, service-area pages and map pack rankings, with local results to show. Our local SEO checklist for service businesses covers what this should include.
- Red flag: Fake addresses, keyword-stuffed business names, or buying reviews. All break Google’s rules.
Terms
14. What does it cost, what’s included and what’s extra?
- Good answer: A written scope with deliverables per month (e.g. pages optimised, articles, links, hours), and a clear list of what costs extra (development work, ad spend, tools).
- Red flag: A low price with a vague scope, or extras that appear only after you sign. Compare quotes against current market rates in our SEO pricing guide.
15. What are the contract terms, and who owns everything if we part ways?
- Good answer: A short minimum term (or month-to-month after an initial 3–6 months), 30 days’ notice, and you own everything: your Google Analytics, Search Console and Business Profile accounts, all content, and all links built to your site.
- Red flag: 12-month lock-ins with no exit, the agency owning your Google Business Profile or analytics, or content that “belongs” to the agency.
8 SEO agency red flags that should end the conversation
- Guaranteed rankings or “page one in 30 days”.
- A “special relationship” with Google or “insider access”. Google says no such thing exists.
- Secret methods the agency won’t explain.
- Link packages sold by volume (“50 high-DA links a month”).
- Cold emails or calls saying your site has “critical errors”. Good agencies rarely need to cold-pitch with scare tactics.
- They want to own your accounts: Google Business Profile, Analytics, Search Console or your domain.
- No questions about your business. An agency that doesn’t ask about your margins, best customers or competitors can’t prioritise.
- Reports that only show rankings and never connect to leads or revenue.
Contract terms to check before you sign
- Minimum term of 3–6 months, then month-to-month
- 30 days’ notice to cancel, no exit fees
- Monthly deliverables written into the contract
- You own all content, designs, data and links
- Your accounts stay in your name; the agency gets user access only
- Agency commits to Google Search Essentials (no link buying, no spam)
- Handover of all work and access within 14 days if you leave
Looking for an SEO agency that answers all 15?
Webfoundr’s SEO services cover technical SEO, content, link building, local SEO and AI search visibility, with in-house designers and developers who implement fixes directly. We put the scope in writing, you own every account and asset, and our reports tie rankings to leads. If you work with clients of your own, we also offer white-label SEO for agencies.
Frequently asked questions
What should I look for in an SEO agency?
Look for proven results in businesses like yours, a specific plan for your site, reporting tied to leads and revenue, safe link-building methods, a named team, and a contract that leaves you owning all accounts, content and links.
How many SEO agencies should I interview?
Interview three. Fewer gives you nothing to compare against; more makes it hard to compare proposals properly. Send all three the same brief and questions.
Can an SEO agency guarantee first-page rankings?
No. Google states that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking. An agency can commit to work delivered and to targets, but any ranking guarantee is a red flag.
How long should an SEO contract be?
An initial term of 3–6 months is reasonable, because SEO takes time to show results. After that, month-to-month with 30 days’ notice protects you if results don’t come.
Is it better to hire a local SEO agency?
Not necessarily. Experience in your industry and type of search (local, national or ecommerce) matters more than the agency’s location. For local businesses, the agency must know Google Business Profile and map pack rankings well.
What’s the difference between an SEO agency and a digital marketing agency?
An SEO agency focuses on organic search. A digital marketing agency also runs ads, social media and email. A full-service agency can combine SEO with website design and development, which helps when your site itself needs fixing.
