How to Choose an SEO Agency: 10 Questions to Ask First

When you choose an SEO agency, judge the method, not the promise. Before you accept a proposal, ask about the scope, the plan for the first month, whose name the accounts are opened in, what the reporting is based on and how you can leave the contract. Starting with an agency that cannot answer these five points clearly usually means not knowing what you actually have a few months later. You can ask the ten questions below in order during the proposal meeting and compare the answers side by side.

Google's own guidance points the same way: before you hire an SEO, it recommends asking to see previous work, checking whether they follow Google Search Essentials, and asking what results they expect, in what timeframe, and how they measure success. Google's guide to hiring an SEO is the starting point of this article as well.

1. What exactly is included in the scope?

"SEO service" is not a single job. Technical foundations (page speed, indexing, sitemap, redirects), content (new pages and articles, updates to existing pages), local visibility (Google Business Profile and map results) and link acquisition are separate line items. Ask for a proposal that lists which of these are included and which are not. Countable items, such as how many articles will be written each month or how many page titles and descriptions will be reviewed, are far easier to check than a vague phrase like "comprehensive SEO work". If you want to judge these items yourself, our what is SEO guide explains the technical, content and authority sides one by one.

2. What will happen in the first month?

A healthy start is usually an audit: how the site appears on Google, which pages are indexed, which queries already bring visibility and which technical errors exist. Those findings are then put in order of priority. Ask the agency: "What will I have in hand at the end of the first month?" If the answer is a concrete output such as an audit report and a prioritised task list, that is a good sign. If the answer is only "we will start working", it becomes hard to tell later what the first month was spent on. A team that can explain why one task comes before another at the end of the audit will usually be able to explain its decisions in the months that follow too.

3. Whose name will the accounts be in?

Google Search Console, Google Analytics and Google Business Profile hold the most valuable data about your site. You should own these accounts, and the agency should only be added as an authorised user. That way, even if you stop working with the agency, your history stays with you and a new team does not have to start from zero. In the proposal meeting, ask: "Will you open the accounts, or will we give you access?" If you are not sure what Search Console shows, our Google Search Console guide walks through the main screens step by step.

4. How will you measure success?

A screenshot showing your position for one keyword is not enough to describe progress. Rankings change by person, location and device. Stronger measures are the clicks and impressions in Search Console, the searches visitors arrive with and whether those visits turn into something useful such as a form, a phone call or a sale. Ask the agency which source the report will come from, how often it will arrive and whether it will compare against the previous period. The report should not be numbers alone; it should also say what was done that month, which result is linked to which work and what comes next.

5. What results do you expect, and by when?

SEO works with a delay. Google needs time to crawl and evaluate changes before they show up in rankings. That is why the timing question matters, but you should not expect an exact date. An honest answer explains which work comes first and where the first effect will be visible: usually impressions move first, then clicks, and conversions last.

6. Do you guarantee rankings?

The right answer to this question is "no". Google's guidance says it plainly: no one can guarantee a number one ranking on Google, and if someone guarantees you first place, it suggests you look for someone else. A guarantee usually means either ranking for a very narrow phrase that nobody searches for, or methods that put your site at risk for a short-term gain.

7. How will links be earned?

Links from other websites are still an important signal. However, purchased link packages and link networks violate Google's spam policies and can harm your site. Ask the agency where the links will come from: explainable sources such as industry directories, business partners, local press or content that is genuinely worth sharing build trust. A firm promise of an exact number of links is also a warning sign, because quality links cannot be planned by the piece in advance. We explain our approach in detail in our ethical backlink strategy article.

8. If you are a local business, what will be done in map results?

If your customers search with phrases like "near me" or "city name + service", map results matter as much as your website. In that case the scope should include setting up the categories, services and opening hours in Google Business Profile, keeping your business name, address and phone number identical everywhere, and replying to reviews regularly. Ask the agency who will do this work and how often. You can find the steps for standing out in map results in our local SEO guide.

9. How do you leave the contract, and who keeps the work?

The minimum term, the notice period and the payment schedule should be written clearly in the contract. A question asked less often, but just as important, is this: when the work ends, who keeps the articles written, the pages created and the technical changes made on the site? Ask for every change to be listed for you in writing. Google also recommends expecting an SEO to share all the changes they make to your site.

10. Who will do the work, and how will you communicate?

The person presenting the proposal and the person doing the work may be different. Ask who will look after your account, through which channel your questions will be answered and how quickly. Whether they have worked in your industry and your city before is also an important question; a team that knows the local competition sets priorities faster. Asking for examples of previous work and real client experiences is also among the questions Google recommends. Many agencies now use AI tools for content and analysis. That alone is not a problem, but you have every right to ask who reviews the output.

A short checklist for comparing proposals

When you put proposals side by side, check five points: is the scope written as line items, is the output of the first month defined, are the accounts in your name, is the report based on Search Console and conversion data, and are the exit terms and ownership of the work written down? A proposal that answers these five questions clearly is worth comparing. If you would like to discuss your own site through these questions, you can reach us from our SEO service page.