15 Questions to Ask an SEO Agency Before Hiring
Before you sign with an SEO agency, ask who does the work, what you get each month, how results are reported and how you can leave. These 15 questions sort the good agencies from the risky ones.
Short answer: ask an SEO agency who will do the work, what is delivered each month, how results are measured, who owns the accounts and how you can cancel. Clear, specific answers are a good sign. Vague answers, ranking guarantees and long lock-in contracts are not.
Most local business owners hire an SEO company once, get burned, and then stop trusting all of them. A 20-minute call with the right questions prevents that. Here are the 15 we would ask if we were on your side of the table.
Questions about the work
- Who will actually work on my account? You want a name, not “our team”. Ask if the work is outsourced.
- What do you do in the first 30 days? A good answer includes an audit, access to Search Console and your Google Business Profile, and a written plan.
- What is delivered every month? Ask for a list: pages written, profile posts, citations fixed, links earned. “Ongoing optimization” is not a deliverable.
- Do you work on my Google Business Profile or only my website? For a local service business, most calls come from the map results. An agency that ignores the profile is skipping the main job.
- How do you build links? Look for real outreach, local directories and partnerships. Walk away from anyone selling bulk links.
Questions about results
- Which numbers will you report? Calls, form leads, map rankings across your service area and Search Console clicks. Rankings alone are not enough.
- How long before I see movement? An honest agency gives a range and explains what affects it, such as your competition and how new your site is.
- Do you guarantee rankings? Nobody controls Google. A guarantee of position one is a red flag. A guarantee of the work delivered is reasonable.
- Can I see results for a business like mine? Ask for a case with the trade, the city size and the time it took.
- What happens if a Google update drops my rankings? You want a calm, specific process, not blame.
Questions about money and control
- What does it cost and what changes the price? Number of locations, number of services and how competitive your city is should all come up.
- Is there a long-term contract? Month to month is the fairest setup. If there is a term, ask why.
- Who owns the website, content and accounts? You should. Your Google Business Profile, Search Console, Analytics and domain must stay in your name.
- What happens to my site and content if I cancel? You should keep everything you paid for.
- How often will we talk? A monthly report plus a short call is a sensible minimum.
Red flags to listen for
- “We guarantee page one in 30 days.”
- “We have a special relationship with Google.”
- No access to your own accounts or reports.
- A 12-month contract with a penalty for leaving.
- Reports that show impressions but never calls or leads.
Frequently asked questions
How many SEO agencies should I talk to?
Three is enough. Ask each one the same questions so you can compare the answers side by side.
Is a cheaper SEO agency always worse?
No, but very low prices usually mean little real work is done. Ask for the monthly deliverables list and judge the price against that.
Should my SEO agency also run my Google Ads?
It can help, because the keyword and call data from ads improves the SEO plan. It is not required.
How Synova answers these
We work month to month, you own every account, and the founder is accountable for each client. You can see how our local SEO service works, or ask for a free audit and put these 15 questions to us.