Key takeaways
- Ask every agency on your shortlist the same questions so you can compare answers fairly.
- Good answers are specific to your business, explain the reasoning and admit what cannot be predicted.
- Guaranteed rankings, fixed link quotas, secrecy and accounts held in the agency’s name are all red flags.
- Make sure you will own your website, content, Google Business Profile and analytics whatever happens.
Before you hire an SEO agency, ask what they would do first for your business, who will do the work, what happens in the first 90 days, how they earn links, how they report on results, who owns your accounts and what the contract terms are. Good answers are specific, honest about uncertainty and focused on your business goals. Vague promises, guarantees and secrecy are signs to keep looking.
I have sat on both sides of these conversations for more than 13 years, answering these questions for prospective clients and helping businesses rescue campaigns that went wrong elsewhere. These are the 15 questions I would ask, grouped by what they reveal.
Before you ask: prepare a short brief
You will get far better answers if each agency starts from the same information. Write a one-page brief covering your main services or products, the areas you serve, your goals for the next year, a rough budget range, what you have tried before and who your main competitors are. Send it to every agency on your shortlist before the first call.
Questions about strategy
1. What would you focus on first for our business, and why?
Why ask: This shows whether they have looked at your site and understood your goals, or are reading from a script.
A good answer: They mention specific pages, issues or opportunities on your site and connect them to your goals. For example, that your service pages are not indexed properly, or that competitors rank with location pages you do not have.
Be wary if: The answer could apply to any business, such as “we will optimise your keywords and build links”.
2. Which searches do you think we should target?
Why ask: You want an agency that prioritises searches that bring customers, not just traffic.
A good answer: They talk about search intent and commercial value, distinguishing between searches from people ready to buy and those still researching.
Be wary if: They focus on high search volumes or promise rankings for a long list of keywords without explaining why those keywords matter.
3. What will happen in the first 90 days?
Why ask: The first three months set the direction and show how organised the agency is.
A good answer: A clear sequence such as audit, research, quick fixes, priority page improvements and setting up tracking, with deliverables you can see.
Be wary if: It is vague, or the first three months are mainly “onboarding” with nothing tangible delivered.
4. How long before we should expect results?
Why ask: Unrealistic timelines are a common source of disappointment.
A good answer: An honest range, with early indicators to watch, such as impressions and keyword growth in Search Console, before traffic and enquiries follow. Our guide on how long SEO takes explains typical timelines.
Be wary if: They promise page one within weeks or give a fixed date for rankings.
Questions about people and process
5. Who will actually work on our account?
Why ask: The person who pitches is not always the person who does the work.
A good answer: They name the people, describe their experience and explain how much time each will spend on your account.
Be wary if: They cannot tell you, or the work goes to a junior team or outsourced provider you never meet.
6. How often will we hear from you, and how?
Why ask: Communication problems end more agency relationships than poor results.
A good answer: A clear rhythm, such as monthly reports and calls, a named contact and agreed response times.
Be wary if: “Whenever you need us” with no structure, or contact only when the invoice is due.
7. What will you need from us?
Why ask: SEO depends on your input: approvals, information and sometimes developer time.
A good answer: They are specific: access to accounts, a decision-maker for approvals, product or service knowledge and help with reviews.
Be wary if: They say they need nothing from you, which usually means generic work.
8. Will you make changes to our website directly?
Why ask: You need to know who touches your site and how changes are controlled.
A good answer: They explain what they will change, how they test it and how they keep you informed, and they share a log of changes. Google’s own guidance on hiring an SEO suggests asking whether they will share all the changes they make.
Be wary if: They want full access but will not explain or record what they do.
Questions about methods and risk
9. How do you build links?
Why ask: Link building is where risky tactics most often hide.
A good answer: Digital PR, useful content, partnerships, local relationships and fixing broken links. They are happy to show examples. See our guide to link building for small businesses.
Be wary if: A fixed number of links each month, private blog networks, paid links or a refusal to say where links come from.
10. How do you approach content?
Why ask: Content quality has a large effect on rankings and conversions.
A good answer: Content based on real customer questions and your expertise, written or reviewed by people who understand your industry, with clear briefs and your approval before publishing.
Be wary if: Large volumes of generic articles, AI-generated text published without review or content with no link to your services.
11. How are you preparing clients for AI search?
Why ask: Search now includes AI-generated answers from Google and assistants like ChatGPT.
A good answer: A clear view of how AI tools find and cite businesses, such as clear answers, consistent business information, structured data and third-party mentions.
Be wary if: They dismiss AI search entirely, or sell it as a completely separate, mysterious service.
Questions about results and reporting
12. Can you show results for businesses like ours?
Why ask: Relevant experience shortens the learning curve.
A good answer: Examples from similar businesses or markets, with numbers such as growth in organic enquiries or revenue, and ideally a client you can speak to.
Be wary if: Only screenshots of rankings, or examples from completely different industries with no explanation.
13. What will your reports show?
Why ask: Reports should tell you whether the investment is working.
A good answer: Enquiries, calls, sales and revenue from organic search, alongside rankings and traffic, with commentary explaining what changed and what happens next. Ask to see a sample.
Be wary if: Reports full of rankings for terms nobody searches for, or traffic figures with no link to business results.
Questions about ownership and terms
14. Who will own our accounts, content and data?
Why ask: Some agencies hold accounts in their own name, which makes leaving painful.
A good answer: You own your website, content, Google Business Profile, Analytics and Search Console. The agency is added as a user or manager.
Be wary if: They create accounts under their own login or claim ownership of content they write for you.
15. What is the contract length and notice period?
Why ask: Lock-in contracts protect the agency, not you.
A good answer: A sensible initial term followed by a rolling arrangement with a reasonable notice period, and clear terms on what happens to work in progress if you leave.
Be wary if: Twelve months or more with no exit clause, or penalties for leaving.
Questions a good agency will ask you
The conversation should run both ways. A good agency wants to understand your business before it proposes anything, so expect questions like these. If an agency asks none of them, it is probably about to send you a standard package.
- Which services or products matter most to you? Usually those with the best margins, the most capacity or the strongest growth potential.
- Who are your best customers, and how do they find you today?
- What is a new customer or enquiry worth to you? This shapes how much SEO investment makes sense.
- Which areas do you serve, and where do you want to grow?
- What has worked or failed before? Previous agencies, redesigns and campaigns all leave traces in your site’s history.
- Who can approve changes, and how quickly?
- Do you have access to a web developer?
- How do you track enquiries and sales today?
The quality of these questions tells you a lot about how the agency will work once you have signed.
What to do after each call
Write down your impressions straight after each conversation, while they are fresh. Note how well the agency understood your business, which answers were specific and which were vague, who you spoke to and whether you would want to work with them every month. Ask for the proposal in writing, including the scope of work, the first 90 days, the team, reporting, price and contract terms, so you can compare like with like.
Finally, check the basics. Look at reviews on Google and independent platforms, check the agency’s own website and content, and confirm the company is properly registered. A quick search for the agency’s name alongside words like “complaint” or “review” can also be revealing.
If something in a proposal is unclear, ask. A good agency will be happy to explain, and the way it responds to questions before you sign is usually how it will respond afterwards.
Red flags that should end the conversation
- Guaranteed number one rankings. Google itself warns against anyone who makes this promise.
- Claims of a special relationship with Google.
- Unsolicited emails promising to get you to page one.
- Offers to write or buy reviews. Fake reviews have been unlawful in the UK since April 2025 under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.
- Refusal to explain methods, give access to reports or share changes.
- Pressure to sign quickly with a limited-time discount.
How to compare the answers
After two or three calls, put the answers side by side. Look for the agency that understood your business best, gave specific and honest answers, explained its plan clearly and treated you as a partner rather than a sale. Price matters, but compare it against what each agency will actually deliver. Our SEO pricing guide shows typical UK ranges, and our guide to choosing an SEO agency in Cardiff covers what to look for locally.
If you would like to put these questions to us, book a free strategy call. We will answer every one, and if another option such as a freelancer or a few hours of SEO consulting would suit you better, we will tell you.
How Eigme can help
Turn this into results.
We can help you put this into practice with a clear plan, hands-on delivery and reporting in plain English.
Book a free strategy call →Frequently asked questions
What should I ask an SEO agency before hiring?
Ask what they would do first and why, who will do the work, what happens in the first 90 days, how they build links, how they report, what results they have achieved for similar businesses, who owns your accounts and content, and what the contract terms are. Compare the answers across two or three agencies.
What are red flags when hiring an SEO agency?
Watch for guaranteed rankings, promises of a fixed number of backlinks each month, unsolicited emails promising page one, secrecy about methods, reluctance to share access, accounts set up in the agency’s name and long contracts with no notice period.
Should an SEO agency guarantee results?
No agency can honestly guarantee rankings, because no one outside Google controls them. A good agency can explain what it expects to achieve, which early indicators to watch and roughly when, and can commit to the work it will deliver.
How many SEO agencies should I talk to?
Two or three is usually enough. Give each the same brief, including your goals, budget range, main services and locations, and ask them the same questions so their proposals are easy to compare.
Who should own my Google Business Profile and analytics?
Your business should. Make sure your website, domain, Google Business Profile, Google Analytics and Search Console are owned by your own accounts, with the agency added as a user or manager. That way you keep everything if you change agency.
