PRACTICAL GUIDE
How to choose an SEO agency: seven criteria and questions
Compare SEO proposals by actual work, methodology, communication, evidence and agreed scope rather than promises of rankings.
What you are buying
SEO may include technical analysis, research, content, structural improvements and measurement. Establish the problem and the work to be delivered. “Monthly SEO” is not a sufficient description of a service.
1. Actual experience and projects
Ask for specific projects and the supplier’s role. For charts, ask about the source, period, baseline and other changes that may have influenced results. A percentage without context does not establish causation.
2. Methodology
A good explanation connects observation, verification and action. Search Console, Screaming Frog and other tools support analysis, but a list of licences does not prove quality. Ask for an example of how a priority is decided.
3. Understanding the business
A law firm, clinic and online shop have different customer journeys. Ask how services, categories, locations and language versions are distinguished. Sector understanding should appear in questions and decisions, not just client logos.
4. Verifiable references
Read original references alongside the corresponding projects. A conversation with a client should be arranged with permission. Anonymous praise or unsupported ratings are not sufficient evidence.
5. Scope and flexibility
The proposal should fit the website. Clarify included and excluded work, access requirements and who supplies text and images. A short pilot is useful only with a realistic task and acceptance criteria.
6. Communication and reporting
Establish who is responsible, how often progress is discussed and how changes are approved. Reporting should cover completed work, observations and next steps, not just a ranking list.
7. Price against defined work
Compare equivalent scopes. Separate service fees, external licences, content and advertising spend. Clarify content rights, termination, access handover and maintenance. A generic price range is not a quotation for your website.
Timing, doing it yourself and warning signs
You can make basic improvements yourself with the necessary knowledge and time. Complex technical changes need appropriate experience. There is no universal timeline for first place. Guaranteed rankings, secret methods or bulk paid links warrant further scrutiny.
A short glossary for the conversation
A backlink comes from another website. Anchor text is the visible wording of a link. CTR is clicks divided by impressions. On-page work concerns page content and elements; off-page work concerns external sources and references. Structured data describes content in machine-readable form without guaranteeing special presentation.