What to ask an SEO company before hiring
If you're working out what to ask an SEO company before hiring, start with who does the work, what you own, and how you'll see results. Here are the 12 questions I'd ask, with the answer I'd want and the answer that should end the call.
The short version: ask who will do the work, what you get each month for the fee, and whether your website, Google Business Profile and Search Console stay in your name. Ask to see past work and a sample monthly report. Walk away from anyone who guarantees a #1 ranking. Google says no one can.
Source: Google Search Central, "Do you need an SEO?" (updated June 5, 2026).Is it worth hiring an SEO company?
It's worth it when you don't have the hours to do the work yourself, and the company can show you sites it has already helped.
Google's own guide says a small local business can probably do much of the work itself. That holds if you have evenings to spend on it. Most owners I talk to don't.
Google also says a great time to hire is when you're planning a redesign or a new site, and the earlier the better. If a new site is on your list, read whether to redesign your website or fix SEO first.
What should you ask an SEO company before you sign?
These are the questions to ask when hiring an SEO company, in the order I'd ask them. Several come straight from Google's own list. The rest come from doing SEO on my own Breathwork business, which went from 17 to 1,647 clicks a month (Google Search Console). The Liquid Breathwork case study shows what changed.
- Who will actually do the work, and how will we stay in touch?Good answer: a name, ideally the person on the sales call, and a monthly check-in.Wrong answer: "our team," with a support inbox in place of a person.
- Can you show me examples of your previous work?Good answer: live sites you can visit, and Search Console numbers for at least one.Wrong answer: client logos and a ranking screenshot.
- What exactly do I get each month for the fee?Good answer: a written list of monthly deliverables that also says who pays for tools and content.Wrong answer: a flat retainer with nothing in writing about what it buys.
- If we part ways, do I keep my website, domain and Google accounts?Good answer: yes, all of it, in your name, starting now.Wrong answer: "we'll set it up under our account to make it easier."
- What will you do in the first 90 days?Good answer: named jobs, like fixing your Google Business Profile and writing one page for each service you offer.Wrong answer: "we'll run an audit and see," with no list after it.
- Will you send me a list of every change you make to my site?Good answer: yes, each month, with the reason behind each change.Wrong answer: "don't worry about the technical side."
- How will I see results each month?Good answer: calls and form leads, plus clicks you can check in your own Search Console.Wrong answer: rankings for words your customers never search.
- What results do you expect, and in what timeframe?Good answer: a realistic estimate and the work it takes to get there. Google says an audit should give you exactly that.Wrong answer: a promise of first place.
- Do you follow Google Search Essentials, and how do you get links?Good answer: yes, and links come from local directories and partners who'd send you customers anyway.Wrong answer: a set number of links a month. Google says to avoid SEOs that talk about link popularity schemes.
- What's your experience with businesses like mine?Good answer: work they can show you in your trade or a close one.Wrong answer: "we work with every industry," and no examples in yours.
- How do you handle AI search, like ChatGPT and Google's AI answers?Good answer: advice that matches Google's official guidance, with Google's documentation to back it up. Google's own hiring guide tells you to check exactly that. What I do: clear service pages and the same business details everywhere you're listed.Wrong answer: selling you an llms.txt file as the way into Google's AI answers. Google says Google Search ignores those files.
- How long is the contract, and what happens if I cancel?Good answer: month to month, or a short notice period, in plain language.Wrong answer: a 12-month lock-in with no way out.
The 12 questions as a checklist to bring to the call
- Who will actually do the work, and how will we stay in touch?
- Can you show me examples of your previous work?
- What exactly do I get each month for the fee?
- If we part ways, do I keep my website, domain and Google accounts?
- What will you do in the first 90 days?
- Will you send me a list of every change you make to my site?
- How will I see results each month?
- What results do you expect, and in what timeframe?
- Do you follow Google Search Essentials, and how do you get links?
- What's your experience with businesses like mine?
- How do you handle AI search, like ChatGPT and Google's AI answers?
- How long is the contract, and what happens if I cancel?
If an answer makes you uneasy, check it against my list of SEO company red flags. For budget, I wrote up how much you should pay for SEO services.
Should I hire a solo consultant or an agency?
Either can work if they pass the questions above. The real difference is who you end up talking to each month.
At a bigger firm, the person who sells you can be different from the person who works on your site. I'm one person, so I take on fewer clients than an agency with a team. In exchange, you talk to me, and I'm the one making the changes.
That's how I run SEO and AI visibility for local service businesses. On a free call, I'll answer all 12 questions about my own work and quote a price for yours.
What should I ask about owning my website and Google accounts?
Ask who will be listed as the owner of each account, and get it in writing before you sign. On a Google Business Profile, an owner has full control, while a manager can edit the profile but can't add or remove users or remove the profile. Here's the setup to ask for.
| Account | You | Your SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Primary owner | Manager |
| Search Console | Owner | Restricted user during an audit, Full user once hired |
| Domain and hosting | Account in your name | A login you can remove |
What should a sample monthly report show?
Ask to see a real report, with the client's name removed, before you sign. A useful one fits on a page and covers four things:
- Calls and website clicks from your Google Business Profile
- Form leads, counted by month
- Search Console clicks, plus the searches that brought them
- Every change made that month, with the reason for it
If the report is mostly rankings charts, ask what those rankings turned into. Then ask to see live sites. You can look at my builds for Body by Sisily and Radiant Construction, or the Search Console numbers for my own business in the Liquid Breathwork case study.
What else do people ask before hiring an SEO company?
What are some good questions to ask a marketing agency?
Ask the same questions you'd ask an SEO company, plus two if they run ads. Who owns the ad account? It should be you. And how much of each invoice is ad spend versus their fee? You want those two numbers listed separately every month.
What are some good questions to ask during an SEO interview?
If you're hiring an in-house SEO instead of a company, ask the same 12 questions, then two more: one past project with Search Console numbers they can show you, and a 30, 60 and 90 day plan for your site.
What is the 80/20 rule in SEO?
Ask any SEO company which 20 percent of the work they would start with. The 80/20 rule is the idea that a small share of the work drives most of the results. For a local service business, that usually means your Google Business Profile, one clear page per service, and a steady flow of reviews.
Should I give an SEO company access to my Google accounts?
Yes. Add them as a user you can remove, never as the owner. On your Google Business Profile, make them a manager. In Search Console, make them a Full user once they're hired. If they're only doing an audit, Google says to grant read access only.
Should I hire a local SEO company or a remote one?
Hire whoever answers the 12 questions best, local or not. A local consultant is a plus when they already know your service area and the competitors in it.