Ask how they would approach your business
A provider should ask about your services, customers, locations, capacity and existing website. Those questions determine which search opportunities have commercial value.
Look for a reasoned sequence of work. If every business receives the same page count, keyword list and promises before any review, ask how the plan will be adapted.
Separate diagnosis from delivery
An impressive audit is useful only if the important changes can be made. Ask who will implement the recommendations and who will confirm they worked.
- Which pages or templates will change?
- Who writes, checks and publishes the content?
- Does the scope include development work?
- Which dependencies belong to your team?
- How will completed work be demonstrated?
Check the evidence behind claims
Ask for relevant examples with enough context to assess them. A percentage increase means little without the starting point, timeframe and definition of the metric. A case study should make clear what work was done and what was actually measured.
An agency should explain the limits of what it can control. Guaranteed first positions, undisclosed tactics or vague claims of special influence over search engines deserve further scrutiny.
Clarify ownership and access
Know who owns the domain, website, content and measurement accounts. Ask what access you receive during the engagement and what happens when it ends. Keep the agreement specific enough that both sides understand the handover.
Choose reporting that helps you act
Ask to see how a typical review connects completed work with relevant search visibility, accepted enquiries and the next priority. A useful report can explain disappointing results and uncertainty as clearly as positive changes. That is essential for deciding what to improve.
Sources & further reading
Official references used for the local and platform guidance on this page.