Ask who does the work
Many companies sell SEO and hand the work to junior staff, offshore teams or software. Ask who will do your work, where they are and how much experience they have.
You are hiring people, so meet them or at least talk with them.
Ask what they will report
If the answer is rankings and traffic charts, be careful. Ask how they will measure calls, leads and customers, since those are the only numbers that matter to your business.
A short report that says what happened and what comes next beats a long one that shows only activity.
Ask about conflicts
A company that works for your direct competitor in your market cannot give both of you its best effort. Ask whether they take more than one client per trade.
We take one per trade in a market, for exactly this reason.
Watch for promises
No honest company can promise a specific ranking, because search engines decide. Be wary of promised rankings, secret methods and pressure to sign today.
Look instead for a clear plan, realistic timelines and a willingness to answer hard questions.
Ask what you will own
Your website, your profiles, your analytics and your content should be in your name. Ask what happens if you leave.
A confident company is comfortable with a simple, fair exit.
Check the reputation
Look at the company reviews, ask for references in your own trade and see how long their clients stay.
Long relationships are one of the best signs of real results.
Hire the company that tells you plainly who will do the work, how it will be measured and what you will own, and that does not overpromise.
