To choose an SEO company, write down the result you want and the budget you can sustain, shortlist two or three agencies with relevant experience, and interview each one with the same questions: who does the work, how they earn links, what they report and how they handle AI search. Then score the answers and check references before you sign.
The hard part of learning how to choose an SEO company is that almost every agency calls itself transparent and results-driven. Specific answers to identical questions separate them. Google publishes its own list of questions to ask before hiring an SEO, and the 15 below build on it for 2026.
Key takeaways
- Set a measurable goal and a monthly budget before contacting agencies, so every proposal answers the same brief.
- Ask each shortlisted agency the same 15 questions and compare the answers with a weighted scorecard, not gut feel.
- Strong agencies name the people doing the work, explain how they earn links and cite Google’s documentation.
- Walk away from ranking guarantees, claims of special access to Google and requests to own your accounts.
- With a remote agency, agree meeting times, governing law, payment terms and account ownership in writing first.
How to choose an SEO company: start with your goals and budget
Decide what success means, what you can spend each month and who on your side will support the work. Agencies can only send comparable proposals when they respond to the same brief.
- Goal: a business outcome you can check, such as more quote requests from organic search for your three main services, or more calls from Google Maps in two cities. “Rank first for X” is not a goal anyone can honestly promise.
- Markets: the cities, countries and languages you want to win.
- Budget: a monthly amount you can keep up for several months, plus a separate sum for one-off fixes or new pages.
- Capacity: who approves content, who can change the website, and how quickly.
- Accounts: confirm you have owner access to your website, Search Console, GA4 and Business Profile before any agency asks for it.
Timing matters too: Google says a great time to hire is when you’re planning a redesign or a new site, so SEO shapes the build instead of patching it later. If you’re unsure you need an agency at all, our SEO plan for small businesses shows what you can do yourself, and our comparison of agencies, freelancers and in-house teams helps you pick the right model first.
How do you build a shortlist of SEO agencies?
Aim for two or three agencies that have worked with businesses like yours, in markets like yours. A long list wastes interviews, and a list of one gives you nothing to compare.
- Referrals from owners in related, non-competing industries.
- Reviews on Google and on B2B review sites such as Clutch. Read them for detail about communication and outcomes, not just the star rating.
- Case studies in your industry or country, with specifics you can check.
- The agency’s own content: does it explain SEO accurately and point to Google’s documentation?
- Not cold emails. Google tells site owners to be wary of SEO firms that contact them out of the blue.
What questions should you ask an SEO agency? 15 for every interview
Send the same 15 questions to every agency, ideally in writing before the call, so you can compare answers side by side. Several are adapted from Google’s own interview list; the rest cover links, access, reporting and AI search.
1. Can you show me similar work and what it achieved?
A good answer: case studies from comparable businesses, backed by Search Console or GA4 charts with dates, and an honest note of what else changed at the time, such as a redesign or new ads.
2. What experience do you have in my industry and my market?
A good answer: specific examples from your sector and your city or country, plus candor about gaps. An agency that has only worked on US e-commerce may struggle with a Dubai clinic’s local search.
3. What would you work on first, and why?
A good answer: a short, prioritized view based on a real look at your site and competitors. A generic 50-point package suggests nobody has studied your business.
4. What results do you expect, by when, and how will you measure them?
A good answer: early indicators first (fixed errors, indexed pages, impressions for priority pages), then leads and sales, with checkpoints agreed up front. No promised positions or page-one dates.
5. Who will actually work on my account?
A good answer: the names and roles of the strategist, writer and technical specialist, and whether any work goes to freelancers or white-label partners. You should meet the lead person before signing.
6. How will we communicate, and how fast do you respond?
A good answer: one named contact, a regular call, written updates between calls, and a response time for normal questions and for urgent problems such as a site outage.
7. Will you tell me about every change you make, and the reason for it?
A good answer: yes, through a shared change log with dates and URLs. Google lists this among the questions to ask an SEO, and it protects you if rankings move after a change.
8. Do you follow Google Search Essentials and the spam policies?
A good answer: yes, with examples of tactics they refuse to use and recommendations that cite Google’s documentation. Google suggests checking whether an SEO backs its advice with official sources.
9. How do you earn links?
A good answer: named methods such as supplier and partner mentions, local organizations, journalist requests and useful resources, with every link logged. No paid links that pass ranking credit and no link networks.
10. Who writes the content, and how do you use AI?
A good answer: named writers who interview you or your team for real expertise, a human edit on everything, and your approval before publishing. AI can assist, but mass-produced pages are a risk to your site.
11. Who implements technical fixes?
A good answer: the agency makes the changes with your permission, or writes clear tickets for your developer, then confirms each fix in Search Console. “We’ll send you an audit” is not implementation.
12. What access do you need, and whose name will the accounts be in?
A good answer: individual user or manager access to accounts you own, such as Search Console, GA4, your Business Profile and your CMS. Nothing registered in the agency’s name, and no shared passwords.
13. What will your monthly report show?
A good answer: organic leads and sales, Search Console clicks by page, work completed and next month’s plan, in plain language. Our guide to judging a monthly SEO report shows what to expect.
14. How do you approach AI Overviews, AI Mode and ChatGPT search?
A good answer: advice consistent with Google’s guidance that optimizing for its AI features is still SEO, measured in Search Console’s Generative AI performance report. Be wary of guaranteed AI citations or llms.txt upsells for Google.
15. What are the contract terms, and what happens if we part ways?
A good answer: a clear term and notice period, a handover checklist, and your content, reports and link log returned. Our checklist of what an SEO package should include covers the clauses to look for.
How can you verify an agency’s case studies and references?
Ask for evidence you can check, and speak to at least two past clients. Google recommends asking an SEO’s references whether the service was useful, easy to work with and produced positive results.
- Ask to see Search Console or GA4 charts on a screen share, with dates and the property name visible, rather than cropped percentage claims.
- Ask what else changed during the campaign: a redesign, new ads, a new branch or a seasonal peak.
- Ask each reference what went wrong at some point and how the agency handled it.
- Check that the people who delivered the case study still work at the agency.
What are the red flags when choosing an SEO agency?
The clearest SEO agency red flags are promises nobody can keep and secrecy about methods. If you see any of these during the sales process, move on.
- A promise of the top spot. Google’s hiring guidance states plainly that nobody can guarantee a #1 ranking.
- “We work with Google” or “Google approved”. Google doesn’t evaluate or approve third-party SEO services, and its Business Profile help advises asking anyone who claims to work for Google to email you from an @google.com address.
- No questions about your business. Google notes that a good SEO asks what makes your business unique, who your competitors are and how customers find you.
- Owner access for a first audit. Google’s advice is to give an auditing SEO read access to Search Console, not write access.
- Pressure or threats. A “sign today” discount is a warning sign; so is a claim that you’ll lose your Business Profile. Google says third parties can’t remove your business from Google.
- Scores instead of substance. Reports built on third-party authority scores alone; Google says those tools have no access to its internal ranking data.
How do you compare shortlisted agencies with a weighted scorecard?
Score each agency from 1 to 5 on every criterion, multiply by the weight and add up the rows; a perfect agency scores 500. The weights below are a starting point, so adjust them to your priorities before the interviews, not after.
| Criterion | Weight | What earns a 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant experience | 20 | Comparable case studies, confirmed by references |
| Strategy and first steps | 15 | A specific, prioritized plan for your site |
| Transparent methods | 15 | Explains link and content methods and cites Google’s documentation |
| Team and communication | 15 | Named people, agreed response times, enough shared working hours |
| Reporting | 10 | Reports leads and sales, not just rankings |
| Access and ownership | 10 | Every account stays in your name, with a written handover |
| Price for the scope | 10 | Clear monthly deliverables at a price you can sustain |
| Contract terms | 5 | Reasonable term and notice period, no lock-in |
Example
Agency A scores 4 for experience (4 × 20 = 80) and 3 for communication (3 × 15 = 45). Score every agency straight after its call, ideally with two people scoring separately, then compare totals and notes.
What should you agree with a remote or offshore SEO agency?
Settle meeting times, contract terms, payment and account ownership in writing before work starts. Get these right and a remote agency can suit businesses in the UK, the US, the UAE, Canada or Australia.
Time zones and meeting cadence
Work out the shared hours before you sign. The example below uses an agency working 9:00 to 18:00 in Pakistan (UTC+5, with no daylight saving time).
| Your location | Agency day in your time | Practical setup |
|---|---|---|
| UK (London) | 4:00 to 13:00 in winter, 5:00 to 14:00 in summer | Morning calls; four to five shared office hours |
| UAE (Dubai) | 8:00 to 17:00 all year | Almost a full shared working day |
| US and Canada, Eastern time | 23:00 to 8:00 in winter, 0:00 to 9:00 in summer | No shared office hours; early calls or written updates |
| Australia (Sydney, Melbourne) | 14:00 to 23:00 in winter, 15:00 to 24:00 in summer | Afternoon calls; two to three shared hours |
Fix a weekly or fortnightly call inside the overlap, use written updates and a shared task board between calls, and ask who covers public holidays in both countries.
Contracts and data protection
- State which country’s law governs the contract and how disputes are resolved.
- Content, designs, reports and code should transfer to you once invoices are paid.
- Include confidentiality terms covering your data and plans.
- For UK businesses: if the agency will process personal data for you, such as form leads or customer lists, UK GDPR requires a written contract, and the ICO’s guidance explains what it must cover. Elsewhere, check your own data protection rules.
Payment terms
Agree the currency, when invoices are due (monthly in advance or in arrears) and who pays bank transfer and currency conversion fees. Prefer monthly or milestone payments to a large upfront sum for a long term, and get a written price before any out-of-scope work begins.
Accounts and communication
Create the accounts yourself and invite the agency with its own logins, so you can remove access without changing passwords. Ask for a named account manager and a backup contact. Google also advises hiring one third party at a time to manage your Business Profile, because your business can appear on Google only once. For the wider outsourcing picture, read our buyer’s guide to outsourcing to Pakistan.
How TechZone can help
TechZone Services is a web and digital marketing agency in Islamabad that works with businesses in Pakistan, the UK, the UAE, the USA, Canada and Australia. Put these 15 questions to us as well. Our SEO services begin with an audit, the scope and cost are agreed in a written proposal, and your accounts and content stay in your name. Many projects start with an SEO audit, so the first weeks go on the fixes that matter most. Schedule a free 30-minute call to see whether we fit your shortlist.
Frequently asked questions
Should I hire a local SEO company or a remote one?
A local SEO company is easier to meet in person and may already know your market, while a remote SEO company can bring different pricing and specialist skills. The deciding factors are relevant experience, clear communication and enough shared working hours for regular calls. Market knowledge can be learned; transparency and sound methods are harder to find.
How long should I give an SEO company before judging results?
Judge an SEO company first on whether it delivers the agreed work on time, then on early indicators such as fixed technical issues, indexed pages and rising impressions for priority pages. Leads and sales from organic search usually take longer to move. Our guide to realistic SEO timelines explains what affects the wait.
Can I switch SEO companies without losing rankings?
Switching SEO companies does not affect rankings by itself, because Google ranks your website, not your agency. Problems start when the old agency controls your accounts, removes content it wrote or leaves undocumented changes behind. Before switching, confirm you own every account, collect the change log and link log, and ask the new agency to review recent changes first.
Do SEO companies need access to my website?
An SEO company usually needs an editor or administrator login for your content management system, such as WordPress or Shopify, to make on-page and technical changes, plus user access to Search Console and GA4. If you prefer, the agency can write change requests for your developer instead. Give every person their own login so access can be removed cleanly later.
Is it better to hire an SEO specialist or a full-service marketing agency?
An SEO specialist suits a business whose main goal is organic visibility and whose other marketing is already covered. A full-service marketing agency suits a business that wants SEO, paid ads, social media and content planned by one team. In either case, ask who inside the agency actually does the SEO work and how often you will speak to them.
Sources and further reading
- Do you need an SEO? – Google Search Central
- Google Search's guidance on using third-party SEO tools, services, and advice – Google Search Central
- Spam policies for Google web search – Google Search Central
- Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search – Google Search Central
- Tips for working with third parties to manage your Business Profile – Google Business Profile Help
- When is a contract needed and why is it important? – Information Commissioner's Office
