SEO is the service where customers find it hardest to tell what they're actually paying for. Results arrive months later, the work isn't visible and reports tend to be full of charts nobody understands. That's why the market has so many offers that promise a lot and deliver little. In this article I describe how to choose an SEO agency or an independent specialist, what to ask before you sign and how to tell whether the work is paying off.
A good SEO agency never guarantees a specific ranking, but tells you exactly what it will do, why and how you'll measure the result. Before you sign, ask for a plan for the first three months, access to your own Google Search Console and Analytics, a sample report and a clearly described scope for the monthly price. Ask how they build links (buying link packages is a warning sign) and what happens to your website and data if you end the contract. Measure success not by rankings or traffic, but by inquiries and orders.
Agency, freelancer or in-house?
Before you compare offers, decide what kind of supplier you need. Each has different strengths.
| SEO agency | Independent specialist | In-house person | |
|---|---|---|---|
Suits |
larger websites and e-shops, several channels at once |
small and mid-sized businesses, local companies |
businesses where search is the main source of customers |
Strength |
a team, capacity, several specializations |
direct contact, knows your website |
knows the business, available every day |
Weakness |
verify the actual team and handover |
limited capacity, cover when unavailable |
expensive, needs direction and tools |
Typical cost |
higher monthly retainers |
lower retainers, paid directly for the work |
salary and tools |
Find out who will perform and review the work. The agency or freelancer label alone does not establish seniority, quality or price.
10 questions to ask before you sign
1. What exactly will you do in the first three months?
Ask for a concrete answer: a technical check, fixing errors, rewriting titles on pages with potential, a content plan, local profiles. "We'll do SEO" or "we'll optimize the website" isn't enough. A good supplier can describe the first steps before you sign, because they've at least skimmed your website in advance.
2. Do you guarantee any ranking?
The right answer is no. Google says so directly in its guide to hiring an SEO: no one can guarantee a first place in search. Whoever guarantees a ranking usually targets words nobody searches for, or relies on practices Google penalizes. What can be guaranteed is the scope of work, deadlines and ongoing reporting.
3. How will you measure success?
Rankings and traffic are intermediate steps. What matters is how many people from search contacted you or bought something. Ask whether the supplier will set up lead tracking in Google Analytics and how they'll separate searches for your business name (other business activities can also affect them) from new queries where people didn't know you before.
4. Can I see a sample report?
A report should say what was done that month, what changed and what comes next. If the sample report contains only a chart of rankings for dozens of keywords with no explanation, that's exactly what you'll get. A good report takes five minutes to read, and afterwards you know what you paid for.
5. Will the accounts and data be mine?
Google Search Console, Google Analytics, your Google Business Profile and tool accounts should be registered to you, with the supplier given access. When you end the contract, the data and history stay with you. If only the supplier controls the accounts, agree transfer and export before signing; continued access is not automatic.
6. How do you build links?
Google uses link-analysis systems but does not publish a universal ranking of their weight. Ask how and why links will be acquired. Warning signs are "100 links a month" packages, the agency's own network of websites and articles on sites that exist only to sell links. Google explicitly classifies such links as spam. A reasonable answer sounds like: content worth linking to, industry directories with real visitors, partnerships, media. I go into more detail in link directories and backlinks.
7. Who will make changes to the website?
SEO without changes to the website is just consulting. Ask whether the supplier will make the changes themselves or send a task list for your developer. Either is fine, but you need to know upfront, otherwise the recommendations stay in a spreadsheet and nothing happens.
8. How are you preparing for AI search?
Some people now ask ChatGPT or read the AI Overview in Google. A supplier who knows nothing about it, or says it doesn't affect their clients, is working by old rules. They don't need to promise miracles, but they should be able to explain what they do so AI assistants know about you. You'll find an introduction in how to get your business into AI search.
9. How long am I committing for?
SEO needs time, so a horizon of several months is reasonable. A rigid one-year contract with no way out isn't fair, though. Ask about the notice period and what you get when the contract ends (an overview of the work done, access, materials).
10. Can I talk to one of your clients?
Testimonials with a company name that you can verify carry more weight than logos on an agency's website. Ask mainly about clients of a similar industry and size to yours. A large e-shop's results tell you little about work for a local business.
Worked example: References: what are you verifying?
ORIGINAL EXAMPLE · FICTIONAL DATA
| Claim | Evidence requested | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| "We built this website." | URL and contribution details | Actual scope of involvement |
| "Enquiries increased." | Period, definition, source | What the figure measures |
| "The client is happy." | Permission for reference contact | Verifiable experience |
No example business is providing a real testimonial.
Warning signs in an offer
Apart from the above, be careful when:
- the price is low and the scope is vague. Cheap care is fine as long as you openly know you're buying a few hours of work a month,
- the supplier promises results in two weeks. a delivery date can be promised, but a date for ranking or enquiry growth cannot,
- the offer says nothing about your website and is the same for everyone,
- the supplier won't show what they actually did ("our know-how is secret"). They can protect their methods, but they have to show you the result of their work,
- technical knowledge is missing. If the supplier can't explain why a page is slow or not indexed, they'll struggle to fix it.
How much should good SEO care cost?
The price depends on the state of your website, the competition in your field and the scope of work. You'll find a detailed breakdown with sample packages in how much SEO costs. As a guide: my smaller ongoing care starts at €200 per month, active growth with content at €320 per month and a one-off audit with a plan at €400. More important than the price is knowing what you get for it.
How can you tell the work is paying off?
At the agreed review, assess four distinct items. Delivery can be checked against the contract; growth in impressions or enquiries is not guaranteed:
- Completed work: fixed technical errors, improved pages, new content, shown in the report, not just promised.
- Changes in non-brand queries: impressions, clicks and rankings, including stagnation or decline and possible causes.
- Search enquiries, if any, linked to sales records; acknowledge missing attribution.
- A clear plan for the coming months based on what the data showed.
If after six months you see neither completed work nor movement in the data, it's time to ask questions and, if needed, change supplier.
Frequently asked questions
How do I recognize a good SEO agency?
By whether it can tell you before you sign exactly what it will do, how it will measure results and who will work on your website. A good agency doesn't guarantee rankings, keeps accounts in your name, shows a sample report and explains how it builds links.
Can an SEO agency guarantee first place in Google?
No. Google decides the order of results, and no agency can guarantee it. Google states this in its own guide to hiring an SEO. What can be guaranteed is the scope of work, deadlines and regular reporting.
Is an agency or an independent SEO specialist better?
For small and mid-sized businesses, often a specialist, because you talk to them directly and they know your website. An agency makes sense for larger websites and e-shops that need several people and specializations at once. What matters most is who exactly will work on your website.
How long does SEO take to bring results?
Timing depends on the problem, indexing, competition and implemented changes. Agree delivery and review dates, not a promise of initial enquiries within three to six months. Waiting longer alone does not prove the approach is correct.
What should I do if my SEO agency isn't delivering results?
Ask for an overview of the work done and the data from Search Console and Analytics. If you see neither completed work nor progress on queries without your business name, ask for a concrete recovery plan with deadlines. If that doesn't come either, end the contract and have all accounts and materials handed over to you.
Want to try it with me?
I do SEO as an independent specialist, so I work on your website myself. At the start you get a plan, the accounts stay in your name and the monthly overview shows what I did and what it brought. You'll find the terms and scope on the SEO optimization page. If you first want to know where your website stands, start with the free website check.