Hiring guide
How to hire an SEO agency
Last reviewed , published by Gjethe
The short answer
To hire an SEO agency, define the business goals SEO should support, ask for case studies with context, understand exactly what work happens each month, check how they earn links and create content, avoid anyone promising guaranteed rankings, and agree reporting on leads or sales rather than vanity metrics.
SEO is hard to evaluate from the outside. Results take time, reports can be filled with impressive but meaningless numbers, and risky shortcuts can work briefly before causing damage. This guide helps you separate agencies doing real, sustainable work from those selling activity.
How to approach it
- 01
Set goals
Leads, sales, sign-ups, and which products or services matter most.
- 02
Know your starting point
Current traffic, rankings and technical health.
- 03
Shortlist
Agencies with relevant experience and transparent methods.
- 04
Compare plans
What they'll do in the first months and why.
- 05
Agree reporting
Metrics tied to business outcomes, reviewed monthly.
Questions to ask
| Question | Good answers include |
|---|---|
| What will you do first? | An audit and priorities based on your site and goals |
| How do you earn links? | Digital PR, outreach and useful content, not bought links |
| Who writes content? | Writers who research your topic, with your experts' input |
| How do you report? | Traffic, conversions and rankings with explanations |
| What if results stall? | Analysis and changes to the plan, explained openly |
Red flags
Avoid agencies that guarantee first-page rankings, sell large numbers of links, hide their methods, lock you into long contracts without justification or report mainly on keyword counts and impressions.
Bought links and automated content can trigger manual penalties and long-term damage. Ask directly how links are obtained and listen carefully to the answer.
What a good monthly report contains
- Organic traffic and conversions
- Ranking changes for priority terms
- Work completed this month
- Issues found and fixed
- Plan for next month
- Plain-language explanation of results
Agency, consultant or in-house?
Agencies offer a team with technical, content and outreach skills. Consultants suit companies with in-house marketers who need expert direction. In-house SEO roles make sense for larger sites with constant content production.
Many companies combine models: an agency for technical work and strategy, with in-house writers or developers implementing changes.
AI search changes the brief
Search increasingly includes AI-generated answers, and people also ask assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity for recommendations. A modern SEO partner should understand how to make content clear, structured and trustworthy enough to be cited there too.
Ask how they approach AI search visibility and how they measure it.
How to read case studies
Good case studies explain the starting point, what the agency did, how long it took and what changed in business terms. Be cautious of screenshots showing traffic spikes without context, or results claimed for unnamed clients that can't be verified.
Ask whether you can speak to a past client about their experience.
Monthly SEO activities you should expect
| Activity | Example output |
|---|---|
| Technical monitoring | Issues found and fixed |
| Content | New or improved pages published |
| On-page optimisation | Titles, headings and internal links updated |
| Authority building | Links or mentions earned |
| Reporting | Results, insights and next steps |
Onboarding an SEO agency
Give the agency access to Search Console, analytics and your CMS, share your business goals and priority products or services, and name a contact who can approve content and changes quickly.
Slow approvals are one of the most common reasons SEO programmes underperform.
What to expect in the first months
Early months usually focus on an audit, fixing technical issues, improving existing pages and building a content plan. Visible ranking gains often follow later, once fixes are indexed and new content gains authority.
Ask for a written plan for this period so you can check progress against it.
Measuring SEO fairly
Compare organic traffic and conversions with the same period last year to account for seasonality, and track priority pages rather than the whole site. Use Search Console for queries and impressions, and analytics for conversions.
Fair measurement prevents both premature disappointment and false celebrations.
Questions for a reference call
- What did the agency change in the first months?
- How did they communicate?
- Were results explained honestly?
- Did they meet deadlines?
- Would you hire them again?
Local and international SEO needs
If you serve customers in one city, choose an agency experienced in local SEO and Google Business Profile. If you sell in several countries or languages, look for experience with international site structures, hreflang and localised content.
The right specialism matters more than agency size.
Content ownership and access
Make sure content, accounts, reports and any tools set up for you stay accessible if you end the engagement. Search Console and analytics should always be owned by your company.
Clear ownership avoids losing years of data when changing providers.
Frequently asked questions
How long before I see SEO results?
It varies by competition and starting point. Expect meaningful progress to build over several months.
Is a long contract necessary?
Not always. Monthly arrangements are common; commit for long enough to give SEO a fair chance.
Should SEO and ads be with the same agency?
It can help coordination, but expertise matters more than bundling.
Can an agency guarantee rankings?
No honest agency can. Search engines decide rankings.
What access will the agency need?
Search Console, analytics and usually CMS access to implement changes.
Do I need an audit first?
It's a good start, especially for established sites.
How do I know if links are safe?
Ask for examples of links earned and how. Relevant, editorial links from real sites are safe; paid link packages are not.
What about local SEO?
If customers visit you or you serve an area, local SEO should be part of the plan.
Should the agency write all our content?
They can, but content is stronger when your experts contribute knowledge and review accuracy.
Can we see the work being done?
Yes. A good agency shares task lists, published content and technical changes, not just results.
Can an agency fix a Google penalty?
They can identify the cause, clean up issues and, for manual actions, file a reconsideration request. Google decides the outcome.
What if we change our website during an SEO engagement?
Tell the agency early. Redesigns and migrations need SEO input to avoid losing rankings.
Do SEO agencies need our developers?
Often, for technical fixes. Agree who implements changes before starting.
How often should we meet our SEO agency?
Monthly reviews are common, with quicker communication for urgent issues or approvals.
Can an SEO agency help with AI search?
Many now include AI search visibility, focusing on clear, structured, trustworthy content.
Should SEO and content be one contract?
It's often simpler, since content is central to SEO, but it depends on your team's capacity.
Related services
SEO Services
Technical, on-page and off-page SEO for Google and AI search.
SEO Audit
A prioritised list of what's holding your rankings back.
Local SEO
Google Business Profile and map-pack visibility.
GEO & AEO (AI Search Optimization)
Visibility in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.
Content Writing
Website copy, articles and descriptions written by people.
Talk it through with us.
Tell us what you need. You get an honest assessment, a clear plan and a written quote. The first consultation is always free.
- What happens next
- 1You tell us what you need
- 2We aim to reply within 24 hours with questions
- 3You get a written quote for your project