Picking an SEO company can feel like a coin toss. Everyone promises page one. Everyone has a slick website. Half of them sent you a cold email saying your site has “critical errors”. So how do you sort the decent ones from the rest? This is the checklist I’d use if I were on your side of the table.
How do you choose a good SEO company?
Pick the one that asks the most about your business, explains things in plain English, won’t promise rankings, has real reviews and doesn’t tie you in. If you only remember one line from this post, make it that one.
Do they ask about your business first?
Good SEO starts with understanding what you do, who your customers are and which jobs you’d like more of. If the first conversation is all about their packages and their tools, that’s a bad sign. I want to know your margins on each job, where you’ll happily travel and what your busiest season is. Those answers shape everything.
Will they explain things in plain English?
You shouldn’t need a dictionary to follow your own SEO. If someone hides behind jargon, it’s often because there’s not much underneath. Ask them to explain what they’d do in the first month as if they were talking to a customer. See how they get on.
Are they honest about how long it takes?
Nobody can guarantee a number one spot on Google. Google doesn’t sell them. Anyone who promises one is either guessing or planning to rank you for a phrase nobody searches. A good provider tells you what’s realistic, which searches might move quickly and which will take months.
Can you see real proof?
Read their Google reviews, not the testimonials on their own site. Ask if you can speak to a current client. Ask what results look like for a business like yours. Real reviews from real local businesses are hard to fake. You can read mine here.
Who actually does the work?
Some firms sell the work locally and send it overseas. Some hand it to junior staff after the sales call. Neither is automatically bad, but you deserve to know. With me, it’s me and a small in-house team. You deal with me throughout.
What are the contract terms?
Check the minimum term, the notice period and any exit fees before anything else. I work on a 30 day rolling basis, and I’ve explained why I don’t tie people in.
Who owns your website and accounts?
You should. Your website, domain, Google Business Profile, Analytics and Search Console all belong in your name. Your SEO person gets added as a manager. If they ever leave, you keep the lot.
What are the signs to walk away?
Guaranteed number one rankings are the clearest red flag. So is a package of hundreds of backlinks for a tiny price, which usually does more harm than good. I explain why in backlinks: quality over quantity. Be wary of cold emails warning about “critical errors” on your site too. Nearly every site has a few minor warnings, and those emails are a sales tactic.
Walk away if they can’t tell you clearly what they’ll do each month, won’t say who actually does the work, or want your Google listing sitting in their account rather than yours. And if there’s pressure to sign today to get a discount, that’s a sign they’d rather you didn’t think it over.
How will they show you what’s happening?
Ask to see an example report before you sign. A good one tells you what was done, which searches moved and, most importantly, whether calls and enquiries went up. A bad one is twenty pages of graphs with no explanation, sent once a month in the hope you won’t read it.
My clients get a live reporting portal they can log into any time, plus a plain update from me on what I’ve done and what’s next. If you want to know what to expect for your money, read what do you get for a monthly SEO fee? and how many hours of SEO should you get each month?
Want a straight second opinion?
Fill in the form and I’ll look at your site and tell you honestly what I’d do, even if you end up going elsewhere. No pressure and no sales script.
If you want me to crack on, it’s £125 a week, about £18 a day, on a 30 day rolling basis.
Free website check
Checked by me, not a tool.
Rather message? WhatsApp 07463 631121 or call 0151 402 0925.
Questions people ask me
Can anyone guarantee first place on Google?
No. Google doesn’t sell rankings. Treat any guarantee as a warning sign.
Should I pick a local SEO company?
For local work it helps. They’ll know your area, your competitors and how people round here search.
Is a freelancer riskier than an agency?
Not necessarily. Check reviews and terms either way. A freelancer with a small team can be the best of both.
How many SEO companies should I talk to?
Two or three is plenty. Compare what they’d actually do, not just the price.
What should a first call cover?
Your business, the jobs you want more of, where you work, and what they’d do first.
Do cold SEO emails ever come from good companies?
Rarely. The good ones are usually busy with work from referrals.
How soon should I see progress?
You should see work happening in the first month. Rankings on busier searches take longer.
What if I’m unhappy after a month?
With me, you give 30 days’ notice and that’s it.
Do you offer a free check before I commit?
Yes. Have a look at my SEO audits or just WhatsApp me your website.
Keep reading
Not sure you need anyone yet? Read do you need an SEO company? first. How much does SEO cost in the UK? covers the money side, and questions to ask a web design company helps if you’re looking at a new site too.
Hi, I’m PeteTalk it through with me
Nearly 20 years in SEO, based in Liverpool. Happy to have a straight chat, even if you end up going elsewhere.
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