Every SEO company promises more traffic, and most of their websites look alike. The differences show up in how they earn links, what they report and who owns the work when you leave. Google has published its own advice on hiring an SEO, and the 10 questions below build on it, so you can compare providers on what actually decides how the next year goes.
- Ask how they earn links. Anything that sounds like buying them is a red flag.
- Ask what they'll measure. Leads and sales beat rankings for searches nobody makes.
- Ask who owns the content and the accounts. It should be you.
- Walk away from any guarantee of first place on Google.
What Google says to ask
Google's guide, Do you need an SEO?, suggests interviewing any SEO you're considering and lists the questions it would ask: examples of previous work, whether they follow Google Search Essentials, what results to expect and when, how they measure success, their experience in your industry and your area, how long they've been in business, how you'll communicate, and whether they'll share every change they make and why.
It's just as clear about warning signs: no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, and you should be wary of anyone claiming a special relationship with Google, offering a priority submit, being secretive about their methods, or emailing you out of the blue.
About the best SEO company lists
Search for the best SEO company and much of what comes back is ranked lists. Two we checked on 31 October 2026, both published by SEO agencies, included their own agency, one of them at number one. A list can tell you who exists; it can't tell you how your site will be handled.
The 10 questions
For each one, here's what a good answer sounds like and what should make you pause.
Can you show me examples of previous work?
Good answer: real sites, real numbers and the timeframe, ideally for businesses like yours. Red flag: screenshots of rankings for searches nobody makes, or no examples at all.
Do you follow Google Search Essentials?
Good answer: yes, with a clear explanation of how they earn links. Red flag: link packages, private blog networks or anything Google's spam policies call link spam, such as buying links for ranking purposes.
What results do you expect, and when?
Good answer: an honest estimate with a timeline, usually months rather than weeks. Red flag: a guarantee. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking.
How will you measure success?
Good answer: leads, calls, bookings or sales from organic search, alongside traffic and rankings for searches that matter. Red flag: a report built on impressions and rankings alone.
What's your experience in my industry and my area?
Good answer: specific examples, or an honest answer about what they haven't done. Red flag: every industry and every city, with nothing to show for any of them.
Will you share every change you make, and why?
Good answer: yes, in writing, before or as they happen. Red flag: secrecy about methods, which Google's own guide flags as a warning sign.
Who owns the content and the accounts?
Good answer: you do: the pages, the articles, Google Search Console, Google Analytics and the Business Profile, with the company given access. Red flag: content or accounts that stay with them if you leave.
What's included each month?
Good answer: a written list: how many pages written or improved, which technical work, how links are earned, and the reporting. Red flag: "ongoing optimization" with nothing countable.
How will we communicate?
Good answer: a named person, a regular rhythm of updates and calls, and a live view of the numbers. Red flag: a monthly PDF and an inbox nobody answers.
What happens if I want to leave?
Good answer: month-to-month or a short notice period, and everything stays in your name. Red flag: a 12-month minimum with no way out if nothing improves.
Not sure what you need yet?
If you can't tell whether your site's problem is technical, content or local, start with a one-off audit before signing a retainer with anyone. Ours is a $500 SEO audit, with the findings in writing and the fee credited against a monthly plan if you start one within 60 days. For what retainers cost across the market, see SEO pricing in 2026, and for whether SEO is the right channel at all, is SEO worth it for a small business.
How we'd answer them
It's only fair to answer our own list, as a small business SEO agency ourselves:
- No guarantees. Google's results depend on factors no agency controls, and its own guidelines say so.
- Links are earned through outreach and useful content. No link farms, private blog networks or bulk packages.
- Content is included: articles, guides, landing pages and on-page copy.
- A monthly report ties rankings and organic traffic to leads and revenue, with a live dashboard in between.
- SEO runs $500-$2,000 a month, month-to-month. A standalone audit is $500.
Questions people ask
What is the best SEO company?
There isn't one best company for every business. The right one has done work like yours, follows Google's guidelines, explains every change it makes, reports on leads and sales rather than rankings alone, leaves your content and accounts in your name, and doesn't promise guaranteed rankings. The 10 questions in this guide test for each of those.
What does an SEO agency actually do?
It makes your site easier for Google to understand and more useful to the people searching: technical fixes, new and improved pages, earning links from relevant sites, and for local businesses, the Google Business Profile. A good one reports on the leads and sales that organic search brings in.
Are SEO companies worth it?
They can be, when searches for what you sell already exist and a customer is worth enough to fund months of work before results show. Is SEO worth it for a small business has the sums. They're not worth it when the provider sells guarantees, bulk links or reports with nothing behind them.
Can an SEO company guarantee first place on Google?
No. Google's own guidance says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, and warns against anyone claiming a special relationship with Google or a priority submit.
How much does an SEO company cost?
Ahrefs' survey of 439 SEO providers found an average of $2,917 a month, with $501 to $1,000 the most common retainer. We charge $500-$2,000 a month, month-to-month, and a standalone audit is $500.
Should I hire an SEO company that emailed me?
Be careful. Google's guide to hiring an SEO warns to be wary of SEO firms that email out of the blue, and to treat unsolicited email about search engines with the same scepticism as any other unsolicited offer.
Want to put these questions to us? Book a strategy call. Ask all 10, and we'll answer them about your site, not in general.
