Choosing an SEO company is a big decision for a small business. The right one brings in more of the customers you want, while the wrong one can cost you months of fees and sometimes leave your website worse off than when you started.
The trouble is that most SEO companies sound the same in a sales call. This guide gives you eight things to check, the questions to ask before you sign and the warning signs that tell you to keep looking.
Start With What You Want SEO to Do
Before you talk to anyone, write down what you want more of. That might be more enquiries for one particular service, more work in certain suburbs or more calls from your Google Business Profile.
This gives you something to measure every SEO company against. A good one will ask about these goals in the first conversation and build its plan around them. If a company jumps straight to a price or a package without asking, that tells you a lot about how it works.
8 Things to Check When Choosing an SEO Company
1. Results for Businesses Like Yours
Ask to see case studies with real numbers, ideally for businesses in your industry or with customers like yours. Good proof shows what changed, such as more enquiries, better rankings for the searches that matter or more work won, and how long it took.
Be careful with traffic graphs on their own. Extra visitors are only useful if they turn into customers, so ask what the traffic brought in.
Our case studies show the numbers behind the work, from Roof Ranger’s website enquiries rising 83% in five months to $2 million of work won through the Laser Landscapes website.
2. Reviews From Real Clients
Read the company’s Google reviews, not just the testimonials on its own website. Look for reviews that mention results, communication and how problems were handled, because those tell you what working with them is really like.
If you can, ask to speak with a current client. A company that is confident in its work will usually be happy to put you in touch.
3. A Plan Built Around Your Business, Not a Package
Fixed packages, such as bronze, silver and gold, make prices easy to compare, but they rarely match what your website actually needs. A roofer who wants more work in three suburbs needs very different work from an accounting firm that wants clients from across Australia.
A good SEO company starts by looking at your website, your Google Business Profile and who is ranking above you, then builds the plan from what it finds. Every SEO plan we run starts with a full SEO audit, and that audit becomes the basis of the strategy.
4. A Clear List of Monthly Work
You should know exactly what you are paying for each month, such as new pages, improvements to existing pages, Google Business Profile updates and technical fixes. If a quote says “ongoing optimisation” and nothing more, you have no way of telling whether the work is being done.
5. Reporting on Enquiries, Not Just Rankings
Rankings and traffic matter, but the number that pays your bills is enquiries. A good report shows what was done, where your rankings moved and whether the work is bringing in calls and form enquiries.
Every one of our SEO clients receives a monthly report in plain English, so you can see what your money is doing without needing to learn the jargon.
6. Who You Will Actually Deal With
With some SEO companies, a senior person runs the sales meeting and the day-to-day work is then passed to someone you never speak to. Ask who will work on your website and who you will talk to when you have a question.
With us, you deal with Jordan and Simone directly. A small, trusted team helps with the day-to-day work, and we stay closely involved in every project.
7. Honest Timeframes and No Guarantees
Be wary of anyone who guarantees rankings or promises page one within weeks. Google’s own guide to hiring an SEO says plainly that “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.”
SEO works a lot like going to the gym, because you do not see a difference after the first session, but the work builds on itself if you keep going. Most businesses start to see movement within three to six months, and it usually takes six to twelve months to see the full results. Our article on how long SEO takes explains why.
8. Fair Terms and Work You Own
Read how long the agreement runs and how you can end it. A long lock-in contract with no way out puts all the risk on you, so ask what happens if the work is not delivering.
Also check who owns the work. The pages written for your website and your Google Business Profile should stay yours if you leave.
Our SEO plans run month to month with no lock-in contract. We ask for 30 days notice if you decide to stop, because each month’s work is planned ahead as part of your strategy.
Questions to Ask an SEO Company Before You Sign
Google’s guide to hiring an SEO suggests a list of questions to ask. These are the ones we would ask in your position:
- Can you show me results for businesses like mine?
- What will you do in the first three months, and why?
- What exactly is included each month?
- How will you measure whether it is working, and will you report on enquiries?
- Who will do the work, and who will I talk to?
- How long should it be before I see results?
- Do you follow Google’s guidelines, and will you explain every change you make?
- How long is the agreement, and how do I end it?
- If I leave, do I keep the pages, the content and my Google Business Profile?
A good SEO company will answer every one of these plainly. If the answers are vague, or you are told the methods are a secret, keep looking.
Warning Signs to Watch For
- Guaranteed rankings. Nobody controls Google’s results, so a guarantee is a sales line rather than a promise anyone can keep.
- A “special relationship” with Google. Google does not give any SEO company priority, and you cannot pay Google for better organic rankings.
- Cold emails promising page one. Unsolicited SEO offers are rarely from providers worth hiring, and Google’s guide warns about them too.
- Secret methods. Good SEO is not a secret, so you should be able to ask what is being changed on your website and get a plain answer.
- Buying links or building lots of links quickly. Shortcuts like these break Google’s spam policies and can hold your website back for a long time.
- Prices that seem too good to be true. A very cheap plan rarely covers much more than a monthly report. Our guide to how much SEO costs in Australia explains what you should expect for your money.
- Wanting ownership of your accounts. You will need to give an SEO company access to your Google Business Profile and Search Console, but you should always stay the owner.
How Much Should You Pay for SEO?
SEO prices vary a lot between providers, so comparing quotes on price alone can be misleading. The right amount depends on how competitive your market is, how many services and areas you want to rank for and how much work your website needs first.
Our SEO plans start from $1,000 + GST per month. If your budget is tight, our page on SEO for small business explains where to start, and an SEO audit or Google Business Profile management on its own are lower cost first steps.
Does It Matter Where the SEO Company Is Based?
For local searches, it helps if the company knows your area, because it will understand the suburbs you work in and the way locals search.
What matters most, though, is that they can show results and explain their work clearly, wherever they are. We are based in Penrith and work with businesses across Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the rest of Australia through our SEO services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in an SEO company?
Look for results for businesses like yours, honest Google reviews, a plan built on an audit of your website, a clear list of monthly work and reporting that shows enquiries. A good SEO company will also be honest about timeframes and will never guarantee rankings.
What questions should I ask an SEO company?
Ask to see results for businesses like yours, what is included each month, how they will report on enquiries, who will do the work, how long results usually take and how you can end the agreement. The full list is in the questions section above.
How long should I give an SEO company before judging the results?
Most businesses start to see movement within three to six months and the full results over six to twelve months. You should still see the agreed work being done every month from the start, even before rankings move.
Should I sign a long SEO contract?
Be careful with long lock-in contracts. A month to month agreement with a reasonable notice period gives you the freedom to leave if the work is not delivering, and the ACCC explains the protections small businesses have against unfair contract terms.
Can I do SEO myself instead?
You can do a lot of the basics yourself, especially on your Google Business Profile, and our local SEO checklist is a good place to start. Most business owners bring in an SEO company when they run out of time or want the work done consistently every month.
Want a Second Opinion Before You Choose?
If you are comparing SEO companies, we are happy to give you an honest view. Book a free SEO review and we will look at your website, your Google Business Profile and who is ranking above you, then tell you what we would focus on first.
There is no obligation, and you will come away with clear advice you can use, even if you choose someone else.
