Choosing an SEO agency is one of the most consequential marketing decisions a business can make. Get it right, and you have a partner that compounds your organic growth for years. Get it wrong, and you waste months of budget on vanity metrics while competitors pull ahead. The problem is that most businesses evaluate agencies on the wrong criteria — flashy proposals, keyword promises, or the cheapest price — rather than the factors that actually predict success.
This guide gives you a repeatable, practical framework for evaluating any SEO agency. Whether you are hiring your first agency, weighing an agency against building an in-house team, or replacing one that underdelivered, the ten-point checklist below will help you ask the right questions, spot the warning signs, and ultimately choose a partner that drives real business outcomes — not just rankings on a spreadsheet.
Why Most Agency Searches Fail
Most businesses start their agency search on Google, compare three to five proposals, and pick the one that promises the most rankings for the lowest price. This approach fails for three reasons.
First, rankings alone do not equal revenue. An agency can rank you for hundreds of keywords that generate zero leads. The question is not “will you rank me?” but “will you drive business outcomes?” A page-one ranking for a keyword nobody searches — or that attracts the wrong audience — is a vanity metric that looks good in a report but does nothing for your pipeline. The right agency focuses on revenue-driving keywords, conversion optimization, and traffic quality from day one.
Second, SEO has changed fundamentally. In 2026, over 40 percent of search queries trigger AI-generated answers. An agency that only optimizes for traditional Google rankings is leaving a massive channel untouched. You need a partner that understands both traditional SEO and AI search optimization (GEO). If a prospective agency has never mentioned ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews in their pitch, they are already behind the curve — and they will put you behind it too.
Third, the proposals themselves are often misleading. Agencies that guarantee specific rankings or promise page-one results within 30 days are either lying or using tactics that put your domain at risk. Real SEO is a long-term investment, and any honest agency will tell you that upfront. The most effective agencies do not sell promises — they sell process, transparency, and a track record of measurable outcomes.
The 10-Point Checklist
Use this checklist to evaluate any SEO agency you are considering. Each item addresses a specific risk factor or quality signal that separates effective agencies from those that waste your budget.
Do they show real case studies with verifiable results?
Look for specific metrics: organic traffic growth percentages, revenue impact, lead generation numbers. Generic testimonials mean nothing. Ask to speak with a current client. Good agencies are proud of their work and happy to provide references. If an agency cannot point to concrete outcomes they have driven for businesses similar to yours, that is a sign their results may not hold up to scrutiny. Browse our case studies to see the kind of results we deliver.
Do they explain their strategy before you sign?
A quality agency will audit your site and outline a strategic approach before asking for a commitment. If the proposal is vague — “we’ll build links and optimize content” — that is a red flag. You should understand exactly what they plan to do in months one through six. A detailed roadmap demonstrates that the agency has actually analyzed your situation rather than sending you the same template proposal they send everyone.
Do they understand AI search, not just traditional SEO?
Ask specifically about their approach to AI search visibility. Do they optimize for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews? Do they monitor AI citations? In 2026, an agency that only does traditional SEO is leaving half the opportunity on the table. The best agencies have already integrated generative engine optimization into their standard methodology — it is not an add-on or an afterthought. Learn about GEO →
Do they offer transparent reporting?
You should know exactly what metrics are being tracked, how they are measured, and what they mean for your business. Ask for a sample report. If the reporting focuses only on rankings and ignores traffic quality, conversions, and AI visibility, the agency is not outcome-focused. Great reporting tells a story: here is what we did, here is what changed, here is what it means for your revenue, and here is what we are doing next.
Do they require long-term contracts?
Month-to-month engagements signal confidence. If an agency locks you into a 12-month contract, ask yourself why they need a contract to keep you. Quality work retains clients — contracts retain hostages. There are legitimate reasons for minimum engagement periods (SEO takes time to show results), but any agency that refuses to work without a long lock-in is telling you something about how confident they are in their ability to deliver value you can actually see.
Who will actually work on your account?
Large agencies often sell you on their senior team and then hand your account to a junior coordinator. Ask who your day-to-day strategist will be, what their experience level is, and how many other accounts they manage. If one person is juggling 30 accounts, your business is not getting strategic attention — it is getting task management. The best agencies maintain manageable account loads so every client receives genuine strategic thinking.
Do they have industry-specific experience?
SEO for a local service business is fundamentally different from SEO for a SaaS company or a multi-location franchise. Ask whether the agency has worked with businesses similar to yours and understands your competitive landscape. Industry experience means faster ramp-up, better keyword strategies, and fewer expensive mistakes. An agency that has never worked in your vertical will spend months learning what a specialist already knows.
What is their approach to content?
Content is the fuel of modern SEO. Ask whether the agency creates content in-house, how they research topics, and whether they optimize for both traditional search and AI citation. Agencies that outsource all content to cheap freelancers rarely produce work that moves the needle. The content question also reveals how the agency thinks about strategy: are they creating content that serves your business goals, or are they just filling a monthly deliverable quota?
How do they handle technical SEO?
Technical health is the foundation everything else builds on. Ask about their approach to site speed, crawlability, schema markup, and Core Web Vitals. If they cannot articulate a clear technical strategy, they are likely focused only on surface-level optimization. A technically broken site will undermine even the best content and link-building strategy, so you want an agency that audits and resolves technical issues as part of their ongoing process — not as an expensive add-on.
Do they align pricing with deliverables?
Understand exactly what you are paying for each month. A good agency will break down their pricing by deliverable — hours of strategy, number of content pieces, technical optimizations — not hide behind a flat monthly fee with no transparency into what that fee covers. When you can see what your budget buys, you can evaluate whether the investment makes sense and hold the agency accountable for delivery. See our transparent pricing →
Red Flags to Watch For
Beyond the checklist, watch for these warning signs during the evaluation process:
Guaranteed rankings. No agency can guarantee specific positions because Google’s algorithm is not something anyone controls. Guarantees are either dishonest or indicative of black-hat tactics that can result in penalties. If an agency tells you they can guarantee a number-one ranking, ask them how they plan to override an algorithm that processes hundreds of ranking signals and changes thousands of times per year. The honest answer is that they cannot.
No mention of AI search. If an agency’s pitch is entirely about traditional rankings and they have never mentioned ChatGPT, Perplexity, or AI Overviews, they are behind the curve. AI-generated answers are reshaping how consumers discover brands, and any agency worth hiring in 2026 should have a clear strategy for this channel. Ignoring AI search today is like ignoring mobile optimization in 2015 — it will cost you compounding market share.
Extremely low pricing. SEO requires skilled strategists, content creators, and technical specialists. If an agency’s pricing seems too good to be true, you are likely getting template-based work that every other client also receives. At rock-bottom prices, agencies cannot afford to assign experienced people to your account or create custom strategies. You end up paying less per month but getting far less value per dollar.
Lack of communication structure. Ask how often you will have calls, who attends, and what the escalation path is if you are unsatisfied. Agencies that are vague about communication will be vague about everything else. A clear communication cadence — regular strategy calls, monthly reporting, quarterly business reviews — is a sign that the agency takes accountability seriously and has systems in place to keep you informed.
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Grow Wild is a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, GEO, and AI-driven marketing strategy for enterprise brands. We help multi-location businesses get discovered — not just by Google, but by every AI model shaping how customers find and evaluate your brand. growwildagency.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Quality SEO typically ranges from $1,500 to $5,000 or more per month depending on your competitive landscape and goals. Be wary of agencies charging under $1,000 per month — at that price point, it is difficult to deliver the strategic depth and content quality needed for meaningful results.
Give a new agency at least 90 days before expecting significant ranking changes, and 6 months for a full performance evaluation. SEO results compound over time. However, you should see clear progress indicators — improved technical health, content being published, reporting being delivered — within the first 30 days.
For local SEO specifically, there can be advantages to working with an agency that understands your regional market — for example, a Vancouver SEO agency for businesses in Metro Vancouver. However, most SEO work is done remotely regardless. What matters more is the agency’s expertise, communication practices, and track record — not their physical proximity to your office.
Ask for case studies with specific metrics, ask who will work on your account directly, ask about their approach to AI search optimization, request a sample report, and ask what happens if you want to cancel. The answers to these questions will tell you more than any polished proposal deck.