The short answer
Check an SEO agency the way you would check a hire. Ask for dated results with sources, the names of the people who do the work, reviews on sites the agency does not control, the contract terms, the company details and who owns your accounts. A good agency shows all of it without being chased.
Why check an agency at all?
SEO takes months to show, so a bad choice costs time you do not get back. Most of what you need to check is public, or should be.
The checklist below works on any agency. It works on us too, which is why the last part shows where to find each answer for Dices Agency.
Are the results dated and sourced?
A result without a period, a source and a check date cannot be checked. Ask where each number comes from: Search Console, analytics or a tool, and for which months.
Be wary of round numbers with no source, and of results borrowed from a different kind of work.
Do you know who does the work?
Ask for the names and roles of the people on your account, and who checks their work before it reaches you. A team page with real names is a good start.
Ask who your day-to-day contact will be, and how fast they reply.
See how we work before you decide
A free audit shows our work on your own site. No call needed.
Get a free auditWhat do outside reviews say?
Look for reviews on sites the agency does not control: directories and review platforms. Quotes on the agency’s own site are a start, not the whole picture.
Check that a reviewer is a real person, with a name, a role and a company.
What does the contract say?
- The minimum term. How long you commit for, and what happens after.
- The notice period. How you leave, and how much warning you give.
- What is included. In plain lines, with prices written as amounts.
- No promised rankings. Nobody controls search results. A guarantee of rankings is a warning sign.
Is the company real, and who owns the accounts?
Check that the company is registered where it says it is, and that its address is real, not a virtual office.
Then ask who owns the accounts: Search Console, analytics and your site. They should stay in your name, with logins back the same day if you leave.
Checklist: checking an SEO agency
- Dated results. Every number has its period, source and check date.
- Named people. You know who does the work and who checks it.
- Outside reviews. On sites the agency does not control.
- Plain terms. Minimum term, notice period, what is included.
- Your accounts. In your name, with logins back the same day.
Check us the same way
Read how we work for the full method, from the first audit to the monthly report.
Check our work on your own site
Two or three real problems, and how to fix them. Free, no call needed.
Choosing an SEO agency: questions
What should I ask an SEO agency before hiring?
Ask for dated results with sources, the people who will do the work, outside reviews, the contract terms, the company details and who owns your accounts.
Is an SEO guarantee a good sign?
No. Nobody controls search results. Look for clear terms and dated reporting instead of promises.
Agency or freelancer?
Either can work. Check them the same way: dated results, real reviews, clear terms and your accounts in your name.
How long before I can judge an agency?
Technical fixes can show within weeks, content usually takes three to six months to really move. The monthly reports should show the work done from the first month.