When choosing an SEO agency, it is best to judge by transparency, a clear strategy, experience in your industry and regular reports, not by ranking guarantees. These 10 tips will help you recognise which agency suits you and where you should be careful.
Key points at a glance
- Reputable agencies do not promise a guaranteed number-one ranking.
- Look for transparency in activities, reports and account access.
- Accounts and data should always belong to you.
- Good agencies today think of SEO together with AI visibility (GEO).
How do you recognise a good SEO agency?
A good SEO agency explains clearly what it does, measures success against your business goals and works in line with Google’s guidelines. These ten points will help you choose:
- No ranking guarantees: Nobody but Google determines rankings. Anyone who guarantees first place often uses risky methods.
- Analysis before a proposal: A good proposal is based on a look at your website, your market and your competitors.
- Goals, not rankings: The agency asks about enquiries, sales and margins, not just keywords.
- Transparent activities: You find out exactly what is being done: technical work, content, links.
- Clear reports: Regular reports show visitors, enquiries and revenue from organic search.
- Your data stays yours: Search Console, Analytics and content belong to you; the agency is only given access.
- Clean link building: Ask about methods. Purchased link packages are a warning sign.
- Technical understanding: Loading speed, indexing and structured data should not be foreign concepts.
- AI visibility in view: The agency can explain how you can also become visible in ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews.
- Fair contract terms: Manageable terms and clearly defined services instead of long commitments without substance.
Which warning signs should you take seriously?
Ranking guarantees, vague services, long contract terms and missing reports are warning signs you should take seriously.
- Guaranteed top positions within a short time
- Hundreds of backlinks for a fixed price
- No information about what is being done
- Reports that only show rankings, but no visitors or enquiries
- Accounts registered to the agency instead of to you
Which questions should you ask in the first meeting?
In the first meeting, ask about the approach, experience in your industry, reporting, your contact person and the contract term.
| Question | Good answer |
|---|---|
| How do you measure success? | By organic visitors, enquiries and revenue, not just rankings |
| What happens in the first three months? | A concrete plan with analysis, technical work and initial content |
| How do you build links? | Through content, partnerships and PR, not through purchased packages |
| Who owns the accounts and content? | You |
| How do you take AI search engines into account? | Structured data, clear answers, brand authority |
Which services belong in an SEO contract?
A good SEO contract describes concrete services, reports and contact persons, not just a general goal such as “better rankings”. This is the only way you can check later whether the agreed work has been delivered.
- Technical analysis and implementation of fixes, or support with them
- Keyword research with mapping to your pages
- Optimisation of existing content and creation of new content
- Local optimisation, for example of your Google Business Profile
- Link building using transparent methods
- Monthly report and regular check-ins
Also clarify who implements changes on the website and who owns the content created. Copy and analyses that you have paid for should remain available to you after the contract ends.
What should a good SEO report look like?
A good SEO report shows progress, completed work and next steps, and links rankings to visitors and enquiries. Long tables without explanation will not help you.
| Area | Content |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Clicks and impressions from Google Search Console, development of important search terms |
| Results | Organic visitors, enquiries and sales from Google Analytics |
| Work | What was implemented during the reporting period |
| Planning | What is planned next and why |
Insist on access to your own Search Console and Analytics account. That way you can check the figures yourself at any time, even after switching agencies.
What should the agency know about AI search engines?
A modern SEO agency should be able to explain how your business becomes visible in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews. These answers now influence many purchasing decisions.
Ask specifically about structured data, clear answers to customer questions, mentions in trustworthy sources and allowing AI crawlers in the robots.txt. Our guide Becoming visible in ChatGPT & Co. explains in detail how this works. Google itself offers helpful questions for making your choice in its guide “Do you need an SEO?”.
How do you prepare for the first meeting?
Prepare for the first meeting with your goals, your most important services and access to Search Console and Analytics. The more specific your information, the more specific the agency’s assessment will be.
Note down 3 to 5 search terms you want to be found for, as well as your main competitors. A reputable agency will ask you lots of questions before making a recommendation.
Agency, freelancer or in-house team?
Which solution fits depends on scope, budget and in-house knowledge: agencies offer broad expertise, freelancers flexibility, and an in-house team the closest connection to the business.
| Solution | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Agency | Several specialists for technical work, content and links | Less insight into internal processes |
| Freelancer | Direct contact, flexible | Limited capacity, risk of unavailability |
| In-house team | Knows products and customers in detail | Building expertise takes time |
Many businesses combine these models. An agency handles strategy and technical work, while the in-house team creates content and is trained to do so.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I commit to an SEO agency?
SEO takes time, so working together for several months makes sense. Manageable terms with clearly defined services are fairer than long contracts without specified activities. Look for the option to cancel monthly after an initial phase and for regular reports. A good agency convinces you with results, not with a long contractual commitment.
Is a local agency better?
Not necessarily. What matters are experience, transparency and availability. Many agencies work successfully by video and phone for clients all over Europe. For local SEO, however, it helps if the agency knows your market and your language well. In the first meeting, ask about their experience with businesses from your industry and region.
How much does an SEO agency cost?
That depends on scope, competition and goals. Reputable agencies prepare an individual proposal after an initial analysis. Be wary of very cheap flat-rate packages or guarantees of first place. Compare proposals on the basis of the specific services, the planned activities and the type of reporting, not just the monthly cost.
Can I do SEO myself?
Much of it, yes, especially maintaining content. An agency is particularly worthwhile for strategy, technical work and measuring success, or as a trainer for your team. Many businesses combine both: the in-house team writes copy and maintains the business profile, while the agency takes care of technical analyses and evaluating the results.
After 6 months, how can I tell whether the agency is doing a good job?
After 6 months, you should see rising impressions and clicks in Search Console, first improvements for important search terms and clearly documented completed work. With strong competition, progress can be slower. What matters is that the agency openly explains progress and obstacles and adjusts its planning based on the results.
Should the agency be allowed to make changes to my website itself?
You set that out in the contract. Many agencies receive their own user account with restricted permissions. Important points are an up-to-date backup, agreement before major changes and documentation of all adjustments. Never share your own administrator password; instead, create a personal account for each person.
Should I book SEO and Google Ads with the same agency?
That can make sense, because one agency can combine data from both channels and coordinate budgets. However, make sure that experienced contacts are responsible for both areas and that results are reported separately. It is also important that you remain the owner of your accounts, so that data and campaigns are retained if you switch.
What happens to my data if I switch agencies?
If Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Ads and your business profile are registered to your company, all data stays with you. The agency only receives access rights, which you can revoke. Before the contract ends, ask for reports, keyword lists and created content to be handed over, and document technical changes so that the successor can continue seamlessly.
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