Why this decision matters
The wrong SEO provider doesn't just waste budget. Risky tactics can get a site penalized and take months to recover from. The right partner, on the other hand, builds an asset that keeps paying off long after the work is done. Here's how to tell them apart.
12 questions to ask
- Who will actually work on my account, and how senior are they?
- What will you do in the first 90 days, specifically? Look for a plan, not vague promises.
- How do you build links? The answer should involve earning them. Ask for examples.
- Will I see every link and every change? The answer should be yes, with URLs.
- How will you measure success? Leads and revenue, not just rankings.
- What do you need from me? Good SEO needs access, approvals and subject-matter input.
- How do you handle AI search and AI Overviews? In 2026 this should be part of the plan.
- What happens if we part ways? You should keep all content, accounts, data and links.
- What's the contract term? A 3-month ramp is reasonable. Twelve-month lock-ins are a warning sign.
- Who owns the Google Analytics, Search Console and Business Profile accounts? You should.
- Can I speak with a current client?
- When would you tell me SEO isn't right for my business? Honest providers have an answer.
Red flags
- Guaranteed #1 rankings or "page one in 30 days."
- "Secret" methods, proprietary networks or link packages sold by volume.
- Reports full of rankings for keywords nobody searches.
- They want to own your accounts or website.
- Prices that are too low to pay a real specialist. Sustainable SEO isn't $99 a month.
- No questions about your business, margins or customers.
What should SEO cost?
In the US, small-business SEO retainers commonly run from roughly $1,000 to $3,000 per month, local SEO from several hundred to around $2,000 per location, and one-time audits from about $500 to $5,000 depending on site size. Competitive national campaigns cost more. Senior-led programs and competitive national campaigns sit well above these averages. See our transparent pricing for how we structure plans.
Agency, freelancer or in-house?
Freelancers can be great value for a single skill. In-house hires make sense once SEO is a major channel. Agencies give you multiple specialists at once. A senior-led boutique like ours sits in between: one accountable strategist plus a bench of specialists, without big-agency overhead.