16 Questions to Ask An SEO Agency [And Our Answers]

Before partnering with an SEO agency, asking pertinent questions is pivotal. It helps assess their expertise, understand their strategic approach, and ensure they align with your business goals. This proactive inquiry sets the foundation for transparent communication, mutual expectations, and a partnership to achieve measurable, successful results in your digital marketing efforts.

Choosing the right SEO agency is crucial and can significantly impact your business’s online presence.

Without asking the right questions, you risk having mismatched expectations, potentially leading to underwhelming results and wasted resources. You can confidently navigate the selection process by preparing yourself with essential and well-thought-out questions.

This approach helps identify an agency that aligns with your needs, ensures you feel confident about investing in SEO services, and sets the stage for a transparent and effective partnership.

In this article, I’m sharing a list of questions to ask an SEO agency you’re considering hiring (as well as our answers).

Questions to Ask An SEO Agency

Before diving into a partnership with an SEO agency, it’s crucial to thoroughly understand their methods, experience, and approach to reporting.

This understanding is critical to ensuring transparency in their processes, aligning your business goals with their strategies, and setting a solid foundation for a successful collaboration. Asking targeted questions can reveal insights into their expertise and compatibility with your needs.

Here are 16 essential questions to ask an SEO agency to guide you in making an informed decision:

1. What is your approach to SEO?

This is one of the most important questions to ask an SEO agency. Understanding an agency’s approach to SEO is crucial in determining whether their strategy aligns with your business objectives.

Different agencies may focus on various aspects of SEO, such as technical, content, or link building, and prioritize short-term gains over long-term sustainability. By asking this question, you gain insight into their methodology – whether they lean toward aggressive tactics for quick results or adopt a more holistic, gradual approach.
This also reveals their adaptability to your industry needs and the potential for a tailored strategy.

An agency’s approach to SEO should not only comply with best practices but also integrate seamlessly with your overall marketing strategy, ensuring that all efforts are synergistic and drive toward your business goals.

Our Answer: Our approach to SEO is holistic and data-driven, focusing on long-term results. We blend in-depth keyword research, quality content creation, and technical optimization with a keen understanding of current search engine algorithms. Our strategy emphasizes improving user experience and building organic visibility, ensuring your website ranks well and effectively resonates with your target audience.

2. Do you handle on-page and off-page SEO?

Inquiring about an agency’s capabilities in managing both on-page and off-page SEO is vital.

On-page SEO involves optimizing elements within your website, like content and HTML source code, for better search visibility and user experience.

Off-page SEO focuses on external factors like building backlinks and social media marketing.

A well-rounded SEO strategy requires a balanced focus on both. This question helps you understand if the agency can provide a comprehensive SEO solution.

Agencies adept in both areas can ensure that your site not only ranks well but also maintains a robust and reputable presence online, significantly impacting your site’s authority and search engine rankings.

Our Answer: Yes, we handle both on-page and off-page SEO. Our on-page strategy focuses on optimizing the content and structure of your website for better search engine visibility and user experience. Off-page SEO involves building your site’s authority through backlinks and other external factors. Integrating both ensures a comprehensive approach to boosting your overall online presence.

3. Do you offer ongoing technical SEO support?

Technical SEO is the backbone of any effective SEO strategy. It involves optimizing your website’s infrastructure to ensure search engines can easily crawl and index your content.

Asking about ongoing technical SEO support is essential because the digital landscape is continuously evolving, and your website needs to adapt to these changes. This support includes regular technical audits, addressing crawl errors, optimizing site speed, and ensuring mobile-friendliness.

Ongoing technical SEO ensures that your website remains compliant with the latest search engine algorithms and user experience standards, which is crucial for maintaining and improving search engine rankings over time.

Our Answer: Yes, we provide ongoing technical SEO support. Our team continuously monitors and optimizes your website’s technical health to ensure it’s search-engine friendly. This includes regular audits, speed optimization, mobile responsiveness, and fixing crawl errors, ensuring your site maintains peak performance and complies with the latest SEO best practices.

4. Do you handle local SEO?

Local SEO is critical for businesses targeting specific geographic areas. Asking this question helps you determine if the agency has the expertise to optimize your online presence for a local audience.

Effective local SEO strategies include optimizing your Google Business Profile listing, local citations, and localized content, which are vital for attracting a local customer base. It also involves managing online reviews and local backlinks.

An agency skilled in local SEO can significantly enhance your visibility in local search results, drive foot traffic, and increase local online and offline conversions. This aspect of SEO cannot be overlooked for businesses with a physical presence or those targeting specific local markets.

Our Answer: Absolutely, we specialize in local SEO. Our strategy involves optimizing your online presence for local searches, including Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, and tailored content that resonates with your local audience. This approach will increase your visibility in local search results, driving more foot traffic and local customers to your business.

5. How do you monitor rankings?

Monitoring rankings is an integral part of any SEO strategy. By asking how an agency monitors rankings, you can gauge their commitment to tracking progress and adapting strategies as needed.

Effective monitoring involves more than just tracking positions for specific keywords; it includes analyzing search trends, understanding the impact of algorithm updates, and observing competitors’ movements. This information helps in making informed decisions and tweaking strategies for better performance.

Consistent monitoring also offers insights into user behavior and preferences, enabling content and keyword strategy refinement. Knowing how an agency monitors rankings gives you an idea of their thoroughness and ability to stay ahead in a dynamic SEO landscape.

Our Answer: We use advanced tools and techniques to monitor rankings daily. Our approach includes tracking your website’s position for targeted keywords, locations, and competitors. This ongoing analysis helps us refine strategies and respond to changes in search algorithms, ensuring your site consistently ranks well in search results.

6. What kind of content strategy do you implement for SEO?

Content is a cornerstone of SEO, and understanding an agency’s content strategy is key.

This question helps determine if their approach aligns with your brand’s voice and audience’s needs. A robust content strategy should involve thorough keyword research, understanding user intent, and creating high-quality, relevant content that engages and adds value to your audience.

It should also include a plan for content distribution and promotion to maximize reach and impact.

A good SEO agency will tailor its content strategy to improve rankings and enhance user experience, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

Our Answer: Our content strategy for SEO focuses on creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content tailored to your audience’s needs and search behaviors. We conduct thorough keyword research to identify topics that resonate with your audience, ensuring the content ranks well and drives engagement, shares, and conversions. Our strategy includes regular content updates and optimization to keep your site fresh and authoritative.

7. What should I expect during the first month?

Setting expectations for the first month of SEO work is essential for a transparent and trusting relationship.

In the initial phase, a reputable agency would typically conduct a thorough website audit, identify critical areas for improvement, and begin on-page optimizations. This period is more about laying the groundwork than seeing dramatic ranking improvements.

Activities include keyword research, technical fixes, and initial content planning. Understanding what happens in the first month helps set realistic expectations and provides a roadmap for future SEO activities and milestones.

Our Answer: At Sachs Marketing Group, you can expect a friendly kickoff call with the SEO professional handling your campaign at the beginning of the month, a two-week setup phase where we conduct initial audits and research, a follow-up email containing an outline of what’s been completed as well as the plan for the road ahead. By the end of the month, your campaign will be in full swing, you will receive your first monthly report, and your SEO professional will reach out to schedule a time to discuss the report.

8. Do you have experience with my industry?

Asking about an agency’s experience with your specific industry is critical.

Each industry has unique challenges, audience behaviors, and competitive landscapes in SEO. Agencies experienced in your industry will likely have a deeper understanding of your target market, relevant keywords, and practical strategies that have worked for similar businesses.

This can lead to more effective and efficient SEO campaigns, as they won’t need to spend as much time on the learning curve. Moreover, industry experience can also bring insights into industry-specific best practices and trends, enabling the creation of more targeted and impactful SEO strategies.

Our Answer: We have experience in many industries and will happily share case studies related to your industry. Our specialization is primarily in the addiction rehab industry and mental health industry.

9. Can you share any case studies that illustrate the results?

Asking for case studies is a direct way to assess an agency’s effectiveness and reliability.

Case studies provide tangible evidence of their ability to deliver results and handle challenges specific to SEO. They showcase the agency’s strategies in action and the outcomes achieved for other clients.

This insight can help gauge their proficiency in handling scenarios similar to yours. Look for case studies demonstrating a straightforward problem-solution-result narrative, reflecting the agency’s strategic thinking, adaptability, and ability to drive measurable outcomes.

Such real-world examples also provide a clearer picture of what you can expect regarding results and timelines.

Our Answer: We can share multiple case studies that showcase our results. These studies detail our strategies and the outcomes achieved for clients in different sectors. Our case studies provide a transparent view of the selected client’s challenges, our SEO solutions, and the results of our efforts.

10. How often will you provide reports on SEO performance?

Regular reporting is vital to transparency and maintaining a pulse on your SEO campaign’s performance.

Inquiring about the frequency of reports allows you to understand how often you’ll receive updates about your SEO efforts. Frequent and consistent reporting helps track progress, identify areas that need improvement, and make timely adjustments.

It also ensures that both parties are on the same page regarding the performance and expectations of the SEO strategy.

Our Answer: We usually provide monthly SEO performance reports, but we’re happy to customize reporting frequency if you prefer! Your SEO professional may also provide additional reporting via email to ensure you’re in the loop regarding sudden changes in rankings, industry chances that may affect your website, and more.

11. Can the reporting frequency be customized to meet my needs?

Customizable reporting frequency shows the agency’s flexibility and customer-centric approach.

Each business may have different needs and preferences regarding receiving updates. Some prefer detailed monthly reports, while others need brief weekly updates.

A customizable reporting schedule lets you receive information that best suits your management style and business needs, ensuring you’re always informed and in control of your SEO strategy.

Our Answer: Our reporting frequency can be tailored to meet your specific requirements. We understand that different businesses have varying needs for information frequency and detail. Whether you need weekly updates or quarterly and annual reports, we can customize our reporting schedule to align with your business’s rhythm and ensure you’re always informed and in control of your SEO strategy.

12. What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you include in your reports?

Of all the questions to ask an SEO agency, this is one of the most important. Understanding which KPIs are included in the reports gives you insight into the agency’s focus and measurement of success.

Key performance indicators include organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversion, bounce rates, and backlink quality. These SEO metrics offer a comprehensive view of the effectiveness of the SEO strategy.

An agency that tracks a wide range of KPIs demonstrates a thorough understanding of SEO’s multifaceted impact. Additionally, the KPIs should align with your specific business goals, whether increasing brand visibility, boosting sales, or improving customer engagement.

Our Answer: Our reports include a comprehensive range of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to give you a clear picture of your SEO campaign’s success. These typically include keyword rankings, organic traffic, and conversions from organic searches. We focus on KPIs most relevant to your goals, ensuring each report is informative and directly aligned with your business objectives.

13. Do you offer actionable insights or recommendations in your reports?

It is crucial to ask whether an SEO agency offers actionable insights or recommendations in their reports.

This question helps determine if the agency goes beyond data presentation to provide strategic guidance. Actionable insights mean they analyze the data, understand the context of your business, and suggest practical steps to improve performance.

This approach demonstrates their commitment to tracking metrics and actively contributing to your SEO success.

Reports with actionable recommendations are a valuable tool for decision-making, enabling you to understand the ‘why’ behind the data and how to leverage it for better results.

Our Answer: The SEO professional handling your campaign may add notes throughout the report and/or share these insights with you over the phone if you have a standing monthly meeting. We strive to communicate clearly (avoiding jargon) so you’re on the same page and know exactly how we’re interpreting your report and what we’re doing to ensure your SEO campaign drives results for your business.

14. How and when will we communicate?

Establishing clear and defined communication expectations is super-important for a successful partnership. This includes understanding the frequency, channels (e.g., email, phone, meetings), and communication format.

Are you going to set a monthly appointment to meet over the phone or video conference?

Knowing when and how you will communicate ensures that there are no gaps in information sharing and that both parties remain aligned on goals and strategies. Effective communication is key to resolving issues promptly, making timely decisions, and maintaining a transparent and collaborative relationship.

Our Answer: Communication is a crucial aspect of our service. We establish clear and consistent channels for communication right from the start. We typically schedule monthly meetings to discuss progress, strategies, and concerns. Additionally, we’re always available via email or phone during business hours. This ensures you’re always in the loop and can provide input or receive updates as needed, fostering a transparent and collaborative relationship.

14. What is your pricing model?

Understanding an agency’s pricing model is fundamental in evaluating their services against your budget.

SEO agencies might charge based on models like monthly retainers, project-based fees, or performance-based pricing. Each model has its advantages and implications for your business.

A clear understanding of the pricing structure helps assess the value offered and ensure no hidden costs. It also aids in financial planning and evaluating the return on investment you can expect from their services.

Our Answer: Our pricing model is based on the scope and needs of the SEO campaign and is clearly defined before the start of the campaign.

15. What happens if I need to terminate my contract?

Knowing the terms for contract termination safeguards your interests.

This includes understanding any notice periods, fees, or other conditions associated with ending the agreement.

It’s essential to have clear exit terms to avoid unforeseen complications or costs. This question reflects the agency’s flexibility and customer-centric approach, as a reputable agency will have fair and transparent termination policies.

Our Answer: We understand that circumstances can change, and we have a straightforward process for contract termination. If you decide to end our services, we require a notice period as outlined in our agreement. We aim to maintain a professional and amicable relationship, even if our contractual terms come to an end.

16. What makes your SEO services unique or better than other agencies?

This question helps identify the agency’s unique selling propositions (USPs).

Understanding what sets them apart is their innovative strategies, specialized expertise, superior tools, or exceptional customer service. Their answer will give you insights into their strengths and how they leverage these to deliver superior results.

This differentiation is key in choosing an agency that aligns with your needs and can provide the unique value you want in an SEO partnership.

Our Answer: We focus on client retention instead of client acquisition, which ensures we only succeed when you succeed. This approach provides a layer of transparency and trust you won’t find from SEO agencies that depend on clients coming and going quickly. Our team is invested in the success of your SEO campaign, so we push hard to ensure our efforts help your business thrive.

Looking for a Transparent SEO Agency?

Are you searching for an SEO agency that answers all your questions and provides the transparency needed to ensure you’re always aware of what’s working, what’s not working, and what needs to be done to improve your website?

Sachs Marketing Group stands out in the vast sea of SEO agencies. We’re not just about delivering services – we’re about creating partnerships. Our tailored, transparent, and results-driven approach ensures that every aspect of your SEO needs is meticulously addressed.

Imagine having an SEO partner that boosts your online visibility and drives tangible results. With our deep expertise, innovative strategies, and commitment to staying ahead of industry trends, Sachs Marketing Group transforms your digital presence. Our case studies and client testimonials speak volumes about our ability to elevate businesses to new heights.

Contact Sachs Marketing Group today. Let’s discuss your goals and how we can turn them into reality. With us, you’re not just getting an agency – you’re gaining a partner dedicated to your success.

Conclusion

This list of questions to ask an SEO agency can help you find a good fit for your needs. With these questions in hand, you can reach out to SEO agencies with confidence that you’re asking the right questions.

Asking these 16 questions can significantly influence the success of your digital marketing strategy. It ensures you choose a partner that understands your needs, communicates effectively, and drives tangible results.