How do I know if my SEO company is doing anything?

Most owners only see a monthly PDF and an invoice. That is not enough to judge the work. You need three things: proof of what was done, data you can open yourself, and a link to real customers.

What work should my SEO company be able to show me?

Ask for a plain list of changes, each with a date. A good list names the page, the profile or the listing that changed, and the reason for the change.

Look for work such as:

• Updates to your Google Business Profile: hours, categories, services, photos, and replies to reviews.
• Changes to your website pages, such as new service pages or fixed contact details.
• Corrections to your business name, address, and phone number on directory sites.
• Requests that bring in new customer reviews.

If the report only says “ongoing optimization” with no detail, the agency has not shown you any work.

How do I check my Google Business Profile myself?

Do not rely on a screenshot from the agency. Open the data yourself. You must be signed in to the Google Account that owns the profile, and the profile must be verified. Google’s help pages say performance data is available only for verified profiles.

1. Sign in to the Google Account that manages your Business Profile.
2. Open your Business Profile and click Performance.
3. Select a time period, then click Apply.
4. Read the interactions: views, calls, website clicks, directions, and messages.
5. Repeat the check on the same day each month and write the numbers down.

Google says only the metrics that apply to your business appear. It also says the search terms report updates at the start of each month and can take up to 5 days to show up. Do not panic if it looks empty early in the month.

You should also confirm that you, not the agency, are listed as an owner of the profile. If the agency holds the only login, you cannot check anything.

Do more views mean the work is paying off?

Not by themselves. Views are a sign of visibility. Calls, direction requests, and website clicks are closer to money. The best test is simple: ask each new customer how they found you, and keep a tally next to your call log.

Compare that tally with the Performance numbers. If the profile shows more calls but your phone does not ring more, ask the agency why. Google’s own wording is that local results rest mainly on relevance, distance, and prominence. Distance depends on where the searcher stands, so a result can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the agency.

What should make me suspicious?

Watch for these signs:

• The agency promises a ranking or a result. Google states that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
• The agency will not tell you what it changed.
• The agency changed your business name on Google to include keywords. Google requires the name to match your real name on your signage and stationery. Extra words can lead to a suspended profile.
• The agency created a second profile for the same business. Google says there should be only one profile per business.
• The agency buys or writes reviews. Misleading claims can also attract attention from the Competition Bureau of Canada.
• The agency sends review requests by email or text without consent. CASL, Canada’s anti-spam law, covers commercial electronic messages.

What should I ask my SEO company this week?

Send three short questions by email, so you have the answers in writing:

1. What exactly did you change last month, and on what date?
2. Which numbers in my Google Business Profile Performance report do you expect to move, and why?
3. Who owns the logins for my profile, my website, and my directory listings?

A good agency answers in plain words and does not mind that you check. A weak answer is slow, vague, or full of jargon.

Where Georgian Bay SEO fits

Georgian Bay SEO runs this site. We are a local SEO agency in Collingwood, Ontario. Judge any agency, including us, by the checks on this page: dated work, data you can open yourself, and results you can match to real customers.