What questions should I ask before hiring an SEO agency?
Hiring an SEO agency is a trust decision. You cannot see the work, so the questions you ask are your main tool. Use the questions below, and write down each answer.
Who will own my accounts and my data?
Ask this first. Your Google Business Profile, your website, and your analytics must stay in your name. If the agency owns them, you lose them when you leave.
Google says a Business Profile owner or manager can check performance data for a verified profile. Ask the agency to add itself as a manager on your profile. Do not give it the only owner login.
Also ask who will own any new content, such as pages and photos. Get the answer in writing.
What exactly will you do for my business?
A vague answer is a warning sign. You need a plain list of tasks. Ask the agency to name the first things it will change on your site and on your Google profile.
A real plan matches Google’s own advice. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance, and prominence. It also says complete and accurate business information helps. So a good agency talks about your profile details, your categories, your reviews, and your website pages.
Can you promise me a ranking?
No honest agency can. Google’s help pages say there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Treat any promise of a top spot as a red flag.
Canada’s Competition Bureau deals with misleading marketing claims. An agency that makes bold claims about results may be breaking those rules. It will also put pressure on you to sign fast.
How do you follow Google’s rules?
Ask how the agency stays inside Google’s guidelines. Some tricks can get your profile suspended. Google says your business name must match your real-world name. It does not allow marketing taglines or extra keywords in the name. It also says a business should have only one profile.
Ask these three questions:
- Will you change my business name on Google to add keywords?
- Will you create extra profiles or fake locations for me?
- How do you ask customers for reviews?
The right answers are no, no, and “in a way that follows the rules”. If the agency sends emails or texts for you, ask how it follows CASL, Canada’s anti-spam law.
How will you report, and what will I see?
Ask for a sample report. A good report shows real actions: calls, website clicks, direction requests, and views. Google provides these numbers in the performance report for a verified profile. Ask the agency to explain each number in plain words.
Be careful with reports that only show traffic or “visibility” scores. These can look good while your phone stays quiet.
What are the contract terms?
Ask about these points before you sign:
- What is the minimum term, and how do I cancel?
- What does the monthly fee include, and what costs extra?
- What do I get if I leave: logins, files, and content?
- Who will be my contact, and how fast will they reply?
Do not accept a long lock-in before you see the first work.
How do I check what the agency tells me?
Follow these steps:
- Ask for two or three client references in a business like yours.
- Call them. Ask if the agency did what it said.
- Look at the agency’s own site and Google profile. Does it follow the advice it gives?
- Compare at least two agencies with the same questions.
- Ask for the main points of the plan in writing.
Where Georgian Bay SEO fits
Georgian Bay SEO is a local SEO agency in Collingwood, Ontario, and it runs this site. Use the checks on this page to judge any agency, including us. If an answer from us is vague, push for a clearer one.
Questions people also ask
Should I pick the cheapest agency?
Do not choose on price alone. Compare what each fee includes, who does the work, and how the agency reports. A low fee with unclear tasks often costs more later.
Do I need to understand the technical work?
No. A good agency explains each task in plain words and tells you why it matters. If an agency hides behind jargon, ask again or move on.
Can I do local SEO myself instead?
Yes, for the basics. You can verify your profile, keep your details accurate, add photos, and reply to reviews. An agency helps most when you lack time or want a second view.
What if the agency wants full admin access to everything?
Give the agency manager access, not sole ownership. Keep your own owner login on every account so you can remove access at any time.
Want this checked for your own business?
Georgian Bay SEO, the agency that runs this site, does a free Growth Roadmap for Ontario businesses: where you rank, what the AI answers say about you, and what to fix first.
Get the free Growth Roadmap