Answers / Agency Accountability

What Questions Should I Ask Before Hiring a Local SEO Agency?

Ask who will own your accounts, what gets done each month, how you'll see results across your area, and whether they guarantee rankings. The answers tell you more than the sales deck.

Updated Oct 9, 2026 · by CitedLocal

The 10 questions

Ask	A good answer
Who will own my Google Business Profile, website and domain?	"You do. We get manager access."
What exactly will you do each month?	A specific list you can check, not "optimization."
How will I see where I rank across my area?	A ranking map from many points in your service area, not one search from their office.
Do you check whether AI assistants name my business?	Yes, with the actual question asked and who gets named.
Do you guarantee rankings?	No. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking.
Is there a setup fee or a long contract?	Clear numbers, in writing.
What happens to my accounts if I leave?	Everything stays with you.
Who does the work?	A named person or team, including any contractors.
What do you need from me?	Specific inputs: photos, access, answers to questions.
Can I see a sample monthly report?	Yes, with ranking data and a work log.

Answers that should end the call

A guarantee of first page or #1.
A "special relationship" with Google, or priority submission. Google calls both out as warning signs.
Refusing to give you owner access to your own accounts.
Reports that show only impressions, or rankings only for your business name.

Where else to get unbiased help

Your local Small Business Development Center offers free consulting, and many publish plain guides. The University of Arkansas SBTDC's guide to optimizing a Google Business Profile is a good example. Google's own Search Central page, "Do you need an SEO?", lists what to ask and what to avoid.

Rather not keep up with this yourself? That is what our Google Business Profile management covers.

How Do I Choose a Local SEO Company?

The best local SEO company for you can show where you rank today, what they will change, and how you will see it move.

Look for these

A real audit before a pitch. They should show your current map ranking and profile gaps, specific to your business.
Ranking data you can see. A map of where you appear across your area, refreshed on a schedule.
Clear monthly work. A plain list of what they do, not "ongoing optimization".
Your ownership. You own your Google Business Profile, website and listings.
No lock-in. Month to month, or a short term with a clear exit.

Red flags

Guaranteed rankings or "page one in 30 days".
They want to own your Google Business Profile.
Reports full of activity with no ranking or call data.
Long contracts with cancellation fees.

Check them the way customers will

Search for their own service in their own city. A local SEO company that cannot get itself found is a warning sign.

FAQ

How many agencies should I talk to?

Two or three is enough to compare scope and price. Ask each the same questions so the answers line up.

Should I sign a 12-month contract?

Only if you understand exactly what you get and how to exit. Month-to-month makes the agency keep earning your business.

Is a cheap agency always bad?

No. Cheap is fine if the scope is clear and you own everything. The risk is paying for activity you can't see.

Sources

Should I hire a local company or a national one?

Either can work. What matters is whether they show you real data from your market.

What should a local SEO company do in the first month?

Baseline your rankings, fix the profile and listings, and set up reporting. You should see the starting point before any changes.

How do I compare two proposals?

Line up the monthly work, the reporting and the contract terms. Ignore promises about rankings.

Check your agency before you sign — or before you renew.

Free Agency Check — 10 yes-or-no questions, a red-flag score, and a ready-to-send email asking for owner access and a monthly work log.

Run the Free Agency Check