Define the problem before asking for an SEO proposal
Decide whether you need a technical SEO audit, implementation capacity or a continuing content programme. A traffic decline, a store launch and international expansion are different projects. Each requires different access, expertise and internal participation. Compare the proposed engagement with that starting problem.
Prepare a short buying brief: important products or services, intended markets, current platform, observed issue and internal delivery capacity. Say when reliable measurement is missing. The first phase may be an investigation that reduces uncertainty. Writing a precise revenue target from data you do not have does not make the conversation more useful.
Choose an example URL and explain why it matters. Rather than asking for an entire unpaid strategy, ask the candidate to describe the approach and the information needed. This reveals how the team frames a problem and notices a wrong assumption. Keep the brief consistent across candidates so that different answers can be compared fairly.
An audit need
The problem and priorities are unclear; implementation scope still needs to be defined.
A delivery need
Findings exist, but development, content corrections or release checks are waiting.
A continuing need
Product, page and market changes require a dependable operating team.
Inspect the evidence behind references and case studies
For ecommerce SEO, ask about comparable catalogue complexity, filters or store migrations. An industry logo alone is not enough. A useful case explains the starting situation, changes made, agency contribution and comparison period. Customer details can remain confidential while the method and scope stay understandable.
An upward graph can also reflect a brand campaign, seasonality or a platform change. Ask which outcome the candidate associates with the work and which uncertainties remain. If an authorised reference conversation is possible, discuss communication, implementation follow-through and how problems were handled. Check that permission exists for any identifiable results shared.
A smaller team may have fewer logos. Relevant sample work, a clear task explanation and an accountable delivery model can still help you assess it. Do not fill an evidence gap with invented customers. Establish which part of the actual experience transfers to your project and where the team would need support.
FROM READING TO A NEXT STEP
Make the SEO scope comparable
Tell us the objective, platform and your internal implementation capacity. We can define a useful first phase and its reviewable outputs.
Test technical and editorial capability through deliverable work
A technical delivery plan should show how a finding reaches the person who can implement it. Ask for an example task: affected URL, evidence, proposed correction and acceptance check. A reporting-only engagement is different from a proposal that includes implementation. Your developer’s available capacity should also be visible in the schedule.
For content, request a sample brief and review workflow. Who supplies subject knowledge, opens sources and checks Turkish or English copy? A page should not be accepted merely because its word count is complete. The purpose of internal links and the decision about overlap with existing URLs also belong in the production scope.
Ask for transparency about authority work and its commercial costs. A claimed special relationship with Google, priority submission or guaranteed first position is not evidence of delivery quality. Google’s hiring guidance warns against these promises. Treat a tool report as material to examine, rather than accepting every automated recommendation as a task that must be completed.
| Proposal area | Question for the candidate | Comparison note |
|---|---|---|
| Technical audit | How does the finding become a development task? | Does the scope include implementation and testing? |
| Content | Who owns the brief, sources and specialist review? | Separate writing, editing and publication. |
| Internal links | Which reader decision does each destination support? | Check overlap with existing URLs. |
| Authority work | Are the method and commercial costs explained? | Record permissions, scope and evidence limits. |
Ask what decision the report will help you make
A content and growth programme needs more than a colourful traffic graph. Completed work, unapplied recommendations, performance observations and the next decision should be distinguishable. Request a redacted report and assess what you could decide after reading it. A useful report makes its limitations clear.
Discuss brand and non-brand queries, important page groups and the comparison conditions. Ask whether an enquiry event means opening a form or an accepted record. If lead suitability is not reviewed in the CRM, do not assume the SEO report knows the sales quality of every visit. Explain consent gaps and missing data rather than silently treating an incomplete view as complete.
A reporting schedule is not the same as an escalation process. Agree a channel, priority and decision owner for an unexpected issue. Look for a partner who explains what the evidence shows instead of assigning every gain to the agency and every decline to an algorithm update.
Compare price, access and handover within the same scope
When examining SEO pricing and packages, read audit, implementation, content and tool costs separately. A lower total can mean less work or more responsibility for your team. Send candidates the same example scope. A monthly number on its own does not explain the operating model.
Discuss account ownership, agency access, content files, source code and handover at the end of the engagement. Ask which permissions are needed for an initial audit and avoid unnecessary administrative access. Google recommends read-only Search Console access during this assessment stage. Implementation permissions can be defined separately when a specific change is agreed.
Review the minimum term, cancellation notice, outstanding deliverables and staff-change conditions in writing. This guide does not establish the legal adequacy of contract terms; important obligations may need an appropriate adviser. Keep a desired business outcome separate from the work the agency directly controls and is contracted to deliver.
Connect the selection to a small, reviewable first phase
Narrow the shortlist using a common SEO engagement scope. Keep answers about fit, evidence, delivery, communication and responsibilities in one note. Instead of assigning arbitrary scores, explain the project consequence of a missing answer. Resolve an important uncertainty before making a commitment.
Define an acceptable first-phase output, such as priority URL findings, an implementation sequence and a measurement-gap list. This is a concrete delivery outcome, not a traffic guarantee. At the end of the phase, review what was completed and the next investment decision. If the relationship needs to change, an agreed handover process helps protect continuity.
Use the same brief
Keep the issue, platform, market and internal capacity consistent for every candidate.
Connect answers to evidence
Use a case, sample task and report to understand the delivery model.
Name dependencies
Assign owners for approvals, development and access.
Accept the first phase
Agree the reviewable output and the decision meeting.
BEFORE YOU DECIDE
Frequently asked questions
Should we hire an agency or a freelancer?
Assess the need and delivery capacity. A narrow specialist task can suit an independent expert. Several disciplines and continuing coordination may benefit from a team. Evaluate the actual operating model rather than choosing by the label alone.
Is a number-one ranking guarantee credible?
No one can guarantee first position on Google. Ask for clear work, measurement and uncertainty instead. A claimed special relationship with Google should not be accepted as evidence of an agency’s capability.
How many months must we commit?
There is no universal term for every business. Site conditions, scope and delivery dependencies vary. Discuss the first phase, minimum commitment and exit conditions explicitly in the proposal.
Is choosing the lowest price wrong?
Price alone cannot answer that. Compare the same implementation, editorial review, reporting and tool scope. Include work your team would have to perform when it is excluded from the quoted total.
Which reporting metric matters most?
Your business objective determines that. Search visibility, important-page traffic and accepted enquiries answer different questions. Review performance alongside the work completed, and avoid relying on one graph.
What access should we provide during selection?
Provide only the access needed for the assessment. Read access may be sufficient initially; permissions to publish or change settings are a separate decision. Keep account ownership and the ability to revoke access with your business.
LET’S DEFINE THE SCOPE
Make the SEO scope comparable
Tell us the objective, platform and your internal implementation capacity. We can define a useful first phase and its reviewable outputs.
Discuss your SEO scope